Two-thirds of snowmobilers killed by avalanches from Alberta

VANCOUVER — All the avalanches that killed snowmobilers in Canada over the past five years occurred in B.C., but two-thirds of the victims were from Alberta.

Avalanche Canada says March is the deadliest month for snowslides and it is focusing its safety message on Alberta’s snowmobilers this year.

The avalanche safety organization said that of the 45 people who were killed in avalanches over the past five years, 24 were snowmobiling.

It said about 66 per cent of the snowmobiling victims were male Alberta residents, and of those, 73 per cent lived within 150 kilometres of Edmonton.

Last year, 12 of the 15 people who died in avalanches were snowmobilers, including five Alberta men who died in a major slide near McBride in January.

Curtis Pawliuk, the general manager of the Valemount and Area Recreation District, a popular destination for Alberta snowmobilers, said he often he sees terrain choices that do not fit the conditions.

“These people are getting lucky. While the snowmobile community has come a long way, we need to start seeing greater buy-in and respect for the hazards of the backcountry,” he said in a statement.

Gilles Valade, executive director of Avalanche Canada, said that unlike other user groups, snowmobiling avalanche deaths are showing a clear pattern.

“When we see such a cluster in terms of place of residence, it raises a concern that our safety messages aren’t reaching the people who clearly need it most,” he said.