Five killed in B.C. avalanche were Alberta residents

MCBRIDE, B.C.— All five snowmobilers killed in an immense avalanche in eastern British Columbia on Friday were from Alberta, authorities said Saturday as the local community reeled from the tragedy.

The B.C. Coroners Service released the identities of the men, ranging in age from 41to 55, shortly after RCMP held a news conference in McBride, B.C.

Cpl. Jay Grierson offered his condolences to the families and said the small village on the Alberta-B.C. boundary was deeply affected by the deaths.

“This community is very supportive and welcoming of snowmobilers. We rely on these people to enjoy our community,” he said.

The men killed were: Vincent Eugene Loewen, 52, of Vegreville; Tony Christopher Greenwood, 41, of Grand Prairie County; Ricky Robinson, 55, of Spruce Grove; Todd William Chisholm, 47, of St. Albert and John Harold Garley, 49, of Stony Plain.

A statement on behalf of Chisholm’s family said he had a passion for sledding in the mountains.

Grierson said four separate groups of snowmobilers from Alberta, totalling 17 people, were caught in the avalanche path or buried to some degree, but they have all been accounted for.

He said the B.C. Coroners Service has taken over the investigation and RCMP will continue to assist.

Late Saturday, Ontario Provincial Police said three people had died in two separate snowmobile accidents in south-central Ontario.

Police identified the dead men as James Bates, 25, of Milton, Ont.; Jeffery Dunlop, 22, of Pickering, Ont., and Thomas Rivers, 53.

Rivers’ hometown was not stated by police.