Avalanches Are Canada’s ‘Deadliest Natural Hazard’: Government Report

Overview of an entire avalanche path in the Purcell Mountains near Golden, B.C., in Feb. 16, 2023. (The Canadian Press//HO, Avalanche Canada, Golden and District Search and Rescue)

A federal government report says that avalanches are the deadliest natural hazard in the country.

Public Safety Canada said in a recent report, Evaluation of Public Safety’s Support to Avalanche Canada’s Long-Term Sustainability and Expansion of Services, that avalanches cause more deaths each year than other natural disasters, as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.

“Avalanches are the deadliest natural hazard in Canada, killing more people annually than all other natural hazards combined,” the March 2024 report said.

Most of the fatal avalanche accidents happen in British Columbia, the authors said, noting that between Jan. 1, 2011, and April 30, 2022, there were 77 avalanche-related deaths in that province, about seven deaths a year.

Avalanche Canada is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization created in 2004, following a deadly winter that saw 29 people killed in avalanches. The new report analyzed how grant funding helped the organization’s long-term stability and expansion of services, measuring how well Avalanche Canada has achieved its outcomes, according to a report summary.

It compiled data from seven interviews with people from Public Safety Canada, Avalanche Canada, Avalanche Canada Foundation, Avalanche Quebec, and an individual from a government endowment grant program, as well as government documentation and results of an online survey with organizations that participated in Avalanche Canada training.

The report notes that the endowment funds will run out by 2030, as the organization has experienced some unanticipated “financial challenges,” including record inflation, supply chain issues, and higher housing prices. Rising costs have made it necessary to offer higher wages to attract and retain employees, as well as a high price tag on equipment.

“Without the endowment grant interest or capital, concerns have been raised about Avalanche Canada’s sustainability,” the report authors wrote.

Funding from endowment investments represented 35 percent of the annual funding for the year ending June 30, 2022, the report says.

“The termination of the federal funding may lead to a drastic reduction of activities and services or even their end. If activities are reduced or ended, it may take many years to build back the capacity and expertise that has been achieved in recent years,” it warns.

“While Avalanche Canada also receives funding from other sources including from the provincial governments of British Columbia and Alberta, and sponsorships, in-kind contributions, and self-generated funding, these funds are often time-limited.”