Avalanche system to undergo overhaul
Posted Mar 17, 2010 9:28 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice will unveil details about a new North American avalanche warning system Wednesday afternoon.
Parks and rescue personnel from Canada and the U.S. have been working on it for quite some time.
It’s hoped the revamped avalanche danger scale will improve safety in the backcountry by better reflecting the conditions that await people who are headed out to ski or snowmobile.
The release of the avalanche warning makeover has nothing to do with the recent snowslide at Bolder Mountain, B.C. that killed two Alberta men.
Despite the tragedy, Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach says his goverment has no plans to introduce new rules and regulations for the backcountry.
Stelmach says he is a big believer in common sense and trying to patrol the activities of people in the great outdoors would not only be difficult but expensive as well.
Meanwhile, the probe into the deadly avalanche near Revelstoke, B.C. continues.
The Mounties still have not located Calgary businessman Dave Clark, the person they believe organized the event.
As for the cost of search and rescue efforts, the final price tag for the 12 helicopters and the dozens of people that were dispatched to the area is expected to top $75 thousand dollars.
