Tragedy credited with improving avalanche awareness and safety
Posted Dec 12, 2012 7:50 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The deaths of seven children from Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School back on February 1st, 2003 changed avalanche safety forever.
The students were out ski touring in the Connaught Creek trail in Rogers Pass, when a wall of snow rumbled down the mountain.
Calgarians Peter and Judith Arato lost their 15-year-old son Daniel in that avalanche; using a helicopter, they toured the site a week after the tragedy.
Judith tells The Globe and Mail they were horrified by what they saw, adding the kids were actually in the most avalanche-prone area of Canada at the time.
Since then, Parks Canada has banned school groups from the Connaught Valley area.
The Mountain Programs Coordinator with the Outdoor Centre at the University of Calgary tells 660News their deaths have resulted in saving many lives.
Albi Sole says after that snow slide, federal and provincial governments invested more money into avalanche awareness and safety programs, and the Canadian Avalanche Centre was created.
Sole says many other countries have also adopted many of the avalanche programs created in Canada.
Despite the improvements, back-country enthusiasts are being reminded to never become complacent and to always pay attention to the latest avalanche conditions.
