Avalanche Canada receives a $ 10 million grant from the British Columbia government – Terrace Standard

The British Columbia government announced it would provide a $ 10 million grant to support Avalanche Canada at a live streaming press conference on Monday, May 17th.

READ MORE: Avalanche Canada Needs Sustainable Funding, Says MLA, Executive Director

BC Public Safety Secretary Mike Farnworth acknowledged that the province’s varied and beautiful landscape draws visitors from all over the world, but it also brings with it some of the most treacherous elements of nature, including avalanche risk.

“About 75 percent of Canada’s avalanche deaths occur here in British Columbia. This is a heartbreaking statistic that we are eager to work with with Avalanche Canada,” said Farnworth.

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Although Avalanche Canada’s services are provided across the country, 90 percent of their services are provided here in BC

READ MORE: BC father of 3 dead after avalanche in West Kootenay

Avalanche Canada and its dedicated team of experts provide contact options, travel planning tools, terrain models and avalanche safety programs.

“This is work that will help people across BC and we are proud to be able to support it,” Farnworth said. “As a government, we also understand the organization’s concern about the need for reliable funding to do its job well.”

The investment will enable the organization to provide more safety intelligence and avalanche surveillance in BC to improve public safety for all.

They will also enable them to use the federal funds made available in 2019 to implement the National Avalanche Strategy.

“We are grateful to the British Columbia government for this funding,” said Gilles Valade, executive director of Avalanche Canada. “This ensures the long-term sustainability of all of our programs and enables us to expand our services to underserved regions of the province.”

Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Doug Clovechok has been campaigning for secure funding for Avalanche Canada for the past two years.

“I’m very happy,” he said of the funding announcement. “Avalanche Canada certainly needs to be pressured to get this funding.”

Find out more about the work of the organization at www.avalanche.ca

paul.rodgers@kimberleybulletin
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