Rocky Mountains blasted by Parks Canada to control avalanche risk

CTV National News: Purposefully causing avalanches Parks Canada is purposefully setting off avalanches with explosives. Bill Fortier reports on how this could prevent accidental ones later.

Parks Canada launched avalanche control operations in the eastern Rocky Mountains between Banff and Jasper national parks Thursday, using explosives to shift massive amounts of snow.

Several warnings from Avalanche Canada have been issued about dangerous conditions in mountainous parts of Alberta.

Deryl Kelly, visitor safety supervisor with Parks Canada, says the Icefields Parkway -- the road that links Banff and Jasper national parks – is one of Canada’s great scenic drives, but is also a dangerous area.

“Not everyone really understands that this is a backcountry adventure, all by itself. We have no cell coverage, we have no services,” Kelly said.

According to Parks Canada, the risk of an avalanche occurring is always present in the Rockies, even during the summer, however, risk is increased during the winter months, especially whenever fresh snow falls in the region.

Parks Canada crews deal with the threat by dropping explosives from the safety of a helicopter onto areas they identify as avalanche paths.

Crews target areas of fresh, loose snow before it can shift unpredictably on its own and possibly put people’s lives at risk.

The Icefields Parkway is shut down during such operations.

After the fuses are lit and the charges are dropped on suspected weak spots, an avalanche is triggered, followed by what is known as an “air blast.”

Tereca Turecka, visitor safety avalanche technician with Parks Canada, is tasked with dropping the powerful explosives in just the right spot, as the helicopter hovers close to the mountainside.

“I think that today went quite well, actually,” Turecka told CTV News.

“We all recognize that there are risks associated with this… There is definitely a feeling of satisfaction or feeling of job well done at the end of the day.”

It’s been a deadly avalanche season so far -- five deaths have been recorded in western Canada, including two brothers from Pennsylvania, and two off-duty police officers from Nelson, B.C.

Timothy Johnson, visitor safety specialist with Parks Canada, says the goal of avalanche control operations is to prevent further injuries and deaths.

“There’s always a risk of avalanches on the Icefields Parkway in the winter, we can never get it to zero,” Johnson explained.

Once the aerial operation completes, plows move in to clear the roadway of snow so the parkway can be reopened and travellers can once again take in the views without a high risk of being caught in an avalanche.

For more information about avalanche control programs in Canada, visit Parks Canada’s website.