Avalanche Fatalities in Canada and USA
(Photo: Nicolas Teichrob)
Rogers Pass
British Columbia
In Canada over the past 90 years, there have been
many fatalities that have been caused by avalanches while in
transport. The Canadian Pacific Railway system has been
devastated throughout history because of the significant number of
deaths during construction and while in motion. Now that this
area supports a main vein of transportation through Canada,
(Trans-Canada Highway travelling through the heart of avalanche paths),
an effective avalanche control centre has been implemented. If
you are travelling between Revelstoke and Golden near the British
Columbian/Alberta border, you will drive through 5 protective tunnels
that help to redirect avalanche flows and you run the possibility of
prolonged travel time because of highway closures. This area
undergoes significant daily monitoring, avalanche forecasting and
bombing to help keep avalanches under control and to help keep our
travellers and railway workers free from these deadly avalanches.
Rogers Pass is located along the
Trans-Canada Highway at the summit of Mount McDonald in Glacier
National Park, 700 km east of Revelstoke and 80 km west of
Golden.
This well-used route was first used by the CPR in
1885. Before this date, many long days of research and
construction were in progress at Rogers Pass.
Historical Background:
Research and interest
in construction of the railway began in 1870's. By 1883, the CPR
was being built in the Selkirks and was first traveled on in
1885. The railway workers were subject to a low wage and hard
work under horrible working conditions. On January 30, 1899, an
avalanche plunged into the town where the CPR workers lived. This
hazardous event showed the dangers involved with road/railway
construction in avalanche paths.
In 1910, railway workers were clearing an avalanche
in Rogers Pass that had blocked the railway. Around midnight,
another avalanche came down and buried the workers. 62 people
were killed in this large avalanche.
There was 74 hazard areas susceptible to
avalanches. In 1953, there were three types of classifications of
avalanches:
1. Brittle snow that didn’t stick to slopes.
2. Hard snow mass breaking off, gathering snow along slides
3. Massive ledges of snow turned ice which built up so weight caused it
to break loose and plummet to the valley floor.
Because these avalanches were claiming lives and destroying homes and
buildings, in 1956, a observation center was established on Mt. Abbot
and new protective measures were researched for avalanche
control. There has been over 250 fatalities by avalanches during
railway construction along Rogers Pass.
In 1962, following avalanche defense engineering and
protection, the Trans-Canada highway was built. After the
implementation of control and protection against avalanches, and the
construction of several defense structures along the highway, this
route is considered to be a safe in present time. (Rogers Pass
book)
Parks Canada operates the world's largest mobile
avalanche control program to keep the Trans-Canada Highway and the
Canadian Pacific Railway operating sufficiently through Rogers
Pass.
Currently at Rogers Pass
The Roger's Pass avalanche control centre is the world's largest
mobile avalanche control program. This centre is located in the
Selkirks Mountain range and this area is known for extreme rapidly
changing weather conditions, steep slopes and rugged terrain.
Because of these parameters, this area is subject to large avalanches
and snow flows over the highway, making it quite difficult for travel
during the winter seasons. The number of avalanche fatalities in
transportation has decreased over the years. Rogers Pass has
decreased significantly because of the implementation of the control
centre. The snow and steep slopes are monitored daily. The
team of avalanche experts at the pass study:
- snow instabilities within a snowpack
- trends in past events
- changing weather conditions and patterns
- practising avalanche awareness and safety
It is these observations which help to make this
region of the highway almost fatality-free over the last 50
years.
Google Earth.
This is a satellite image of a significant area prone to avalanches
along the Trans-Canada Highway, Rogers Pass Area. This area is subject
to very steep slopes, rapidly changing weather conditions and heavy
amounts of snowfall. These are driving ingredients for avalanches.
Rogers Pass avalanche paths (photo by
Nicolas Teichrob)
Rogers Pass avalanche paths along the highway (photo by Nicolas Teichrob)