Avalanche Canada funding restored: Alberta pledges $750,000 over three years after five-month delay
Alberta restores Avalanche Canada funding, $750,000 in a three-year deal after a five-month delay, easing concerns about backcountry avalanche safety support.
Avalanche Canada funding was reinstated by the Alberta government on Tuesday with a $750,000 agreement spanning three years, ending a five-month period during which the non-profit received no formal renewal. The organization’s CEO, Gilles Valade, had warned last week that the delay put services in the province at risk and raised alarm among backcountry users and safety advocates. The renewal follows months of internal review and public attention to the funding gap.
Province signs three-year funding deal
The Alberta government’s Department of Forestry and Parks confirmed the $750,000 commitment, which amounts to $250,000 per year over three years. Minister Todd Loewen described the renewal as a continuation of a two-decade partnership that supports avalanche forecasting and public safety across Alberta. The province said the funding will help maintain Avalanche Canada’s forecasting services, special warnings and education programs in the province.
Five-month delay prompted warnings from CEO
Avalanche Canada’s previous funding agreement expired in March 2026, and the group operated without a confirmed renewal for five months before the August announcement. Valade told media last week that the organization had received little response to renewal requests and had considered scaling back services in Alberta if a decision did not arrive. He said he contacted provincial officials in August 2025 through Kananaskis Country and again in subsequent months, and that the lack of timely communication created uncertainty for staff and partners.
Funding level draws criticism over inflation
While Avalanche Canada welcomed the renewal, Valade expressed disappointment that the annual amount has not increased to reflect rising costs. The organization initially requested $300,000 per year but the province renewed support at the longstanding level of $250,000 annually — a figure Valade said has effectively been unchanged since 2015 when adjusted for inflation. He argued the higher request was based on updated operating costs and the need to sustain forecasting software, snowpack modelling and outreach programs.
Services at stake and community reliance
Avalanche Canada provides daily winter forecasts, special warnings, a crowd-sourced reporting network and educational sessions for schools and outdoor users. The group’s tools are used by numerous environmental and public-safety agencies, including Alberta’s own operations in mountain parks. Chris Brookes, executive director of the Alberta Snowmobile Association, said members rely on Avalanche Canada’s forecasts before heading into the backcountry and called the information “absolutely vital” for safe travel.
Education and prevention efforts highlighted
Last winter and the previous year, Avalanche Canada continued school programming and public education despite funding uncertainty. In the most recent full season, the organization reported holding classes in 31 schools and reaching 4,163 students in communities such as Calgary, Red Deer, Jasper and Cochrane. Valade and other officials point to education, outreach and timely warnings as central to reducing avalanche fatalities and improving community preparedness across the province.
Media attention and government response
Valade said he suspects that media reports contributed to the timing of the government’s renewal; the non-profit’s concerns were highlighted publicly by local outlets prior to the announcement. A letter from Minister Loewen’s ministry arrived after that coverage, although Valade said he would have preferred a direct conversation with the minister. The province maintains the renewal follows its internal review processes and emphasized continuity of critical safety services.
Avalanche risk and fatalities in Alberta remain a central concern for outdoor users and emergency responders. Avalanche Canada figures indicate that, excluding mechanized snow sport incidents, nearly one in five Canadian avalanche deaths averaged over five years occurs in Alberta, underscoring the province’s exposure. Last winter the province recorded a single avalanche death, a statistic Valade cited as evidence that forecasting and education efforts are contributing to safer backcountry outcomes.
Looking ahead, Avalanche Canada and provincial officials say they will continue to collaborate on forecasting, data sharing and public warnings, even as discussions about funding levels and long-term sustainability persist. The three-year agreement buys time for the non-profit to plan services and for government and community partners to assess future needs for avalanche safety across Alberta’s mountain regions.
