Avalanche Canada has launched a comprehensive online database documenting every known avalanche fatality in Canada since 1782. The new Fatal Avalanche Incidents database provides unprecedented access to the nation’s avalanche history, providing valuable insights to improve public safety, education, and research, while honouring the lives lost to avalanches over the past two and a half centuries.
This landmark initiative was made possible through a three-year grant from Public Safety Canada’s Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund (SAR NIF). The funding enabled Avalanche Canada to digitize, standardize, and centralize decades of archival records into one searchable, map-based resource, transforming information once scattered across agencies and paper files into an accessible public tool.
“When we have dedicated project funding, we can do truly transformative work,” says Gilles Valade, Executive Director of Avalanche Canada. “This project shows what’s possible when national partners invest in data, technology, and public safety. It helps us learn from the past—a crucial step toward preventing future tragedies.”
Key features include:
● Incident reports on all fatal Canadian avalanches dating back to 1792
Detailed expert incident analyses on most avalanches dating back to 1955
Interactive mapping and search tools by date, location, and activity type
Comparative statistics showing long-term trends and patterns
Case studies, first-person accounts, and research
By making this information publicly accessible, Avalanche Canada hopes to support avalanche education and research, and improve media and public understanding of avalanche risk by providing valuable context for current and future backcountry users.
“Behind every data point is a story of people, communities, and how our understanding of avalanches has evolved,” adds Valade. “This project helps us collectively remember avalanche victims, ensuring their stories continue to inform how we live, play, and make decisions in the mountains. We’re deeply grateful for the SAR NIF program’s vision in supporting this work. With continued investment, we can keep building projects that save lives and advance public avalanche safety across Canada.”
The Fatal Avalanche Incident Database is available now at incidents.avalanche.ca.
About Avalanche Canada: Avalanche Canada is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to public avalanche safety, providing daily avalanche forecasts, education, and outreach across Canada’s mountainous regions. Founded in 2004, Avalanche Canada works with partners nationwide to reduce avalanche fatalities through awareness, forecasting, and innovation.
About the Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund
The Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund (SAR NIF), was established by the federal government in 1986 and is managed by Public Safety Canada (PS), in partnership with other federal, provincial and territorial search and rescue (SAR) organizations. SAR NIF provides funding for projects that will improve Canada’s search and rescue system.
