Avalanche Canada celebrated a decade of Teck sponsorship this past month – a partnership that was instrumental in the transformation of the local avalanche safety industry in Southwestern Alberta and Southeastern British Columbia.
According to Gilles Valade, executive director of Avalanche Canada, Teck has contributed a total of $840,000 to the organization, permitting the development and delivery of important programs for the South Rockies and Flathead regions.
“Teck demonstrates true corporate responsibility, caring for their employees and their community,” said Valade, who added that the coal company was one of their most important sponsors.
Specifically, Teck’s sponsorship directly enabled the creation of the South Rockies field team, a team dedicated to gathering snowpack information used to determine daily forecasts for the Lizard Range, Flathead and South Rockies regions. The team is also actively involved in upholding the region’s avalanche safety culture via popular social media feeds and in-person meetings.
“Backcountry avalanche safety in our community has grown by leaps and bounds thanks to the partnership between Teck and Avalanche Canada,” said Nicole Matei, executive director of the Fernie Snowmobile Association.
“The South Rockies field team has earned a great deal of respect from snowmobilers thanks to their friendly and entertaining approach to outreach. We are so grateful to Teck for their proven commitment to the safety of this community.”
According to Dallas Cain, Teck’s health and safety manager, the company is proud to have been supporting Avalanche Canada for the past decade.
“(We) want to congratulate them on the excellent work they do to help keep backcountry users safe while enjoying the outdoors,” added Cain.
