Avalanche Canada has created the first-ever Newfoundland & Labrador field team.
Andy Nichols and Peter Thurlow are based in Rocky Harbour and have professional avalanche training and lots of backcountry experience.
The province has seen a number of devastating avalanches over the years, including an avalanche in the Battery in St. John’s following Snowmageddon last year. But residential areas are not the team’s main focus of concern. Instead, they’ll be spreading the word about avalanche dangers in the backcountry.
Team Lead Andy Nichols says more and more people are adventuring in the backcountry where the avalanche risk can be high.
He says that risk is increasing with skiing and snowmobiling and they’re seeing more and more close calls.
While the team will be concentrating their efforts on the west coast for now, they are in contact with people on the coast of Labrador where the avalanche risk due to backcountry activity is also high.