A recent provincial court hearing landed a motorist a $4,500 fine and a two-year park access prohibition for entering a closed section of the Trans-Canada Highway in Rogers Pass — not once, but twice — during avalanche control.
In a statement to Black Press Media, Parks Canada shared that, last winter, a traveller drove through a Highway 1 closure in Glacier National Park while live explosives were being used to displace precarious snow, endangering the national transportation corridor.
“Last winter, a major winter storm created high avalanche risk in Mount Revelstoke and Glacier national parks, forcing a temporary closure of the highway between Revelstoke and Golden,” public relations officer Guylaine St-Gelais wrote in the statement. “Despite the closure, an individual entered a restricted area twice during avalanche control operations.”
READ: Interactive map charts 250 years of avalanche deaths in Canada
The motorist was charged under the Canada National Parks Act and recently sentenced during an appearance in B.C. provincial court. A chunk of their $4,500 fine was paid as a donation to Avalanche Canada, which typically happens with national park violations related to winter operations in Rogers Pass.
“This incident underscores the critical importance of respecting highway closures along the Trans-Canada Highway in winter and reminds those travelling in the mountains of key winter safety considerations,” St-Gelais said. “Closures are in place to protect the (travelling) public and those conducting high-risk operations like avalanche control.”
Rogers Pass hosts 135 avalanche paths can pose threat to 43 kilometres of Highway 1. With the highest avalanche risk rating of all major roads in Canada, the route averages 2,000 recorded avalanches every year in Glacier.
Parks Canada’s avalanche control program, in collaboration with the Canadian Armed Forces, ensures safe and maximum road access through Rogers Pass every winter, with highway closure notices communicated “well in advance” via DriveBC and traffic being held much farther away in Revelstoke and Golden, St-Gelais added.
However, Parks Canada encourages motorists to also come prepared with winter tires, a full tank of gas and a safety kit with food, water, candles, extra clothes and blankets. Drivers should let someone know about their travel plans, maintain safe following distances, adjust speed to road conditions and respect all signs and closures.
Earlier this December, Samsara, a San Francisco-based company that provides insights on physical operations, found Highway 1 is Canada’s second-most crash-prone road in winter, and the stretch through Rogers Pass is the country’s second-most dangerous winter roadway.
Analyzing billions of kilometres of commercial telematics data across Canada, Samsara concluded that the steep grades, avalanche exposure, and tight curves along Highway 1 between Golden and Rogers Pass make it one of the most hazard-prone drives.
READ: Semi collision kills 1 as Trans-Canada shuts Revelstoke to Golden
As for the fined and prohibited driver, “This case is a reminder that entering a closed area in a national park is both dangerous and illegal,” St-Gelais said. “We would like to remind everyone that safety is a shared responsibility. All users should be prepared for winter driving in the mountains and adjust their driving according to the conditions.”
A closure between Revelstoke and Golden is in place throughout Monday, Dec. 15, as Rogers Pass undergoes avalanche control from early morning until no sooner than 11 p.m. PST.
Check the latest highway updates at drivebc.ca.