In November, School District 8 (SD8) declared significant policy changes to pre-existing youth avalanche education programs. These changes amount to restricting students and teachers from exploring and learning in avalanche terrain of any-kind, and limit winter activities to the roped-in boundaries of a ski resort. The programs affected by these changes are the L.V. Rogers ATLAS program, the Valhalla Wilderness Program in Slocan, the YETI Outdoor Program in Creston, and the Kaslo Outdoor Adventures Program. It is evident that these changes will have drastic impacts on the ability of these programs to deliver quality safety training to students. 

As far as we know, these changes were made with little to no consultation with avalanche professionals, alumni of the aforementioned programs, parents of former students, parents of prospective students, and the wider community. Should we not be looking to the experts in the avalanche safety industry to set policy, instead of people who have little to no experience with outdoor education and avalanche safety?

Numerous experts with careers centered around avalanche safety who have years of experience working in avalanche terrain have advised that actual training in the backcountry is paramount to developing robust safety skills and avalanche awareness that are key to risk mitigation as opposed to short-term risk avoidance. There is a body of research that supports risk mitigation as being a much more effective tool than the risk avoidance approach. By moving the backcountry portion of these programs in-bounds, youth will be put at greater risk of encountering situations that they are unprepared to assess or manage and this puts them at increased risk for accidents or harm. 

The students that enroll in these programs are people who want to, and will, undoubtedly, spend time in the backcountry, and who will, throughout their lifetimes, be exposed to certain levels of risk in doing so. To minimize those risks, it is crucial to spend time gaining skills and experience in the backcountry, navigating real avalanche terrain under the guidance of trained and certified professionals and educators. Many students who grow up in the Kootenays will be curious about backcountry skiing and will likely venture into avalanche terrain regardless of what education or knowledge they may have. By offering only in-bounds avalanche education, we may give students a false sense of confidence, inspiring them to go explore out of bounds on their own time, where they will actually be at greater risk than if they had exposure to this terrain in the context of a specialized wilderness education program.

Additionally, the immersive, experiential mentorship that is offered in these programs has a profound impact. The students that complete these programs are not only safe and conscientious backcountry recreators, but many of them go on to become professional guides, skiers, avalanche forecasters, search and rescue members, and ski patrollers. They are the leaders of the backcountry community that continue to keep our public safe. 

As a community, we rely on the SD8 administrators to facilitate quality education. Part of that duty is to ensure that students are well prepared for the risks they may face in their lifetimes. We are calling on the school board to revise AP 440.1 – Field Trip Administrative Procedures to allow teachers and students to once again travel and learn in the backcountry. We hope to work with SD8 administration to find a solution that will enable students to explore and develop skills in low-risk avalanche terrain, while taking the responsibility of liability off of the teachers of these programs and School District 8.

Please sign and share this petition to add your voice to this issue! In doing so, you are joining a growing number of community members that greatly value youth avalanche education and backcountry safety, and believe that the best way to educate our youth is to facilitate learning in low-risk avalanche terrain, under the guidance of trained and certified professionals and educators. We encourage you to add any comments that you would like to share.

Wanting to do more?! Join our Facebook group "Community support for youth avalanche education in SD8" for updates and information, and to contribute to the conversation and work towards a solution. The Facebook group can be found here. Additionally, we are encouraging community members to write letters to the School Board administrators Trish Smillie and Ben Eaton, who are responsible for these changes to youth avalanche education. You can find more details and some sample letters on our Facebook group, as well as the email addresses of the board administrators. We encourage you to write a personalized letter sharing your thoughts and opinions about this issue. Finally, please share this petition throughout your networks. The more support we can show, the better!