Up-front multi-year funding

General information on up-front multi-year funding to Avalanche Canada

Recipient information

Avalanche Canada Foundation

Start date

July 3, 2019

End date

Ongoing

Strategic Outcome

Canada can effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all-hazards events

Link to department’s Program Inventory

Emergency Prevention/Mitigation

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment

The goal of this project is to enable Avalanche Canada to expand services nationally to further ensure that more Canadians are better informed of the risks that avalanches pose, and how to be safe when participating in activities in back-country areas.

Audit findings by the recipient during the reporting year, and future plan

N/A

Evaluation findings by the recipient during the reporting year, and future plan

An Evaluation of Avalanche Canada is planed for 2023-24

Summary of results achieved by the recipient

Reporting periods for Avalanche Canada are staggered in comparison to fiscal year reporting. For the purpose of this program, activities are conducted from July 1 of a given year to June 30 of the subsequent year. The annual report is provide to Public Safety Canada by December for activities ending June 30. This results summary covers the period of July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.

The endowment provides Avalanche Canada with the necessary funding to further stabilize their organization as well as make progress in the expansion of services.

Key highlights include:

The maintenance of staffing levels and a slight increase at Avalanche Québec
Increases in staffing were completed in various areas including Revelstoke and Newfoundland and Labrador
Increases in other areas of British Columbia, including Vancouver Island and North Rockies are planned and will be reported on in the December 2022 report.

A number of improvements were made to the AvID dx – A data aggregation and visualization software used by forecasters to analyze data for the purpose of producing public avalanche forecasts.

A new interactive online avalanche tutorial called Avy Saavy was developed and launched.

Due to health measures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, all in-person outreach and education sessions were cancelled, but replaced with online and other virtual alternatives.

Total funding approved (dollars)

$25M

Total funding received (dollars)