A new project focused on educating snowmobilers on avalanche safety and awareness was announced Jan. 20 in Fernie, B.C.

British Columbia Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett, Kootenay-Columbia MP David Wilks and Fernie Mayor Mary Giuliano announced a three-year program targeted at lowering the rate of avalanche deaths within the mountain snowmobiling community.

“The Mountain Snowmobile Education Project will help prepare snowmobilers with knowledge that could save their lives,” Bennett says in a news release.

“British Columbia’s world-class winter tourism includes snowmobiling as a major attraction. The safety of our residents and visitors is a priority for our province and a commitment we take seriously.”

The Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC) will use the $679,000 grant from the National Search and Rescue Secretariat to create the project.

The program will be concentrated on Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton B.C., known as the Sea to Sky area.

These regions are at a high avalanche risk because of the high mountain elevation, which causes them to be above the snow line in winter and early spring.

During this time, some people in these communities use back-country gravel roads as snowmobile routes.

Between 2008 and 2010, 31 snowmobilers died in avalanches in Canada, almost double the 17 skiers and snowboarders that died the same way.

About 7,000 residents in B.C. receive avalanche survival and awareness training every year. Skiers and snowboarders make up 80 per cent of those residents, while just 15 per cent are snowmobilers.

According to the CAC, the Mountain Snowmobile Education Project grew after a British Colombia coroner service death review panel came up with 15 recommendations for educating and protecting snowmobilers after two devastating slides.

In December 2008, an avalanche at Harvey Pass near Fernie caught seven snowmobilers and a second slide buried their four attempted rescuers. Three of the men dug themselves out and survived.

The second slide was in March 2010 at Boulder Mountain near Revelstoke.  Two men died after 200 snowmobilers and spectators gathered for an event that triggered an avalanche.

Next winter the CAC aims to offer more pre-season awareness, education and outreach. A free online avalanche safety course is also available on their website.