Capt Lance Wade
Stag Special
Canadians don’t often relate artillery to road safety, which is fair.
However, for artillery Gunners deployed on Op PALACI — responsible for avalanche control measures in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia — this is their bread and butter.
Op PALACI has been running annually as an important domestic operation for more than 60 years on behalf of Parks Canada. Typically, it sees detachments of Gunners deployed to Western Canada to purposely trigger avalanches in a controlled fashion, keeping mountain passes open and safe.
In past years, 1RCHA provided Gunners for avalanche control (AVCON) in the Rocky Mountains. AVCON requires the Canadian Army (CA) to provide two gun detachments responsible for clearing Rogers Pass, BC, on the TransCanada Highway.
Gunners fire high explosive rounds into the mountains in order to trigger controlled avalanches to keep that stretch of highway clear. Op PALACI is usually divided into three rotations (Roto’s) a year.
For the first time, Gunners from 5th Canadian Division fully integrated with members of 38 Canadian Brigade Group (CBG) to work hand-in-glove with 2, 3, and 4 Canadian Divisions.
Op PALACI is the largest mobile avalanche control program in the world, concentrating its efforts on a 40-kilometre stretch of highway known as Rogers Pass.
Sadly, more than 200 people have been killed by avalanches in “the Pass” since its establishment, with nearly 60 perishing in a single incident in 1910.
So far, the 2022-23 year has been quiet; last year, our Gunners fired more than 1,000 rounds to quell the risk of uncontrolled avalanches.
“This was a fulfilling opportunity to participate in an essential and historic domestic operation,” said Capt Finyanos, originally from 1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, RCA.
“Avalanches pose a very real and serious risk to the travelling public and the movement of goods through the Rogers Pass.”
He added, “Tragically, two heli-skiers perished this year in an avalanche only a few kilometres from our area of operations, which only reinforces how essential this artillery role can be in keeping the public safe.”
The Gunners work closely with Parks Canada staff who direct which targets are to be fired on as they methodically work their way through the length of the Pass.
The operation also saw the 36 CBG Gunners recognized for their professionalism and performance, with some receiving coins from the 3 Cdn Div Command Team: Comd BGen Steven Graham and DSM CWO Wayne Bantock.
Capt Lance Wade/36 Canadian Brigade Group Public Affairs
Gunners from 3rd and 5th Canadian Division are integrated in firing the C3 howitzer to purposely trigger controlled avalanches in partnership with Parks Canada on Op PALACI near Rogers Pass in British Columbia last month. Photo DND
Last month in Halifax, the Command Team from 1st Field Artillery Regiment (RCA), LCol Scott Lloyd — former CFB Shilo COS — and CWO Dwayne Colbourne (flanks) along with Capt Brandon Finyanos (centre-left) and MBdr David Hardy received a gift from 3 Cdn Div for their participation with 2022-23 Op PALACI. Photo DND
Reservists from across Canada deploys a C3 Howitzer next to the highway, as part of Op PALACI, where the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) support Parks Canada in controlling avalanches to keep the highway safe in Rogers Pass, BC. Photos Pte Daniel Pereira/38 CBG PA
