By Salma El-Sakka
Canada's Parks Canada has terminated its sole avalanche dog handler position in Banff National Park, ending a 55-year-old search and rescue program that used canines to locate lost hikers, avalanche victims, and even criminal evidence. The decision, announced last week, is part of C$145 million in budget cuts to the agency under Prime Minister Mark Carney's government.
Program cut amid broader funding reductions
Parks Canada confirmed the move to the BBC, calling it a "difficult decision" to modernize its law enforcement branch. The agency said search and rescue operations will continue through other means. The cut comes as hundreds of Parks Canada employees face layoffs.
Decades of service
For 55 years, dogs trained in the Canadian Rockies traced items ranging from small objects to human remains. After avalanches, they reduced the time and danger for human searchers probing snow. In summer, they found lost children. The last dog, a German Shepherd named Leroy, retired in August after seven years in which he helped track 156 people, locate 57 lost in the wilderness, and solve two murders in Banff. A replacement dog had been trained and was ready for duty before the program's elimination.
Political pushback
Conservative Member of Parliament William Stevenson, who represents the Banff area, launched a petition that has garnered more than 5,000 signatures since Tuesday. He raised the issue in parliament, arguing the cut could harm public safety. In response, Liberal MP Ryan Turnbull, parliamentary secretary for finance, said the government is focused on reducing the deficit and ensuring public funds support growth and well-being. Stevenson has requested a meeting with Parks Canada's CEO.
Handler reflects on loss
Retired handler Scott Ward, who spent 17 years with the program, described the work as gratifying. He recalled a saying from his trainer: "You can make an armpit smell like a lilac bush and you can put a man on the moon, but nothing can replace the nose of the avalanche dog." Ward hopes the program will be restored.
