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Warning system questioned after father and son killed in well known avalanche area

A 33-year man and his 11-year-old son were buried in an avalanche near Mount Fairview after they went tobogganing close to their hotel.

The pair was visiting from Montreal and was staying at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

Brian Webster with Parks Canada says the area where the father and son were tobogganing is not an area where there have been public safety incidents in the past.

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“We will be reviewing our communications strategies to see how we can best communicate avalanche hazard to user groups that would be staying at the chateau, or a similar type of hotel.” Webster says.

Information about areas and trails that are safe are currently available at the visitor centre or online.

Some stores also post avalanche safety information daily, like Abominable Sports in Banff.

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Manager Max Wilkie says that even with warnings, some of the appeal of visiting the park is the adventure of venturing into possible dangerous territory.

“It is one of the things that make this a wilderness here,” he says. “It is not controlled and you’re not protected from the elements here.”

Five people involved in avalanches have died in Alberta’s mountain parks in just over a week.

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