Saturday, May 9, 2026
ADVT 
National

Avalanche closes stretch of Highway 99 north of Pemberton, B.C., risk remains high

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 28 Mar, 2025 01:17 PM
  • Avalanche closes stretch of Highway 99 north of Pemberton, B.C., risk remains high

A stretch of highway north of Pemberton, B.C., is closed as crews work to clear avalanche debris from the route, while Avalanche Canada says the risk remains high in many popular backcountry areas throughout British Columbia.

A statement from the Transportation Ministry says a "partial avalanche" occurred along Highway 99, and given the high riskfor additional slides, provincial crews performed a heli-bombing operation to trigger the release of the remaining snow.

With warmer temperatures and precipitation in the forecast, the province says there is a risk of further avalanche activity and the route will remain closed overnight.

It says the site will be reassessed Thursday morning to determine whether it is safe to reopen the route, which is also known as Duffey Lake Road.

Avalanche Canada mapping shows the danger is ranked at level four out of five in the mountains surrounding Pembertonand Whistler, as well as the Fraser Valley.

The danger is also set at "high" throughout southeastern B.C., near the Alberta boundary, while it's ranked at level three in mountains on Metro Vancouver's North Shore, the Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island, and a large swath of the northwest.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2025.

MORE National ARTICLES

Busy travel season at the border ahead of US Thanksgiving

Busy travel season at the border ahead of US Thanksgiving
Canada's Border Services Agency is warning travellers heading to the U-S for Thanksgiving to plan ahead to minimize waits during the busy travel season. The agency says it is monitoring traveller volumes for peak periods and will take steps to minimize waits at both land crossings and at international airports, but travellers can avoid long lines if they travel in the early mornings.

Busy travel season at the border ahead of US Thanksgiving

Impaired driver rear ends a police vehicle

Impaired driver rear ends a police vehicle
Nanaimo police say an officer narrowly avoided serious injury after a suspected impaired driver rear-ended a police vehicle over the weekend. Police say the officer had stopped roadside along with another vehicle he had pulled over for speeding when an S-U-V struck the police car from behind.

Impaired driver rear ends a police vehicle

Woman injured in police altercation

Woman injured in police altercation
B-C's independent police watchdog is investigating after a woman was seriously injured in Chilliwack during an altercation with officers. The Independent Investigations Office says the woman was allegedly impaired and refusing to take a cab at a restaurant on November 22nd, choosing instead to get into her car.

Woman injured in police altercation

Silent vigil held at the BC legislature

Silent vigil held at the BC legislature
Activists say a silent vigil was held at the B-C Legislature in memory of 16 women killed this year, an event coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Vigil organizer Vancouver Rape Relief says participants held up signs with the names of the women killed this year, along with a large banner that read "no more femicide."

Silent vigil held at the BC legislature

LifeLabs data breach report released after firm loses four-year bid to keep it quiet

LifeLabs data breach report released after firm loses four-year bid to keep it quiet
A statement from the privacy commissioners of both Ontario and British Columbia says their joint report, completed in June 2020, found that LifeLabs "failed to take reasonable steps" to protect clients' data while collecting more personal health information than was "reasonably necessary."

LifeLabs data breach report released after firm loses four-year bid to keep it quiet

Trudeau, premiers to meet Wednesday after Trump trade threat

Trudeau, premiers to meet Wednesday after Trump trade threat
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the country's premiers will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the threat of steep new U.S. tariffs. The meeting will be held virtually at 5 p.m., the Prime Minister's Office said.

Trudeau, premiers to meet Wednesday after Trump trade threat