On behalf of the four families who suffered such a tragic loss on April 8, 1972, I’d like to thank Megan Lalonde for her exceptional reporting on the fatal avalanche in 1972 (Pique, April 7, “They just vanished”). One of the victims, Heather (Patrick) Howard, was my sister.
Fifty years later, after reading the article, we all discovered facts we never knew. Getting together with members of the families these last few weeks to commemorate the loss has been a cathartic experience. And Megan’s thorough investigation made it more so.
Though it’s long overdue, we would also like to take this opportunity to thank the numerous volunteers who searched selflessly for hours for our loved ones, too often at their own safety risk. At the time, many of us were somewhat oblivious of exactly how much effort went into the search and I regret that it has taken until now to formally thank those involved.
With tragedy often comes some positive. The death of these four resulted in great things for Whistler: improved avalanche control, the creation of Whistler Search and Rescue and an avalanche rescue dog program. Again, we are grateful to all of those involved in these projects.
Megan spoke of “what ifs” in her piece. As I went today (April 8) to place a sprig of heather at the spot, I found it ironic that the alpine was closed due to winds. “What if” that had been the case in 1972?
Finally, our hearts ache for the family and friends of the local skier killed in a slide on Tuesday, April 5. From my understanding, there has not been an inbounds avalanche fatality in Whistler since 1972. A heartbreaking irony.
