Parks Canada quietly discontinued its dog search-and-rescue program in Banff last month, drawing criticism from former staff and a Conservative MP who say the decision will make it harder for wardens to find missing people, the Calgary Herald reported.
The program employed one handler who, with a dog, trained to pinpoint people buried in avalanches, track lost hikers and missing children, find dead bodies, and help wardens locate illegal campsites and investigate poaching. The cut is part of a series of Parks Canada budget reductions totalling $145 million.
The decision came shortly after handler Logan Bennett started the job following weeks of training with a new dog. That dog replaced Leroy, a German Shepherd that tracked 156 individuals, located 57 people missing in the park and helped solve two murders in Banff. Bennett declined to speak with Postmedia.
Scott Ward, a former Parks Canada warden, said the agency began the program in 1971 on the advice of an Austrian Alpine specialist. The first program started in Jasper with dogs Bosco and Ginger, led by warden Alfie Burstrom. The service reached Banff in 1973 and at its peak had six dogs before being cut to one about a decade ago.
Ward said a dog is especially valuable in an avalanche, where recovering a body is dangerous because the slope above may still be unstable. He said 10 to 20 probers standing shoulder to shoulder would need at least four hours to cover a slide with 75 per cent accuracy.
"One handler, one dog can cover the whole slope in about 20 minutes at about 95 per cent accuracy," Ward said.
A retired warden and dog handler who worked in the mountain parks for more than 30 years said he is sad and a little frustrated. He described handlers as quiet, soft-spoken people who worked hard and provided value for the country.
Henderson, who is quoted in the Herald, said a transceiver helps greatly in locating a person but many people do not carry one, whether because of suicidal tendencies, nefarious intentions or lack of knowledge. He said Parks Canada might now have to rely on non-profits such as the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association, which could delay resolutions to missing-person reports.
Parks Canada did not respond to a request for comment from Postmedia. In an emailed statement to Rocky Mountain Outlook, a spokesperson said the agency has prioritized a "more intelligence-driven approach to enforcement." The spokesperson said it added three regional intelligence coordinator positions while amalgamating detachments and relocating a few roles.
William Stevenson, the Conservative MP for Yellowhead, said he was shocked by the decision.
"I just couldn't believe the decision that they were making on that," he said.
Stevenson said he will work with Parks Canada to discuss the program and is optimistic it will be retained.
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