The Canadian Armed Forces will end its 70-year avalanche control program in Rogers Pass, B.C., after this coming winter, leaving Parks Canada to manage the hazardous stretch of Trans-Canada Highway through Glacier National Park alone.
Operation Palaci has operated since the 1950s, firing 105-millimetre C3 howitzers into the mountains flanking the highway to trigger controlled avalanches before they can bury the road or rail line. It is the world's largest mobile avalanche control program and the only one currently run by the Department of National Defence. The memorandum of understanding between DND and Parks Canada expires in August 2027. Daniel Blouin, a DND spokesperson, said the Armed Forces have already notified Parks Canada they will not renew it.
The shift stems from "evolving defence modernization priorities and military priorities," Blouin said in a statement. Part of that shift includes phasing out the legacy 105-millimetre C3 howitzer systems that have done the work for decades. The 43-kilometre stretch of highway through Glacier National Park between Revelstoke and Golden has depended on the Forces' expertise and equipment to keep the route passable during avalanche season. Parks Canada now faces the task of finding an alternative method—whether hiring private contractors, acquiring new equipment, or some combination—to manage the avalanche risk after August 2027.
The withdrawal marks a significant change in how Canada manages a critical highway corridor. The Trans-Canada through Rogers Pass is a major route for commercial traffic and tourism. Parks Canada has not yet announced its replacement strategy. The decision also reflects a broader DND pivot away from domestic operations and toward equipment modernization tied to NATO commitments and Arctic sovereignty—priorities that do not fit a 70-year-old artillery mission in a national park.
The last winter of Operation Palaci will run this season. What happens when the howitzers fall silent remains unclear.
