Drones Tested for Avalanche Control in Canadian Rockies

A Canadian drone company has begun testing a new way to control avalanches in the Rocky Mountains after receiving federal approval to use drones to trigger small slides, with early results suggesting the technology will complement instead of replacing existing methods.

Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions Inc. (AVSS) said it received permission from Transport Canada in August 2025 to test its SnowDart system for avalanche control. The company completed its first round of real-world testing this winter in Jasper National Park.

Avalanche control plays a critical role in keeping highways, rail lines and recreation areas open and safe, particularly in high-risk corridors such as the Icefields Parkway, where avalanches can block roads or pose a danger to travellers. It involves intentionally triggering small, controlled snow slides to prevent larger, more dangerous avalanches.

The SnowDart system combines drones, navigation software and small explosive devices. The drones are programmed to fly to specific locations, drop the devices and collect data to assess how effective each blast is at triggering a slide.

Josh Ogden, chief executive officer of AVSS, said the goal is not to replace traditional avalanche control methods, but to fill gaps when those methods cannot be used.

“Providing a new tool to the industry to augment the current safe operations,” he said. “The goal with using drones was to also open up efficiency opportunities when alternatives have limitations, such as when visibility restrictions prevent a helicopter from performing their normal, safe operation.”

Avalanche control in Canada has traditionally relied on a mix of methods, including dropping explosives from helicopters, firing artillery into slopes and placing explosives by hand, which sometimes requires workers to travel into steep, unstable terrain. In some locations, fixed systems allow explosives to be triggered remotely from permanent installations built into the mountainside.

Each of those methods has limitations. Helicopters, for example, cannot always operate in poor visibility or storm conditions, which are often the same conditions that increase avalanche risk. Hand-set explosives can require workers to travel close to unstable slopes, increasing exposure to danger.

Drones, Ogden said, offer a way to carry out similar work while keeping people farther from the hazard. He said the company carried out “5 lbs cast booster drops” during the trials in Jasper, referring to small explosive components used to trigger controlled avalanches.

Although the company did not share specific data from the tests, it confirmed the system can work, but said more data is needed before it can be used more widely.

“Drones can be used but there needs to be more flight data on operational efficiency and go-to use cases,” said Ogden.

So far, the technology has not been used elsewhere in the Bow Valley, where avalanche control is regularly used to keep highways and recreation areas safe. Asked whether the system could eventually be used in those regions, Ogden said it could.

The company’s longer-term goal is to develop a reliable system that can be integrated into existing avalanche control programs used by governments, ski resorts and transportation agencies.

“A reliable tool that provides flexibility to practitioners for different types of control work,” Ogden said. “A method to augment their existing practices and help open up the roads.”

The push to develop new tools comes during what has been an active avalanche season across Western Canada, with Avalanche Canada reporting three fatal avalanche incidents in Alberta over the past year. Meanwhile, Alberta Parks recorded 445 Kananaskis Mountain Rescue calls, an increase of approximately 20%, along with 17 deaths in the region in 2025.

While drone-based systems are still in the testing phase, Ogden said they could eventually give operators more flexibility in how and when they carry out avalanche control, especially in situations where helicopters cannot fly or where sending workers into unstable terrain would be too dangerous. For now, he said, the focus remains on gathering more data to determine where the technology can be used most effectively.