Avalanche fighters on Operation Palaci thanked

Capt(N) Christopher Earl, Commanding Officer of Fleet Maintenance Facility, displays a prototype of an Operation Palaci commemorative plaque that was presented to 17 members of 5e Regiment d’artillerie legere du Canada from Valcartier, Que. The presentation by the RCN was to thank the soldiers for their work in the anti-avalanche operation as it concluded for another season.

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~

To commemorate the end of this season’s Operation Palaci, which kept Rogers Pass safe and open, Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton (FMF CB) presented the soldiers from a Quebec artillery unit with a shiny keepsake.

Two weeks ago, Capt(N) Christopher Earl, Commanding Officer of FMF CB, travelled high into the Columbia Mountains of B.C.’s southern interior to personally thank the 17 members of 5e Régiment d’artillerie légère du Canada, based out of 2nd Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier, for their work fighting avalanches.

Capt(N) Earl presented the soldiers with an Operation Palaci commemorative coin and a detailed sheet metal statue of the 105 mm Howizter guns they used to blast away at avalanches in Rogers Pass near Glacier National Park.

“The men and women who work in our sheet metal shop felt so strongly about the work those in Op Palaci carry out, they decided to make a keepsake for the troops to show their appreciation,” said Capt(N) Earl.

“It was a great feeling for me to present them with this gift and I think they really appreciated the gesture as well.”

Operation Palaci, a Parks Canada and Department of National Defence joint initiative, is the world’s largest mobile avalanche control program, and at 54 years is the longest running operation in Canadian Armed Forces history, domestically or expeditionary.

FMF CB’s role is to maintain the 105-mm Howitzer guns the troops employ to blast away at melting or loose snowpack.

The loose snow can trigger massive avalanches that have previously forced the closure of the Trans Canada highway and neighboring CP rail corridor.

The Valcartier unit had been stationed there since Feb. 11, relieving 10 members of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, based out of CFB Shilo, Manitoba, along with seven Primary Reservists from Western Canada who had occupied the post since the commencement of this season’s deployment, which began on Nov. 25, 2015.

Capt(N) David Mazur of Joint Task Force Pacific, which assists Op Palaci with logistical requirements, normally participates in the year-end outreach but was unable to attend, so Capt(N) Earl took his place.

Capt(N) Earl, who was raised in the Calgary area and often made frequent car trips with his parents through the Rogers Pass to visit his grandparents in Kamloops, is well aware of the avalanche threat in the region, and delighted to get a first-hand look at Op Palaci and meet the gunners who help keep the roadways open.

“Many of the soldiers were surprised to learn that FMF staff are the ones that do much of the maintenance work on the guns,” said Capt(N) Earl.

“I try to do this type of outreach as much as possible and enjoy getting the word out about the type of work we do in FMF and how our role in the Canadian military extends well past the Royal Canadian Navy.”