HeliCat Canada has established a fund to support our partners - including First Nations, government, and community stakeholders - with comprehensive, research-based data to inform decisions that impact best practices and tenure security for operators in our sector.

Previously known as the Wildlife & Environmental Research Fund (the WER Fund), HeliCat Canada’s Sustainability Fund provides grant funding to support important and pertinent research projects that enable the helicat sector to continually improve its operating practices according to the following identified themes:

Wildlife & Habitat Conservation
Climate Change Impacts
Sustainability Initiatives
Indigenous Relations, Reconciliation, and Indigenous Capacity Building
Avalanche & Safety

HeliCat’s Board voted to rename the fund in 2023 to better encapsulate the direction of the fund and its research priorities.

The HeliCat Canada Sustainability Fund is an initiative funded by operators and guests alike. HeliCat Canada guests participate in the fund by contributing $5.00 per ski day. Every dollar collected goes directly to this fund. In addition to the contribution made by guests, all HeliCat Canada operators also contribute a per-ski-day levy to maximize total guest and operator contribution. We expect to fund over $300,000 of projects in the 2024 year.

purpose

Our goal is to support the generation of ethical, valid, independent and evidence-based information and knowledge related to environmental conservation and sustainability. The Sustainability Fund is intended to support our partners, including Indigenous Communities, First Nations and tribal governments and organizations, as well as federal, provincial and municipal governments, by funding research projects that will inform future decisions that impact best operating practices and tenure security for our sector.

fund management

The HeliCat Canada Sustainability Fund is independently managed by a volunteer Fund Management Committee that solicits and reviews proposals, makes funding decisions, and tracks project success. The Committee manages projects from conception to completion, including the proposal, award, and evaluation phases.

fund management - committee membership

The Fund Management Committee consists of the following members:

Lead technical reviewer
Biologist
Regional Tourism Association member
Indigenous researcher with lived and scholarly perspectives and experience
Academic faculty
Heliskiing operator representative
Snowcat skiing operator representative
HeliCat Canada Executive Director

The HCC Executive Administrator provides support for the work of the WER Fund Management Committee as needed.

Wildlife & Environmental Fund Brochure

Completed Research Projects

Thank you to our members and their guests for their generous contribution to the HeliCat Wildlife and Environmental Fund.

Previous Research

Since 2001, HeliCat Canada members have collectively contributed close to $2,000,000 towards avalanche research and wildlife conservation initiatives. HCC businesses bring over 41,000 visitors each year to the mountains of BC for a truly awe-inspiring experience. We are acutely aware that we need to minimize our impact on the remote mountain regions in which we operate. As stewards of these sensitive mountain landscapes, we have first-hand knowledge of the challenges some wildlife species will face in the near future, as well as challenges brought about by climate change. We are committed to solutions that allow our guests to continue to experience the best mountain experiences in the world, while allowing these species to thrive.

An abbreviated list of some of the previous research projects HeliCat Canada has funded include:

Wildlife
- Funded solely by HeliCat Canada member operators, past wildlife conservation projects have included studies on wolverines, caribou and mountain goats. In addition to financial contributions, some members provide lodging, meals, and transportation services for researchers and government biologists.
- Assessing Arboreal Lichen Abundance in Treated and Untreated Forest Stands with CMH Gothics Tenure: Phase I (Funded by CMH).
- Implementing and Effectiveness Monitoring of Standard Operating Procedures for Heli-skiing and Snow-cat Skiing Activities in Mountain Caribou Habitat (annual report jointly funded by the Government of BC and HeliCat Canada). Steven F. Wilson, PhD., R.P. Bio
- Behavioural Responses of Southern Mountain Caribou to Commercial Backcountry Skiing Activities: A Ten-Year Retrospective Analysis. John F. Wilmshurst, PhD. and Steven F. Wilson, PhD., R.P. Bio.

Avalanche Risk Management
Avalanches are one of the greatest risks to the helicopter and snowcat skiing sector. This is why HeliCat Canada is the largest non-public source of funding for research in avalanche risk management in Canada, contributing over $2,000,000.00 to date. Investing in research has led to tremendous progress in understanding snow science and behaviour which, in turn, has led to more informed practices and increased awareness within all aspects of the industry and public avalanche safety around the world. HeliCat Canada is an ongoing funding partner of the Simon Fraser University Avalanche Research Program.
Sustainability
HeliCat Canada and its members believe in the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic. In 2003, we developed a set of guidelines, called Best Practices for Sustainability. As our industry and social values are always evolving, the document was updated in 2017, resulting in a collection of key findings and recommended actions for operators in the helicat sector. The current best practice resources may be found at this link.
Occupational Health & Safety
HeliCat Canada collaborates with various representatives and committees each year to review and refine the Association's standardized OH&S Program Manual, HeliCat Risk Assessment Tool, Safe Work Procedures and Safety Talks in an effort to help our member organizations prevent accidents and injuries on the job. Please see our programs page for our resources for industry. WorkSafeBC is a funding partner in many of these projects.
Socio-Economic Impact
Helicopter and snowcat skiing is a marquee adventure tourism product in BC and Canada. The contribution of these businesses in rural communities across the province is significant. In 2019, HeliCat commissioned an updated Socio-Economic Impact Assessment to fully understand the current socio-economic contributions of the sector in BC. This updates an earlier 2016 Socio-Economic Impact report.
Noise Exposure of Heli-Ski Guides (WorkSafeBC funding)
Measuring the impact of helicopter noise on heli-ski guide hearing.
BC Adventure Tourism Industry Strategy
In partnership with numerous other BC adventure tourism associations.
HeliCat Sector Injury Risk Analysis
Simon Fraser University NSERC Chair in Avalanche Risk Management
Annual and ongoing funding for the Chair of Avalanche Risk Management at Simon Fraser University.
HeliCat Sector Wage & Benefits Report
Biennial compilation of wages paid by employee category.
Fatigue Risk Management in Wilderness Ski Guiding (WorkSafe BC funding)
An industry review to characterize the fatigue that wilderness ski guides are exposed to throughout their workday, shift and season.
University of Calgary Applied Snow & Avalanche Research Program
HCC was a core funder of the U of C Snow & Avalanche Research Program for many years.
HeliCat Canada Incident Reporting & Exchange Database (HIRE)
Development of a multi-source, single-location, industry-wide information database related to incidents and near-miss incidents associated with all types of helicat backcountry skiing in Canada.

Photo: Selkirk SnowCat Skiing

Research Proposal Themes

Each year, HeliCat Canada prioritizes a short list of projects we would like to fund and solicits proposals through advertised Requests for Proposals (RFPs). In 2020 we called for proposals in answer to three RFP’s on the topics of Thermal Imaging and Wildlife Detection, Indigenous Relations, and Carbon Offset Strategy. We also accept expressions of interest for additional projects from qualified proponents. HeliCat Canada accepts proposals to the Wildlife & Environmental Research Fund until April 30th of each year. The 2021 RFP’s will be released in January.

The Fund highlights five themes, defined as follows.

Wildlife & Habitat Conservation

Projects with the goal of contributing knowledge and management advances in how the helicat industry can better manage their interactions with wildlife, with the primary goal of species at risk habitat protection, conservation and recovery.