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Daily Brief

The PSEPC Daily Brief is a compilation of summaries of publicly available and PSEPC information concerning critical infrastructure protection and emergency management.

DOB06-006 - 10 January 2006

News

B.C. avalanches cause four injuries and one fatality
On January 8, an avalanche in the southeastern Rocky Mountains of B.C. injured four skiers on an open run at the Fernie Alpine Resort. The avalanche was triggered naturally and began outside the hill’s boundaries. The resort received more than 50 centimetres of snow in 48 hours, which resulted in the closure of more than half its runs on January 8 due to a heightened avalanche risk.

On January 8, rescue teams located a snowboarder who was killed by an avalanche in a “permanently closed avalanche area” of the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in B.C.’s Purcell Mountains. The area was closed due to a heightened avalanche risk.
(Source: CBC News , 9 January 2006)
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There have been no reports of any critical infrastructure affected by these avalanches.

According to the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA) , the avalanche rating for the south Rocky Mountains and south Columbia region has been classified as “POOR,” and travel in these areas is not recommended. The CAA provides its South Rockies Avalanche Forecast and its South Columbia Avalanche Forecast .

According to the CAA, most avalanches are triggered when slopes are loaded with additional snow. Avalanche danger ratings increase when there is a heavy snowfall (more than two centimetres per hour), rain, blowing snow, a rapid increase in temperatures or a temperature increase to above zero degrees Celsius.
Source article

Environment Canada has issued snowfall warnings for areas in southern B.C..

In brief

Avian Influenza: Update
Further to PSEPC Daily Brief DOB06-005, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), laboratory tests conducted in Turkey have confirmed detection of the H5 subtype of the avian influenza virus in 10 additional human cases. Most of the patients are children, and have been admitted to hospital for treatment and evaluation. The total number of confirmed human avian influenza cases in Turkey is now 14, two of which have been fatal.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has issued Avian Influenza A (H5N1): Human Activity in Asia and Europe, and continues to closely monitor occurrences of avian influenza in Asia and Europe, with particular attention to the current outbreak in humans in Turkey.
(Source: World Health Organization , Public Health Agency of Canada, 9 January 2006)
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Earthquake felt near Huntingdon, Québec
On January 9 at 15:35 UTC (10:35 EST), a magnitude 4.2 earthquake occurred 22 kilometres east of Huntingdon, Québec. This earthquake was widely felt south of Montréal, but no damage has been reported.
(Source: Natural Resources Canada, 9 January 2006)
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Natural Resources Canada provides an explanation of the Richter scale.

Cyber risk assessment

Over the course of the past 24 hours, the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre (CCIRC) has not detected any significant new threats or vulnerabilities. No significant incidents with the potential to affect critical infrastructure have been reported. Accordingly, based on the information available to CCIRC, the cyber risk facing Canadian critical infrastructure is assessed as low. Personnel responsible for information, systems and network security should continue to apply appropriate security precautions and monitor their systems.

See also...

• The Weather Office
• FAC - Travel Updates

Note to readers

Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC) collects information related to cyber and physical threats to, and incidents involving, Canadian critical infrastructure. This allows us to monitor and analyze threats and to issue alerts, advisories and other information products.

Any suspected criminal activity should be reported to local law enforcement organizations. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) National Operations Centre (NOC) provides a 24/7 service to receive such reports or to redirect callers to local law enforcement organizations. The NOC can be reached at (613) 993-4460. National security concerns should be reported to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) at (613) 993-9620.

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