© Alberta RCMPEmergency crews respond to an avalanche near the Lake Louise Ski Resort on Friday, March 14, 2025.
RCMP say they received an alert at 4:16 p.m. about an avalanche that occurred near Mount Black Prince in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park of Highway 742, impacting four backcountry skiers.
"An avalanche occurred which carried a 34-year-old female resident of Calgary, a distance before she was buried in the snow," RCMP said in a press release.
"An SOS beacon was sent out, notifying emergency responders, and despite diligent best efforts of the other three skiers to provide medical attention, the female was declared deceased by first responders.
"RCMP send their condolences to the family and friends of the deceased."
In an incident report, Avalanche Canada said the woman was caught in a snow slide she might have triggered that was 100-metres wide, carrying her 50 to 80 metres down the slope.
Friends and family identified the woman killed in the avalanche as Minetta Norrie, a Calgary Board of Education elementary school teacher who they described as an extremely experienced backcountry skier and outdoor enthusiast.
Also Friday, one person was killed near the Lake Louise ski area. A report on Avalanche Canada's website said two people who were skiing "out of bounds" were caught in an avalanche when one of them triggered a slide.
The two were on their way back after skiing the Pipestone Bowl at around 3 p.m. with one man being engulfed in an avalanche that swept him 50 metres.
"The partner conducted a transceiver search, excavated the skier, initiated first aid, and activated 911," said Avalanche Canada.
It says the second skier pulled the first one out from under roughly two metres of snow and performed first aid, though Calgary EMS says that person was later declared dead.
A close friend of Norrie's said he'd skied often with her and she would have been well-equipped with safety gear.
"It's just being at the wrong place at the wrong time ... it's just devastating," said Alex Stefan.
"They're an experienced group of skiers...I don't think she could have imagined life without skiing."
He said Minetta had been a backcountry skier since age 13 and also excelled at climbing and kayaking — pursuits she enjoyed all over Canada.
"There's a lot of affected people (by her death) all across the country," said Stefan, adding his friend was also dedicated to environmental sustainability.
"She respected the world around her and carried that with her all her life."
Norrie was also a committed teacher "who loved talking about her students," said Stefan.
'Considerable' avalanche risk throughout region
An Avalanche Canada forecaster said recent snowfall in the Rockies, including Kananaskis, combined with weak layers beneath dating back to late January have created a high-risk environment and urged caution.
"Some of the weak layers could persist and keep the danger elevated for some time and human-triggering is quite likely," said Tyson Rettie, noting the avalanche risk throughout much of the region is listed as "considerable."
So far this winter, four people have been killed in avalanches in the mountains west of Calgary, extending into B.C.
Rettie said the 10-year rolling average is 10-11 fatalities a year in the region and notes the smaller recent toll comes even as recreation in the mountains has increased substantially.
"I'd like to say that's due to the increased awareness and an uptick in avalanche training courses and forecasting," he said.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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