Prince George, B.C. – Calling all outdoor enthusiasts.

Avalanche Canada is hosting a free avalanche safety session at the Overhang (2601 Recplace Drive) starting at 6 p.m. tonight. It’s part of a tour that started yesterday in Mackenzie.

“We’re asking people to bring their avalanche gear and we’re going to go over that gear and see it it’s functioning properly and ensure people know how to use it,” says snowmobiling outreach coordinator Brent Strand. “We want to make sure people can use it effectively and efficiently so that when they’re in a situation out there they know how that gear works.”

He says the presentation will be hands-on.

“We’ll invite people to bring their gear and make them find transceivers and go through the process of what a rescue would be all about.”

Strand says they’ve been running the tours for a couple years now and feels they are making a difference.

“Yes, it does feel like it’s working. All the people that we talk to or meet up with are all very receptive. It seems like the snowmobiling community’s getting the message. They’ve come a long way.”

He says the original plan tonight was to present a case study of last year’s avalanche near McBride which tragically claimed five lives but notes they were asked by organizers to focus on general avalanche awareness because that presentation has already been given locally.