Canada’s three most threatening volcanoes are near Sea to Sky communities, yet none is monitored to the standard recommended for its threat level, according to the Geological Survey of Canada.
The federal agency is seeking the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District’s support for a five-year project intended to lay the groundwork for a Canadian volcano observatory.
In an Oct. 9 letter to the SLRD board, the agency’s Volcanic Risk Reduction team identifies Mount Garibaldi, Mount Cayley and Mount Meagre as Canada’s three most threatening volcanoes. The areas exposed to hazards closest to those volcanoes lie almost entirely within the regional district, the letter says.
Volcanic debris flows and ashfall could affect Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton, as well as Highway 99, CN rail corridors, power supplies and communications, the scientists warn. “Yet none is monitored to the standard recommended for its threat level,” the team wrote.
Canada also lacks a volcano observatory that could provide emergency managers with routine information specific to volcanic activity, the letter says.
The proposed project, VolCan: Towards a Canadian Volcano Observatory, would run from April 2027 to March 2032 if approved. The Geological Survey of Canada, part of Natural Resources Canada, plans to submit the proposal to the Canadian Safety and Security Program, led by Defence Research and Development Canada in partnership with Public Safety Canada.
The project would establish baseline monitoring at priority volcanoes, develop notification protocols and regular updates for emergency managers, and hold workshops and tabletop exercises with regional, municipal and Indigenous emergency programs. It would also provide evidence to help the federal government decide whether to establish a permanent national volcano observatory.
The scientists say an observatory could eventually provide the regional district with earlier, more reliable information during volcanic unrest, helping officials make public safety decisions. The proposal builds on a Sept. 15 volcanic hazard map workshop in Squamish attended by SLRD staff, according to the letter.
The team is asking the board to provide a letter of support addressed to the Canadian Safety and Security Program, saying an endorsement would demonstrate support from communities most exposed to volcanic hazards.
The correspondence requests support for monitoring and preparedness work; it does not report new volcanic unrest or announce an imminent eruption.
