The owner of Kaslo Hotel and Stellar Heliskiing was among three men who died in an avalanche near Kaslo on March 24.
Jason Remple, a native of the Kaslo area, was swept into a tree line during a backcountry trip to the Clute Creek watershed on the east side of Kootenay Lake. Remple's death was confirmed Thursday evening in a statement by Stellar Heliskiing.
The other two victims have been identified as Jeff Keenan of Whistler, B.C., and Alex Pashley of Idaho.
"The entire team at Stellar Heliskiing extends its deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of Jason, Je铿�, and Alex. We also recognize the impact this has had on the wider mountain community, first responders, and all those connected to this tragedy. Our thoughts remain with them during this incredibly difficult time. Further updates, including ways to support the a铿�ected families, will be shared as appropriate."
Remple started Stellar in 2005, and purchased the Kaslo Hotel in 2022. He was honoured by Kaslo village council in December 2022 after helping avert an attempted arson at a local business.
Keenan, whose death was made public by family on Facebook, was co-founder of Dinosaurs Will Die Snowboards. At a March 25 council meeting, Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton paid tribute to Keenan who he described as 鈥渢he personification of kindness.鈥�
鈥淛eff's contributions to snowboarding were immense, but they were overshadowed by the love and generosity he shared with his family and friends and community," said Crompton.
"The news of Jeff's passing feels too tragic to be true, and our hearts go out to those closest to him. As we reflect on his legacy, we'll do our best to follow in his tracks that embody those qualities to live with kindness, dedication, love and authenticity.鈥�
Pashley, 45, was The North Face鈥檚 global sports marketing manager. The company expressed its condolences to Pashley's family, friends and colleagues in an .
"Pashley was an explorer to his core. As a photographer, he captured the nuances that transform a good story into a great one, and was celebrated and showcased across major snowboard publications. And he loved being on a board just as much as being behind the lens, building community through deep powder and big lines."
An unidentified 40-year-old Nelson man was also caught in the avalanche and has been hospitalized with critical injuries. RCMP said two groups of skiers were waiting at a staging area when a pilot flying overhead noticed the avalanche and signalled the skiers. One group was able to ski to safety.
Kaslo Search and Rescue manager Mark Jennings-Bates said everyone involved were experienced in the backcountry and had avalanche training. Rescue efforts were already underway when Kaslo SAR arrived.
Avalanche Canada rated the Kootenays as a high for avalanche danger on March 24. Jennings-Bates said that rating doesn't mean terrain is unskiable, but that it requires extra consideration that would have been previously assessed by Stellar.
鈥淎s a heli-ski company, they have internal protocols to make sure all of their guides are following those protocols. So it's not by any means a haphazard day out in the mountains and just ignoring the fact that it's high danger.鈥�
The incident, Jennings-Bates added, has shaken Kaslo as well as Remple's family and colleagues.
鈥淭he team at Stellar has had a very challenging few days having to go through all the due diligence that they need to do in a post-incident review. And so, they've had no time to sit and take a break and think.鈥�
BC Coroners Service is investigating the incident.
