1998 Avalanche Claims Michel Trudeau, Body Never Recovered

In November 1998, Michel Trudeau, then 23, was caught in an avalanche while skiing with friends at Kokanee Glacier Park, British Columbia, and was swept away. Although his companions escaped unharmed, attempts by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to retrieve his body failed because divers could only reach 30 metres, far shallower than the lake’s 91-metre centre. A week after the incident, a memorial service took place in Quebec, and the family later erected a chalet near the lake as a lasting memorial.

The tragedy prompted Justin and Margaret Trudeau to promote avalanche safety. Justin later recounted the loss in his 2014 memoir, recalling his own guilt and his father's lasting sorrow. Michel had once joked about being left on a mountain, a remark that now seems prophetic. The family’s remembrance includes a chalet and ongoing advocacy work.