Skier Whose Wife Died Sues Resort & Canada

VANCOUVER, B.C. (CN) - A man whose wife died as they spent a week lost in the bitter cold of southeastern British Columbia at a ski resort, fruitlessly trying to wave down passing aircraft, has sued the Canadian and British Columbia governments and a slew of others. Gilles Blackburn's wife died of hypothermia two days before he was spotted and rescued on Feb. 23.

Blackburn claims that that employees of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort were notified several times that pilots had spotted SOS signs he had carved in the snow after the couple got lost on Feb. 15 near the Alberta border.

In his lawsuit in British Columbia Supreme Court, Blackburn also claims that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Golden and District Search and Rescue Association failed to initiate a search despite the pilots' reporting the SOS signals to them.

Also sued are Ballast Nedam Canada, Grouse Mountain Resorts and the Columbia Basin Trust.

Blackburn is represented by Nancy Wilhelm-Morden.

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