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TuesdayJanuary20201515StoryByMEAGANWOHLBERGSnowmobilingisawayoflifeformanyNorthernersduringthewinterbutunfor-tunatelyleadstoseriousin-juryandsometimesfatalitieseachyearintheNWTmostofwhicharepreventable.Jan.17to25isInterna-tionalSnowmobileSafetyWeekandRCMPintheNorthwestTerritoriesaretakingtheopportunitytoraiseawarenessaboutsafesnowmobilingpracticesthatcanserveashelpfulremind-erseventothemostexperi-encedsnowmobilers.Snowmobilingisapopu-larmodeoftransportationandrecreationheresowewouldliketopromotethroughsafetythrougheducationandenforcementsaidCst.El-enoreSturkomedialiaisonfortheRCMPGDivision.SturkosaidoneofthemostcommonperilsfacingsnowmobilersintheNorthisoverflowtheoftenhid-denpocketsofwatercreatedwhenheavysnowpackontopoffrozenlakespushestheicywaterunderneathtothesurface.EspeciallyintimeswherewehavealotofsnowthepressureonicecancauselargeoverflowatedgesandcomeontotheiceandfluffysnowcansometimeshidethewaterSturkosaid.Asnowmobilecaneasilybecomeboggeddowninslushandifyouretravelingaloneforexampleitcanbereallydifficulttogetthatsnowmobileun-stuckandthechanceoftheridergettingwetandbeingvulnerabletohypothermiaisaconcern.KeepsnowmobilingawayoflifenotdeathRCMPNEVERconsumealcoholordrugsbeforeorduringsnowmobiling.BECOMEFAMILIARwiththesnowmobileyouride.OPERATEatsafeandreasonablespeeds.AVOIDtravelonunfamiliarfrozenbodiesofwater.USEextracautionatnight.KEEPyoursnowmobileproperlymaintained.BECOMEFAMILIARwiththeterrainyouwilltravelon.LISTENtotheweatherforecastbeforeyouleave.ALWAYSwearahelmetandproperclothing.RIDEinagroupwheneverpossible.INFORMsomeoneofyourtravelplanswhereyouaregoingandwhenyouplantoreturn.CARRYemergencysuppliesandlearnsurvivalskills.TipsforsafesnowmobilingOnJanuary42015MarieThereseEastmanofEdmontonABpassedawayattheageof77years.LovinglyrememberedbyherchildrenDougSusanandBenjamingrandchildrenMarkHaydenTaylorJeremyandJenniferandsisterRuth.PredeceasedbyherparentsonebrotherandtwosistersJamesLilianBruceandMargaret.FuneralServicetookplaceThursdayJanuary8at130p.m.atParkMemorialChapel9709111Ave.Edmonton.InlieuofothertributesdonationsmaybemadetotheCrossCancerInstituteAlbertaCancerFoundation11560UniversityAvenueEdmontonABT6G1Z2.Tosendcondolencesvisitwww.parkmemorial.comParkMemorialEdmonton780-426-0050FamilyOwnedFuneralHomeCrematoriumReceptionCentreTRANSPORTATIONSAFETYThesnowcanalsohideotherhazardsespeciallyforinexperiencedridersorthoseunfamiliarwiththeterrainlikefallentreesandrocksthatcandamagesnowmo-bilesandleavetheirridersstranded.Sturkorecommendssnow-mobilestravelinpairsorgroupsandsuggestsany-onetravelingalonebesuretoplanaheadforemergenciesbybringingasatellitephoneorspotGPSdevicealongwithextrafoodlayersandshelter.Evenifyourenotantici-patingspendingthenightonyourtriphavingthoseemergencysuppliescanmakethedifferenceinsavingyourlifeifyourestrandedonthelandSturkosaid.Anditsalwaysimpor-tanttotellsomeoneofyourplans.LetsomeoneknowthatyouregoingoutonthelandandwhenyouplantoreturnandthenifyouareoverduetheycancontacttheRCMPandletusknowtheresapo-tentialyoumayneedassis-tancesheadded.Sturkosaidriskyandillegalbehaviourslikeconsumingalcoholwhilesnowmobilingnotwearinghelmetsdrivingatdangerousspeedsandat-temptingtojumpopenwatershouldalwaysbeavoided.