North Route Service Center

Jan 22, 1974 North Route Service Center-Truck Stop, Avalanche

Prior to Tuesday, Jan 22, 1974, at 8 am, a Truck Stop, Gas Station, Cafe, Motel, Trailer Park, Complex
existed 28 miles West of Terrace, on Highway 16, until a massive avalanche came down, and wiped out the whole Family Business, sadly taking 7 lives with it.

This page is in honour of those that died in this horrific disaster.

Record snowfall of over 5 ft in the week before this would have caused the avalanche, from the 5226 ft mountain behind the complex.

The complex was covered by 40 ft of snow.
400 yards x 100 yards in size.

More than 100 searchers, and some special search dogs participated in the search.

4 bodies, and a survivor, were removed on the Tuesday, the day of the avalanche.
Volmar Werner “Bill” Zobel, a 30 year old Mail truck driver, from Prince Rupert, was found alive, buried under 5-10 ft of snow.
Dave Newman, Okanagan Helicopters Pilot, flew him to Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace.
His Mail truck was found split in half.
He delivered mail from Kitimat, Terrace to Prince Rupert.
He was buried for over 5 hours.

During the pre dawn hours on Wednesday, they found 3 more bodies.

One of the dead, Alan Wayne Macdonald, age 22, a Highways Department Employee, who lived in Terrace, was operating a snowplow on the highway.

another deceased, Steven “Steve” Mintenko, the Service Station Attendant, and brother-in-law of Charles Daumont.

4th victim wasn't identified right away.
Missing Charles Daumont, owner of the station.

Later the body of Denise Daumont,
Charles Daumont's daughter was located.
she was age 18, and a waitress in the restaurant.

Denise's 2 year old dog, a Labrador and Samoyed cross, named “Lady”, was found, 3 days later, alive on top of the debris, by her brother.
A fellow in Burnaby took the dog in.

Body of Charles Daumont was found,
as well as Gerald Melvin Lagimodiere, age 27, the Bartender in the Empire Hotel, Prince Rupert.
Newspaper accounts say his first name was Donald?
also Ted Armstrong, a Highways Grader Operator from Terrace,
and Hans Peter Engler, from Prince Rupert.

The grader and a truck were untouched.
Everyone was in the restaurant, when the avalanche struck.

The Daumont family had no insurance, due to the isolation of the business.
Building loss was estimated at $90,000.00
the land was leased.
Mr. Daumont had worked for the Highway Department
for 12 years before building on this site.

Sad reading newspapers of the time,
The Daumont family had a real problem with looters.
Not sure why people think they have the right to steal from folks that have not much of anything left.
This happened here, and many places after.
I know during flooding in Roche Percee SK, a few years ago, looters were stealing TV's from flooded houses.
The lowest of the low, when they turn to stealing from someone that is virtually helpless to defend themselves.
Stanley Cup rioters ring a bell as well.
Not many years ago, they shot looters.
I'm thinking they should bring that action back!

1. Owner- Charles Louis Daumont,
b- Aug 15, 1921, Edmonton AB
d- age 52,

son of Louis Andre Daumont and Margueritte Tarlier
both born in Ares France.

wife- Anne Mintenko

2. Theodore Gerald “Ted” Armstrong
b- Jan 10, 1947, High Prairie AB
d- age 27

son of David Armstrong, and Ethel May Beckley

3. Stephon Joseph “Stephen” Mintenko
b- June 10, 1923, Arabella SK
d- age 50

son of Wasyl William Mintenko and Sadie Kurulok

4. Alan Wayne MacDonald
b- June 25, 1951 Presque Isle, Maine, USA
d- age 22

son of Lorne Laughlan MacDonald and Patricia Carey

5. Gerald Melvin Lagimodiere
b- Oct 31, 1946, Cold Lake AB
d- age 27

son of Louis Lagimodiere and ?

6. Hans Peter Engler
b- ? in Gladbeck Germany
d- age 25

son of Hans Peter Engler and Rennata ?

7. Denise Daumont
b- Jan 18, 1955 in Terrace BC
d- age 18

daughter of Charles Louis Daumont, and Anne Mintenko

2017 there is now a song written about this event playing on the country music channel here in Terrace

External Link
Note- NOT my site

https://www.snowavalanchearchive.com/lanark-18-january-2011
Sept 2019 some photos added on this site

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