'Losing our history and identity' – Three B.C. glaciers on the brink of extinction

Three much-loved glaciers in British Columbia are set to disappear completely within a few decades, according to a Simon Fraser University study.

Once famous across North America for summer skiing, Whistler and Horstman glaciers have decreased in size by 95 per cent and 75 per cent respectively in the last five decades, while Blackcomb Glacier has lost around 60 per cent of its area.

The decline of Whistler Glacier has been so pronounced that it is considered to be a relict glacier. Researchers expect it to disappear entirely within 10 years, although technically, it could already be extinct.

Horstman Glacier, located on Blackcomb Peak, will likely disappear within 10 to 30 years and Blackcomb Glacier within 20 to 70 years.

“Given how much temperatures have been increasing the findings are not surprising, but that does not make it any less sad,” says Chloé Monty, an SFU master's student in glaciology, who led the research.

“It was shocking to see how much the glaciers have shrunk when compared to images from the 1970s.

“They are shrinking almost in real time when glacier change should be nearly imperceptible on human timescales.

“These glaciers are an important feature in the area, both culturally and environmentally, but also in terms of what they bring to the local economy and the resort."

The research, published in Annals of Glaciology, made use of aerial and satellite imagery dating from 1973-2024 to map the changing size of the glaciers. The study found:

• Whistler Glacier has shrunk from 0.224 km² to just 0.012 km² (95 per cent decrease) – less than the size of two soccer pitches.
• Horstman Glacier has decreased in size from 0.467 km² to 0.121 km² (75 per cent decrease).
• Blackcomb Glacier has dropped from 0.725 km² to 0.307 km² (60 per cent decrease).

There are a number of factors that glaciologists use to determine whether a glacier still qualifies as a glacier, one of which is its area.

There are two commonly used thresholds when mapping the area of a glacier: 0.05 km² and 0.01 km².

SFU researchers say Whistler Glacier, which has now fragmented into multiple small ice masses, fell below the first threshold in 2015 and will likely fall below the second threshold in the near future.

Once glaciers fall below these thresholds they could instead be classified as "ice patches", although glaciologists are still debating the terminology used to describe former glaciers.  

“Technically Whistler Glacier is a relict glacier. Has it disappeared? That depends on your definition,” says Monty. “The question is really when will it get to zero ice.”

Using three different future climate scenarios, the researchers used a degree-day model to gauge how fast the glacier ice will melt.

In other words, the warmer it is, the more the glacier ice will melt. This enabled them to project how long each glacier has left.

An aerial image of Horstman and Blackcomb Glaciers, pictured August 8, 1973. Horstman Glacier is on the left of the image; Blackcomb Glacier is on the right.

The dark blue lines indicate the 2024 outline of the glaciers. The turquoise lines indicate the 1973 outline of the glaciers.

Below is a satellite image of Horstman and Blackcomb Glaciers, pictured September 4, 2024, with the same outlines. 

Below is an aerial image of Whistler Glacier, pictured August 8, 1973.

The dark blue lines indicate the 2024 outline of the glacier. The turquoise lines indicate the 1973 outline of the glacier.

Below is a satellite image of Whistler Glacier, pictured September 4, 2024, with the same outlines.

The decline of summer skiing

Over the years, ski enthusiasts have been drawn to the three glaciers, with Whistler and Horstman Glaciers both hosting summer ski camps.

The first summer ski camp on Whistler Glacier was held in 1966, but summer skiing came to an end in the late 1990s due to glacier retreat.

Summer ski camps on Horstman Glacier began in 1988 and were cancelled indefinitely in 2025 due to the diminishing glacier and snowpack.

“The main message from our findings is the need for adaptation, rather than mitigation,” says Monty.

“Ski resorts that rely on glaciers will need to balance current ice-preservation strategies with adaptation in light of ongoing future climate change.

“Whistler Blackcomb resort is already doing that to a certain extent with the growth of mountain biking.”

While the disappearance of the glaciers may have an impact on the resort, they carry a far greater symbolic meaning for people, according to Gwenn Flowers, professor of Earth sciences.

“People care about their local glaciers and I find that really quite inspiring,” says Flowers, who oversaw the research.

“What we are seeing with these three glaciers is the inevitability of what was set in motion a couple of decades ago. Deciding when the glaciers no longer exist becomes a technicality.

“I think the significance of these disappearing glaciers is that they give us a preview of what's to unfold. These are the first to go, but there are others nearby that are on the same path to extinction.

“Glaciers are quietly powerful entities that animate the B.C. landscape, and the landscape is part of our identity. Losing these glaciers means losing a part of our history and identity.”