The 2018 CSP Edmonton Zone Awards Banquet took place on Thursday, May 31, at the Faculty Club on the University of Alberta campus. Sixty people were in attendance, including zone patrollers and family members who play such an important role in supporting our organization. Zone President Marty Van Keulen presided over the awards ceremony. Below is a summary of awards and what their recipients did to merit them.

CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION. These are awarded to non-members or organizations who through their association with the Edmonton Zone have made significant contributions to the achievement of zone goals and objectives.

1. Kinosoo Hill Ski Resort Management was recognized for their help and support to the CSP Kinosoo Patrol. Hill staff members and management were very welcoming, and made efforts throughout the season to involve CSP volunteers in the hill’s official or social activities. Communication was open and constant between the PL and management to continuously improve the patrol.
2. Rabbit Hill Snow Resort was recognized for their continued support to the CSP Organization and our members. We value their cooperation, especially for allowing our training team to run our On Hill component of our First Year group every year. Management has been very cooperative in dealing with all our members.
3. Snow Valley Ski Club was recognized for their support and for providing a pleasant working environment for CSP members. Hill management went out of their way to demonstrate that CSP members were valued members of their team. We look forward to a continuing great working relationship with all the people at Snow Valley.
4. Marmot Basin was recognized for their continued support of the patrollers’ children by giving them access to early lifts and the complex and boot up room; resort management also continued their support of our Junior Safety Patroller program. The highlight of this year was our celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the CSP Marmot Patrol; Marmot Basin did an outstanding job of supporting this event, and provided an excellent lunch, multiple 10-10’s, the Porteous race course at no charge and a huge amount of swag – more than one item for more than 140 people. We really appreciate all that Marmot Basin does for us.
5. Stephen Tong is currently a rostered member of Red Deer Zone, but he spent most of his Saturdays at Rabbit Hill this season patrolling while his kids participated in the ski race program. We would like to thank him for his service. As he is moving back to Edmonton and joining our Zone, we look forward to seeing him even more.
6. Diane Lake is a Marmot Basin alumni, and volunteered on the Marmot 50th Anniversary Committee, contributing to the success of the event.
7. Ted and Ella Palamarek are Marmot Basin alumni, and helped to organize the Marmot 50th Anniversary celebrations. They contacted alumni, hauled all the banquet supplies in their motorhome to Jasper and, especially, greeted and checked in all the Alumni at the Banquet. Ted was also a gatekeeper on the toboggan race course.

ANGEL PINS are presented to spouses, significant others or family members of patrol members who have played a significant role by assisting members in the management of patrol activities which may have taken up valuable personal time for which we are grateful. This year’s recipients are: Deb Mastler, Denise Lauzon Dempsey, Brenda Littlejohn, Virginia Blakie, JP Charron, Heidi Sullivan, Frances Pownall, Catharine Trieber and Rob Arts.

YEARS OF SERVICE RECOGNITION PINS

5 YEARS: Riley Main, Clayton Tyner, Barry Anderson, Andrew Brinker, Robert Gray, Konrad Mieskowicz, Adam Nieuwenhout, Paul Simmonds and Catharine Trieber

10 YEARS: Xiaobing (Bing) Guo and John Nesbit

15 YEARS: Colin Lacoursiere

25 YEARS: Mike Palamarek and Dave Case

The HUGH DANTZER AWARD recognizes a member for their outstanding contributions and commitment toward efforts involving fund raising. This year’s recipient is Louise Charron. Louise has spent close to 20 years in the CSP and has made significant contributions at the Patrol, Zone, Division and National levels. Louise’s contributions have included participating in the Peer-to-Peer fundraising program, casino and bingo coordination. We all contribute to fundraising in some way, but coordination of casinos is a particularly arduous task and one of the most thankless ones. Louise has had to deal with a constant flow of scheduling changes, last minute requests and, on occasion, frantically searching for last-minute volunteers. Funding is the life blood of the CSP and our Zone would certainly cease to exist without it. Louise’s fundraising skills are exceptional and we are grateful for them. Louise’s dedication and hours as Casino Coordinator singles her out as this year’s Hugh Dantzer Award recipient.

ZONE AWARD OF MERIT CERTIFICATES are awarded to members for their outstanding and continued service in the zone in a manner beyond that normally expected and for which efforts the zone expresses sincere and grateful appreciation.

1. Rebekah Wensel has taken on the task of organizing our Junior Safety Patroller program. Rebekah came through the Junior program herself and has an excellent understanding of its value as a recruitment vehicle for us. We have a number of members in our Zone who started as Juniors and continued on to become fully fledged patrollers due to that great experience as a Junior. Rebekah certainly represents herself and our Zone well. Thank you, Rebekah!
2. Quintin Scaber has been with the CSP for three years, including one year as a Junior Safety Patroller. He has shown countless times that he is a reliable and strong patroller. This season, Quintin took over as shift senior at Rabbit Hill on Wednesday nights and proved that he can overcome any hurdles that arise from the chaos that can ensue when hundreds of school children converge on the hill for their weekly ski club practice. In addition to his Wednesday nights, Quintin filled in on countless shifts throughout the season when there was thin coverage. Quintin’s eagerness and love of patrolling is infectious and resulted in some young people joining the Junior Safety Patroller program this season after talking with him while buying ski boots (Quintin has a job in a sports store).
3. Mark McGuire has been a member for 13 seasons and can be counted on to always show up for his shifts and do his part. He has helped organize and leads our new members well.
4. John Nesbit has been especially active again this season, and spent more than than 100 hours as an instructor and instructor trainer. John was very involved in the First Aid training and also in the on-snow sessions. He continues to provide a fresh outlook to his teaching methods by keeping it light but informative. He is well respected by all his fellow instructors and students.
5. This is Karim Valji’s first season with the CSP. As soon as Karim received his jacket, he was on the hill. After about three weeks of patrolling, a few of the other patrollers were asking what the minimum number of required shifts is. Upon hearing that it was 10, Karin said “oh, I already have that”. Any time a call went out for spares, Karim’s  response, “I can take that” came in mere minutes. In addition to his countless shifts and hill rentals, Karim also volunteered to help with the Rabbit Hill Family Day Festival, where he spent the day advertising the CSP, doing demonstrations, and handing out swag.
6. Scott Mann did 16 shifts, over 125 hours of volunteering at Kinooso Ridge. He was always there to help cover shifts and to replace other patrollers who were unable to be at Kinosoo. He helped organize the patrol First Aid Equipment and helped close the patrol at the end of the year. He often helped when he was not officially patrolling because he was often on the hill with his family anyway.
7. Barry Anderson completed his second years as a Camelherder trainer and the Camels appreciated his lively and well-informed training sessions.
8. Kerry Elliott is fairly new to our patrol but he has made a point of helping out where he can. He has participated in the First Aid Competition and has been helpful in using his connections in the media to get us exposure and setting up interviews on TV to assist with our recruitment.

ZONE APPRECIATION PINS are awarded to members who have received the Award of Merit and continue to provide outstanding service beyond that which is normally expected.

1. Richard Rothery has been very busy in our Zone this past season. Not only did he get in more days at Marmot than any other patroller, he was also rostered at Rabbit Hill and was active as an instructor for more than 50 hours this season. When Marty Van Keulen put a call out to our members to form a committee to improve the Zone website and social media presence, Richard took on the task of completely rebuilding our zone website and newsletter. I am sure all of you agree that our website is now much more professional and current.
2. Jeremy Derksen also stepped up when the call went out to help our social media presence. His media employment background has given us a great insight into increasing our recruitment.
3. Rob Gray joined the group formed to improve our website, social media presence, recruitment drive and gave us some great insight into increasing recruitment. His input into this group reflects the professional manner Rob portrays with his work in our Zone both on the hill and in the committee he’s on. Thank you, Rob.
4. Mike Sullivan has been very active in making sure our Rabbit Hill patrollers aren’t bored. He has led many sessions on rope work and First Aid scenarios.
5. Tim Ellis is the longest serving Marmot patroller, 35 years, and is a calm, continuing presence on the Camelherders. Tim did tons of work for the 50th Reunion this year, taking photos, doing PowerPoint presentations and providing vintage photos that he is not surprisingly included in.
6. Tom Watts is one of the trainers on the Camelherder weekend and is a positive presence on the weekends even though he likes fencing over first aid. He and his partner Deb provide Friday night snacks for the hotel hall party, which is appreciated.
7. Dave Case is the longest serving of all the Marmot trainers and his teaching background helps keep unruly Roadrunners in line and as a bonus his wife Angelique provides real life first aid training for the Patrol, juniors included.
8. George Tribe, aka Judge Jorge, is one of the trainers on the Roadrunner weekend and self-appointed Malbec penalty fine administrator.  He does both jobs with a passion, skill and good humor that really brings the weekend together.

This year’s EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR is George Tribe. He probably didn’t realize what he signed up for when he agreed to become our Zone VP Operations 3 years ago. George found the time to deal efficiently and thoroughly with trailer repairs, radio maintenance, working with area management as required. His expertise was especially needed this year as we worked through a sensitive personnel issue with one of our areas, which took a lot of time. It’s a good thing he’s retired!

AREA PATROLLERS OF THE YEAR

1. Rabbit Hill: Paul Simmonds has been patrolling five seasons, in that time he has become shift senior on one of Rabbit Hill’s chaotic Saturday shifts. Paul always seems to get the shifts that aren’t full, this season after losing two senior patrollers he took it in stride, kept his normal positive outlook and carried on putting in countless chaotic shifts. He’s a worthy recipient of the Rabbit Hill Patroller of the Year award.
2. Snow Valley: Pam Fitzgerald has been with the Snow Valley patrol for 24 Years, however this year Pam was injured and ordered to stay out of ski boots by her doctor. This did not stop Pam. Even though she couldn’t ski, she made it to most of her shifts and patrolled actively from the base. For her ongoing dedication she deserves to be this year’s Snow Valley Patroller of the Year.
3. Marmot Basin: Dwayne Kelly is a long-term member of the Marmot Patrol and has been the person responsible for organizing all the accommodations for the Camelherders for many, many years. This year Dwayne also stepped up and arranged all the accommodations and the banquet for Marmot’s 50th Reunion. He was able to arrange with Mountain Park Lodges a fantastic meal at a very competitive price, and worked with the hotel when the increased numbers meant a last minute change of venue. To top it all off he does most of this organizing while travelling to far flung places in the world with very sketchy internet access. Dwayne has a great relationship with the Pros and his fellow patrollers and is always ready with a usually somewhat off-colour comment at the right time to lighten the mood.
4. Kinosoo Ridge: Doug Millie helped a lot this year with all that our group in Cold Lake had to do to make this year one of the most successful ever for us (18 patrollers). He also took the Instructor Course and helped with the training and recertification of all Kinosoo Ridge patrollers this year.

APL OF THE YEAR: Greg Pasychny has been Camelherder APL for 18 years and he last won this award over ten years ago. Since that time Greg has continued to make the Camelherders a welcoming weekend. The Camels have now grown up somewhat, they are becoming a weekend of Patrollers with kids. It is great to see a new generation of baby Camel Calfs (code name: The Packages) ripping it up on the hill. Greg has worked with Marmot’s management to accommodate his patrollers’ parenting schedules and allow the kids early access to the lift and the Complex.

PL OF THE YEAR: Mike Palamarek has been PL at Marmot Basin for 10 years. The CSP has an incredibly strong relationship with Marmot, and mike has played an integral role in maintaining and nurturing this over the years. This season was a busy one for Mike as we celebrated 50 years of volunteer patrol at Marmot. Mike organized a great team who made this event a success. Patrollers from years past and present came together with Marmot management and talked about days past. Organizing an event like this and leading a large group of over 50 patrollers and spares at Marmot is not always easy, but Mike does it extremely well.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Andrew Woodman achieved his high country Marmot certification late in the season and then became almost a regular Marmot patroller. He quickly got his shadow weekends done and then spared numerous times. He was able to get up to speed very fast on Marmot’s protocols/procedures and he became a reliable, confident patroller in only his first year. ​Andrew also more than fulfilled his low country commitment and was a constant presence at Rabbit Hill throughout the season picking up the slack on light shifts, hill rentals, and extended shifts.

EDMONTON ZONE PATROLLER OF THE YEAR is awarded to a member of the CSP who has shown outstanding achievement and commitment to his/her area and the zone. Selection criteria include fund-raising, public relations, training, area commitment, function participation and extra curricular patrolling activities. Quintin Scaber is this year’s recipient (See Zone Award of Merit nomination).

The JIM GRAY TROPHY is awarded to a member who has made a continuous and outstanding contribution to First Aid training above that which is normally expected within the zone, and this year’s recipient is Shannah Murland. Few of our members have developed the depth of First Aid knowledge that Shanna brings to our First Aid Training Program. Nowhere is that more evident than in her contribution to the zone’s CPR training. But, irrespective of which part of the First Aid Training Program she is teaching, Shannah puts in the time to develop an excellent command of the subject matter, allowing her to deliver well organized and technically-sound training. Understanding the learning needs of your audience is an important skill for an instructor. She uses language and hands-on skill building techniques which are easy to grasp and which deepen the knowledge base of rookies and seasoned veterans alike. Invariably respectful, approachable and supportive, Shannah is a credit to the Zone’s Education Program.

The ON-HILL TRAINING AWARD is awarded to a member who has made a continuous and outstanding contribution to on-hill training above that normally expected within the zone. This year’s recipient is John Nesbit, who has been an Instructor Trainer since 2016. His lively teaching methods ensure our instructors and students have a lot of fun when he’s around. He has taken on the role of organizing our on-hill spring training sessions for a few years now. He ensures he has enough help to instruct and mentor our new recruits. At the end of the ski season many of our people would be burnt out, but John tackles this head-on with enthusiasm.

The GARY WILSON AWARD is the most coveted award which a member of our zone can be given. This award is given to a patroller who has exhibited all of those qualities of a good patroller who has shown excellent leadership and has been actively involved in any aspect of the patrol for a number of years. This year’s recipient is Pam Fitzgerald. While fund-raising is a very important task, it is equally important that we be good stewards of the money we raise. It is in this area that Pam has demonstrated exceptional leadership at the Zone, Division and National levels. For many years she has maintained our Zone’s financial processes in a highly effective and professional manner. This alone would be deserving of the Gary Wilson Award. However Pam’s impact on financial stewardship has reached up to National and to every other Division and Zone across the country. She has developed, standardized and implemented new financial processes that are now mandatory at National and in every Division and Zone across the country. Her leadership is providing greater financial transparency, consistency and accuracy. Ultimately, her work results in better financial decision-making and helps maintain our credibility with the Canada Revenue Agency and potential funders. The CSP is in a much better place as a direct result of Pam’s leadership.

The CHRIS BLACK SAFETY AWARD is awarded to Junior Patrollers who have shown outstanding achievement and commitment to their area and to the zone, and who exemplify the Junior Safety Patrol program.

1. Rabbit Hill: Braydan Aherne​ diligently attended both full Saturday shifts, which would be a major commitment, even for a regular patroller. In addition to his perfect attendance on the Saturday shifts, he also picked up 3 week day shifts. Braydan suffered many “injuries” in training scenarios, including a dislocated hip (to demonstrate the straddle lift) and a serious neck injury (to demonstrate extrication following a collision with a tree). In these scenarios, he was happy to suggest solutions and also to add complications. Braydan was eager to join in the ski improvement sessions, and especially loved synchronized skiing. He is an exemplary Junior Safety Patroller; he responds to scenes, deals with equipment and does traffic control. He also often helps with tedious Pro Patrol tasks, such as fencing and signage. Braydon always responds to requests for help, and does his assigned on-scene tasks without direction. Braydan had no hesitation in communicating with Rabbit Hill guests, answering questions, giving advice on how to put skis back on, and handing out CSP swag. His polite and respectful demeanor was especially helpful in his interactions with guests who were close to his age. Braydan showed maturity and confidence well beyond his years and it was an honour for our patrollers to work with him.
2. Snow Valley: Evan Stanley and Corbin Sander demonstrated outstanding commitment as Junior Patrollers on Monday nights at Snow Valley. They routinely go above and beyond assisting the CSP, and Snow Valley patrol, showing maturity beyond their age. Both Evan and Corbin have picked up shifts on other evenings and weekends, well above the required commitment and expectations. Their enthusiasm makes patrolling with them a pleasure, and they have earned respect and trust from their fellow patrol. Eager to always learn and get hands on experience, we have no doubt one day these two will make fantastic patrollers.  As an integral part of our team, we highly recommend Evan and Corbin for Junior Patrol of the Year, and look forward to patrolling with them again next year.
3. Marmot Basin: Camilla and Rory Turnbull have become a regular and valuable part of the Roadrunner team at Marmot Basin. They are out on the hill with all of us early every morning and they have been patients for many of our First Aid scenarios. They are diligent at showing up at accident sites and working traffic control and assisting on site cleanup. We have seen these young ladies grow a lot since they started coming up with their family. We look forward to seeing them both back next season.

The JAMES JARDINE SPIRIT OF THE CSP AWARD is awarded to a member who represents outstanding enthusiasm, respect and dedication for what CSP represents not only in everyday patrol duties but to further portray CSP spirit and ideals. This year’s recipient is Richard Rothery, who loves anything to do with skiing. Actually he lights up and vibrates when you mention the word skiing or patrolling. Every chance Richard gets to improve his skills through on-hill and medical training, he is there. Richard will fill in extra shifts, provide pointers to rookies and give ski improvement tips. This year he assisted with rookie classroom and on hill training, bringing his enthusiasm and wit to the program. Quick with a smile and always looking for ways to promote the CSP, Richard is a great ambassador for the CSP and portrays an attitude that all patrollers can look up to. Always there to lend a hand with a positive attitude, Richard exudes the spirit and ideals of a dedicated patroller and the CSP.