Mike Cava has been re-elected by acclamation to the position of Edmonton Zone President. The News Blast editorial team reached out to Mike for his thoughts on his upcoming two-year term. Here is his response:
“I am currently celebrating my 33rd year as a Patroller, and 32nd year as a First Aid & On Snow Instructor. Throughout my time as a volunteer with this amazing organisation, I have had the opportunity to serve the CSP in a variety of roles including Zone Uniform Coordinator, 29 years as the Division Representative on the Alberta Provincial OH&S First Aid Standards Committee, 24 years as Zone Summer Events Coordinator, Mountain Division Education Coordinator and the National Education Coordinator. I am privileged to be the current Edmonton Zone President, a role I have held for a total of 10 years over a period of four separate terms. Each of these roles has provided me with a unique opportunity to understand and implement strategies to better serve you, our ski partners and the skiing public.
Can Do:
“COVID challenged us in the spring of 2020. The industry was forced to shut down for the last part of the season, summer events were cancelled, and we faced the uncertainty that threatened to wipe out the 2020-21 ski season.
“As your Zone President, I supported efforts by our executive team to find solutions to deliver training and balance public safety directives with safe COVID 19 protocols. Our zone provided to our membership opportunities to celebrate and to train in a safe manner. We opened the season with a summer awards picnic that permitted us to gather safely and to recognise the tremendous membership we have, in addition to allowing us to engage our zone in developing creative solutions to move forward with training plans.
“We were one of the few zones that ran a full rookie training program and succeeded in completing the rookie on-hill training. Because of our success in providing a safe training experience, we were able to proceed in February with our annual rookie on-hill spring training course at Rabbit Hill.
“My role as Zone President is about providing the best opportunity for success in the field, and that comes from a strong Patrol Leader group. I am fortunate to have PL’s that strive to meet the ever-changing requirements that resorts imposed on us so that they could remain open. I was pleased to be able to provide information, guidance, and sometimes just an ear to listen to the challenges PL’s were facing. I knew our conditions were not perfect, but with the CAN DO attitude of our patrollers, we were able to meet the requirements and have been successful in fulfilling our commitments to the resorts. This is something I am very proud of.
Future
“COVID will be with us for the near future. Because of restricted fund-raising opportunities, finances will be tight, so I, along with the Executive team, will be presenting a budget that will strive to provide value to our membership and our partners. With that in mind, I am challenging the Executive team to continue to be creative in this ever-changing environment.
“We are looking at fresh innovative solutions for:
- Training of new members of our instructor corps, utilising a new hybrid online/ in person instructor training program;
- On-snow recertification of returning patrollers; and
- First aid requalifying of returning patrollers
“I believe that with the mix of experience and youthful exuberance on the executive, we will be able to work through any situations that will arise and provide greater flexibility and opportunity for us to thrive.”