By Elizabeth Oldfield, Communications and Marketing Portfolio Member (5×5@skipatrol.ca)
As part of Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee celebrations in Alberta, the province created the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal to be awarded to individuals with a tangible link to the province who have made a significant contribution to Canada, Alberta or a particular Alberta region.
Michael Courty is a long-serving member of the CSP (more than 27 years) and is currently a member of Palliser Zone (in the Medicine Hat area) with previous service in both New Brunswick and Ontario. He is currently an AFA and on-snow instructor and has previously held the roles of zone vice-president of administration and zone vice-president of education. At the national level, he is a member of the national recognition committee and the national alpine on-snow content coordinator.
As a member of the CSP, Michael has also volunteered at the Winterstart World Cup ski races at Lake Louise since 2004 and was a member of the medical team at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Since 2017, Michael has also been a ground search and rescue volunteer member of the South Eastern Alberta Search and Rescue Association (SEASAR). SEASAR runs an annual adventure race for which he is a member of the organizing committee. He’s an active Elkwater Ski Racing Club volunteer board member as the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (casino/bingo) fund-raising coordinator.
Outside of his volunteer roles, Michael is currently a staff sergeant with the RCMP and detachment commander for Redcliff, Alberta. He is a special tactical operations team member, which has seen him deployed to emergencies such as the 2013 High River floods, the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, the 2019 Alberta wildfires, and the 2022 papal visit. He is also a criminal collision investigative team member and a drug recognition expert.
Congratulations, Michael, on being recognized for your contributions to Canada, Alberta, and the CSP.
(l-r) Alberta RCMP Commanding Officer Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablocki, Michael Courty, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, the Honorable Salma Lakhani
(photos provided by Michael Courty)