By Elizabeth Oldfield, Communications Team Member and Life Member No. 44 (oldfield@telus.net)
The Canadian Ski Patroller (CSP) Award is the Canadian Ski Patrol’s highest operating award. It is awarded to patrollers who have made significant contributions to the CSP over a number of years. Generally, recipients are longer-term patrollers in good standing, fulfilling their duty shifts while increasing their involvement in the operations of their patrols, zones and divisions. They have all found ways to strengthen the CSP.
Throughout the history of the CSP, recipients of this prestigious award have been fêted for their achievements at the national annual conference in front of their peers. Since the onset of the pandemic, the CSP has not held in-person national meetings. In an effort to celebrate with a wider audience the meaningful contributions of CSP Award recipients since the onset of the pandemic, 5/5 is featuring their stories, beginning this month with recipients from 2020. Information is drawn from the nominations submitted.
The recipients of the CSP Award in 2020 were:
• 945 – Rob Carson, Kawartha Zone
• 946 – Douglas Couture, North Border Zone
• 947 – Eleanor Culver, Calgary Zone
• 948 – Corbee Dutchburn, Central Zone
• 949 – Ben Finestone, Central Zone
• 950 – Todd Ganie, Ogopogo Żone
• 951 – Terry Renwick, Qu’Appelle Zone
• 952 – Nadine Trépanier, Zone Bois-Francs
945 – Rob Carson, Kawartha Zone
Although Rob Carson stepped into the position of zone training manager on short notice, he worked with the existing team to ensure a seamless qualification and requalification process for more than 200 patrollers across multiple training centres, while at the same time, implementing new AFA training record cards and a new evaluation system. By fostering the next generation(s) to move into leadership roles, he has set the groundwork for the inevitable transitions and facilitating succession planning through restructuring. The restructuring altered the role of the zone’s instructor-trainers, recruited new course leads and a new director of on-snow training, with mentors to ease the transition. Regardless of challenges, Rob always finds workable solutions.
946 – Douglas Couture, North Border Zone
Doug served in the leadership of Atlantic West Division, first as president of North Border Zone, then as president of Atlantic West Division. A pillar of his tenure was uniformity of training across the division. He explored the issue through consultation with every patrol and listened intently to members. The development of a sharing network between each zone and each mountain led to similar training throughout the division. He was also active in recruitment and retention of patrollers. Doug was an advocate for the merger of the Atlantic West Division and Atlantic East Division as a possible solution to enable small divisions to survive in the long term.
947 – Eleanor Culver, Calgary Zone
Eleanor played a key role in a critical survey exercise among zone presidents to identify a productive and beneficial format for the zone presidents’ meeting at Altitude 2019.
She put considerable effort into analyzing survey results, presented her recommendations and skillfully facilitated a meeting of 25 zone presidents to develop an agenda for the zone presidents’ meeting. Her skill in this role resulted in a meeting that successfully completed its agenda and identified concrete action plans. More importantly, her actions at this meeting resulted in more effective communication from the CSP National Management Committee (NMC) during this meeting and subsequent updates for zone presidents. She provided the foundation for a re-establishment of trust between the NMC and zones which was a key issue prior to the meeting. The progress made in building trust is directly attributed to Eleanor’s efforts.
Eleanor took on responsibility for human resources for the CSP and worked to enhance our CSP Mutual Respect Policy. She has handled a number of sensitive files professionally and competently. Eleanor has shifted the focus of our MRP to a de-escalation model that focuses on providing support, resources and resolving issues at a local level wherever possible.
948 – Corbee Dutchburn, Central Zone
Corbee is the father and leader of the CSP Motorcycle Emergency Response Unit (M-ERU), a patrol which leverages the mobility of the motorcycle to reach patients in a timely manner when providing advanced first aid at community events. He understood that the effectiveness of his team was dependent on a high level of training in order to achieve recognition by, not only event organizers, but most importantly police and other services. Corbee leveraged his network in the riding community and his association with the Toronto Police Service to develop a skills program for the riders who would become members of this patrol.
At the zone level, the M-ERU is self-sustaining and brings in additional revenue for the zone. It has enhanced the CSP’s relationship with the Toronto Police Service, a partnership with them at community events. At the CSP Ontario Division level, the M-ERU has members from multiple zones and supports four-season events across the division. This helps to build skills and supports the financial positions of other zones. At the national level, the M-ERU model is regarded as the standard for this type of patrol. Internationally, the M-ERU has been recognized as a full member of the International Motorcycle Response Unit Association (IMRUA), a non-profit organization based in Luxembourg founded to help facilitate communication and cooperation of various fire and EMS motorcycle response units worldwide.
949- Ben Finestone, Central Zone
Ben is the patrol leader of Central Zone’s Four-Season Patrol. He established a structure to the program which has become a model for other patrols across the country and across disciplines. This program has had positive impact on Central Zone’s financial position.
Ben has used his experience as an instructor trainer and course coordinator for the advanced first aid instructor yearly update to develop new instructors and increase the number of new instructors in Central Zone.
Ben has leveraged his professional skills to review Central Zone office procedures and to provide recommendations to improve office processes and controls.
950 – Todd Ganie, Ogopogo Zone
During his tenure as CSP Ogopogo Zone president Todd significantly raised the profile of the CSP in the CSP Pacific South Division. His tireless work in developing and nurturing an outstanding relationship with the Big White Ski Resort management and paid patrol resulted in Big White’s commitment to bankroll the patrol’s transition to a red patrol jacket.
Todd’s outstanding relationship with Big White and his exceptional leadership skills were demonstrated in an abrupt, yet seamless, transition of the FIPS 2014 conference to Big White. This was no small feat, considering the change of venue occurred mere months before the CSP was scheduled to host more than 100 patrollers from around the world. Several years later, Todd was instrumental in the success of the CSP 2017 Leadership Conference at Big White making it a positive experience for all attendees.
951 – Terry Renwick, Qu’Appelle Zone
Terry’s vision and significant contributions to the CSP span 40 years and have allowed the zone to prosper and grow. During his tenure as Qu’Appelle zone president in the mid-1980s to 1990 he established a structure of CSP independence from the ski hill. This would provide the zone with the interdependence needed to support the hill and its patrons and grow the presence of the CSP.
He set up the first ski patrol hut independent of the main ski lodge and encouraged the CSP to purchase its own first aid supplies and equipment. Terry endorsed sponsorship from SaskTel, SaskPower and the Leader Post newspaper for three toboggans. He introduced radios as a means to communicate on the ski hill in 1985, before the hill used this type of equipment. He introduced a schedule for patrollers to improve patrol coverage.
Terry was a member of a three-person leadership team from Saskatchewan that organized celebration of the 50th anniversary of CSP in 1991. As part of this team, they organized the celebration and mementos that included yellow scarfs, key chains, coffee spoons and 50 signed posters by Dr. Doug Firth.
Terry has used his leadership position in the St. John’s Ambulance (SJA) organization to foster a good working relationship between the CSP and SJA.
952 – Nadine Trépanier, Zone Bois Francs
During terms as zone training manager and zone president, Nadine has introduced positive change in the CSP Bois Francs Zone. She increased the instructor cadre to one instructor for every 2.5 patrollers. Nadine initiated a spring training session to refresh patrollers participating in summer events. She implemented “ma patrouille en santé” (“my health patrol”), a project to underscore to patrollers the importance of a fitness regime to prepare for the ski season and to maintain throughout the year for overall physical fitness. The training plan was developed by a professional and circulated to patrollers with prizes for participants.
Nadine developed a 365 patrol which has grown to provide first aid services to 40 community events. This has resulted in an increase in the size of the zone, reduction in patrol fees, and increased visibility for the CSP in the community.