By A.P. Crawford, Life Member No. 87 (ap.crawford@skipatrol.ca)
The highest award that a member of the CSP can receive is the Life Membership Award. It is given to recognize regular members of the CSP in good standing who, through their activities and actions, have made meaningful contributions to enhance, grow, or improve programs and practices across one or more of the multiple dimensions of the CSP. Preference is given to nominees whose contributions have had, or are likely to have, significant and positive impact on the CSP nationally.
Since the CSP was founded in 1941, until this year there were just 97 individuals recognized as life members, starting with Dr. Doug Firth. These individuals are the builders of the CSP we have today and can easily be recognized as they are the ones who have a gold-coloured name and award number bar on their nametags.
In 2025, the CSP was delighted to honour six more individuals. The work of three of them was highlighted in the November issue of 5/5; the contributions of the other three are highlighted below.
Michael Cava, Edmonton Zone, Mountain Division
Life Member No. 101
Michael Cava has been an integral part of the CSP since joining in 1989 and the positions he has held have benefitted the entire organization at all levels. His focus has been in education and leadership.
In the education aspects of the CSP he has been and continues to be a valued instructor, instructor-trainer and skills evaluator in Edmonton Zone. Twice he has held the position of Mountain Division vice-president of education (1995-1997 and 2001-2006), and he was also the national vice-president of education in 1997. He has constantly pushed for advanced first aid training and ensured that the CSP’s programs did not fall behind those offered by other provincial and national first aid training bodies. He has been a long-time member of the Alberta OH&S certification body and fully supported the CSP’s role as a primary first aid provider. While serving as Mountain Division’s vice-president of education he pushed for changes in the format of the national first aid competition and ensured that the division’s competition was modified to a similar standard and format.
While Michael was the national vice-president of education, the CSP was looking at similar organizations to see if and how we might improve and expand our knowledge base. Along with his CSP certifications, Michael was also a Red Cross AFA instructor and worked with the Western Canada officer for the Red Cross on the possibility of using its manual as a professional training text. At the same time, other officers within the CSP were investigating the use of the U.S. National Ski Patrol’s manual and Wilderness First Aid, among other initiatives.
When the ICP was introduced, Michael was one of the first to register and complete the qualifications as an instructor-trainer, a qualification he has maintained ever since. To this day he is a member of the CSP national exam review committee.
Michael has also worked diligently on the leadership side, serving as Edmonton Zone president and Edmonton Zone vice-president of administration. When he took the reins in 1993, the zone was in dire financial condition and close to folding. His leadership and work with his executive brought the zone back to a good place and the zone was recognized with the CSP National Zone Progress Award in 1994.
When the national annual conference (NAC) was held in Edmonton in 2006, he became part of the zone’s organizing committee which started work 18 months in advance of the event. It was a very successful conference. He repeated his involvement in organizing the 2012 annual conference which was also held in Edmonton – another resounding success. As a key team player, he has shared his expertise freely.
Much of Michael’s work happens behind the scenes but is nevertheless essential to the successful outcome of several of the summer events held within Edmonton Zone. One of his nominees stated that “his presence at medical events has brought calm to many rookies knowing his experience, a wealth of knowledge and a calm demeanour, is always a bonus.”
Michael’s extraordinary, long-term and continuing commitment to the CSP in our ever-changing environment within in the ski industry has assisted in pushing Edmonton Zone, Mountain Division and the national levels forward. Rather remarkable for 33 consecutive years of service, he has actually increased his involvement in recent years rather than slowing down!
In September 2025 the CSP was delighted to award Michael Cava with National Life Membership No. 101, a recognition very much deserved!
Lori Natuik, Red River Zone, Manitoba Division
Life Member No. 102
Lori Natuik has left an imprint and legacy at every level of the CSP through her work in Red River Zone and as the Manitoba Division president. At her local resort she is accepted as part of an extended management team by the owners. Among her zone’s patrollers she is known as “my instructor” or “my (ski area) leader” before they are ever aware of her other responsibilities.
At the CSP Manitoba Division level, Lori has effectively nurtured closer relationships among the four zone presidents through frequent contact, providing positive advice and encouraging feedback. This is a major challenge where the travel times between zones and areas is measured in hours, the closest ones being a mere three hours apart by road; the next closest to Red River Zone is eight hours by road and another zone is across the provincial border in Ontario.
Nationally, Lori is a consistent contributor to the division presidents’ group and the national management team as a whole. She represented Manitoba and Saskatchewan divisions on the recent national data/digitization projects. She is known for her contributions and helping to set a tone of ongoing collaboration. If she hasn’t had a chance to speak on a topic at a given meeting, there’s always the question of “What does Lori think?”
Lori’s characteristic approach to relationships is based on being a facilitator, problem solver and team player, which is seen in all of her contributions at every level and the overall environment of trust and collaboration that surrounds everything she touches. It is her soft skills which are difficult to measure but which result in such positive outcomes, especially critical skills in smaller zones to ensure ongoing internal stability and external responsiveness.
Lori’s impact on the zone and division goes far beyond the listing of positions and awards. She is a tireless patroller and instructor. She is a model for younger female patrollers that encourages them to take on substantive roles in the zone and division. Her relationship management skills have helped restore troubled relations with snow sport areas. Yet as a leader, Lori also knows when to step away to let others grow into their roles, allowing people to find their way forward and as a result, seed succession planning in the division.
In September Lori Natuik was recognized by the CSP as National Life Member No. 102. Heartfelt congratulations and welcome to the group!
David Morisset, Gatineau Zone, Quebec Division
Life Member No. 103
Dave Morisset has been a member of the CSP for 58 years and has made incalculable contributions to, and been recognized at, all levels.
In Gatineau Zone Dave served as the zone’s vice-president of operations for 17 years, establishing a close and collegial rapport with the area owners/operators which had not been done in the past. At the time he took on the role, many of the operators had been considering moving to private patrol models but reconsidered once Dave met with them. He also helped to bring the CSP back to Camp Fortune (the largest area in the zone) in 1995.
He also negotiated with ski shops in the region associated with the zone to introduce patrol discount nights. He helped to introduce the vacuum mattress as a rescue tool to the areas via the regional health authorities (CISSSO) at no cost to the zone. He worked to negotiate an equipment exchange program with Outaouais paramedics, exchanges which included the vacuum mattresses, C-collars, oxygen masks and blankets (a huge time-saving in not having to chase down and retrieve the patrol’s equipment and ensuring that equipment is always available at the resort).
In his role as the national operations advisor working with the various national vice-presidents of operations over the years, Dave drafted several national policies pertinent to operations. He organized portfolio meetings and worked closely with the division presidents (who at the time were part of the operations portfolio) and other portfolio members on matters of safety, recruitment, human resources and CISM. He set up monthly schedules for division president contributions to the national newsletters under whatever the current title was (and he followed up with the editor to ensure those contributions were actually received!).
Also as part of his role, Dave took the initiative to create a zone presidents’ manual and oversaw its maintenance for more than 20 years. When it moved from a paper document to a digital version, he saved the CSP at least $12,000 in translation costs.
Put simply, if you had a question or needed any information related to the operations side of the CSP (including historical information), the fastest way to find the answers was to get in touch with Dave. If he didn’t know the answer immediately, he’d get back to you in short order.
Dave still serves as an important advisor in an unofficial capacity to the executive of Gatineau Zone. He participates actively in all zone activities, both on snow and off snow (365 events). He fulfils all the elements of the role of an elder in the CSP. Younger patrollers (in terms of years of service) often look to Dave for advice and guidance on difficult issues. He is often consulted by the executive at the division and national levels on matters dealing with CSP operations. When in-person national conferences were held annually, it was Dave who organized many an informal meeting with new zone presidents to provide them with guidance on navigating the conference.
Dave is one of the few of us who has served in all three colours of our national uniform from Rainier Red, through the FIPS yellow and blue, to the current FIPS red, with pride and dedication. He is a caring, compassionate and approachable person who serves as mentor and model to other patrollers. It is only fitting that the organization to which he devoted and devotes a good part of his life and energy has now recognized him as National Life Member No. 102, not because of the length of his service but because of the impact of the contributions he has made and continues to make.
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