By Brian Low, National Manager – Instructor Certification Program (brian.low@skipatrol.ca) and Kerri Loudoun, Communications and Marketing Portfolio Leader (kerri.loudoun@skipatrol.ca)
Canada’s famously cold winters demand that anyone facing the elements is properly equipped – and former CSP blue and yellow jackets have a vital role to play in keeping our communities warm, even after they’ve retired from active duty.
Since the national brand update in 2013 when the CSP moved to red, white and black uniforms, the blue and yellow gear may be taking up closet space for a number of our members. Yet, these jackets represent durable protection that’s perfect for donating to help those in need.
Why donate your retired jacket?
Many shelters and charities across Canada urgently need winter clothing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, poverty, or a first Canadian winter. By donating your blue and yellow patrol jacket, you’ll help someone weather the harsh season, reduce waste, and give your legacy uniform meaningful impact beyond the slopes and trails.
How to prepare your jacket for donation
Before dropping off your old blue and yellow patrol jacket, it’s essential to remove the maple leaf crest emblem identifying it as CSP property. Here’s a simple step-by-step to safely remove embroidered crests so the jackets can be donated as regular winter outerwear:
- Turn the jacket inside out. This makes it easier to access the back of the embroidery. Alternatively, with some jackets it is easier to work with the threads on the front of the crest.
- Use a seam ripper, stitch eraser, or fine-tip scissors – these tools help you cut through the threads without damaging the jacket fabric.
- Gently slide the tool under each thread and lift or snip, working slowly to avoid tearing or cutting the jacket material.
- Remove all thread remnants with tweezers and finish by brushing the area or using tape or a lint roller to pick up stray fibres.
- Inspect the area to ensure no crest or thread remains, leaving only the plain jacket fabric.
If uncertain, many dry cleaners or tailoring shops can assist for a nominal fee.
What do to with the embroidered crest removed from the jacket
Patrollers are welcome to keep the embroidered crest as a memento of the years patrolling in the blue and yellow. Alternatively, if you’re not interested in keeping the embroidered crest, the CSP national requests that you cut it up and place it in the garbage to prevent it from being used by someone outside the organization.
Where to donate in Canada?
Many Canadian charities and community organizations gratefully accept clean, gently used winter jackets:
- Salvation Army Thrift Store: More than 120 locations nationwide; jackets supplied directly to those in need.
- True North Aid: Ships coats to remote northern communities in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nunavut, and beyond.
- No Cold Shoulder (Nobis Global Initiative): Accepts gently used jackets in major Canadian cities for vulnerable families.
- Local women’s, men’s and family shelters, newcomer support centres, and religious organizations often welcome winter clothing donations across Canada.
The impact of your donation
Every jacket means fewer frostbite cases, safer winters, and warmer days for someone who might otherwise go without. Your retired CSP gear can continue its legacy, offering comfort, warmth, and safety wherever it’s needed most.
So, as you organize your gear for the new patrol season, consider donating your retired blue and yellow jacket – just a few simple steps can help it bring warmth beyond the slopes for years to come.
This post is also available in: French