2024 CSP Recipients (Part 2)

By A.P. Crawford (ap.crawford@skipatrol.ca)

The highest operating award a member of the CSP can receive is the Canadian Ski Patroller Award (often shortened to “CSP Award”), which recognizes regular members in good standing who, through their activities and actions, have made major ongoing contributions at the zone, division and/or national levels. Since the CSP was founded in 1941, there have been only 986 individuals recognized with a CSP Award, starting with founder Dr. Doug Firth.

These individuals can be recognized by their silver-coloured name and award number bar on their uniform name badges.

In 2024, the CSP was delighted to recognize another eight such individuals. Information about the contributions of the first four was set out last month and the work of the second four is highlighted here. Recently, at the September 14 AGM we recognized additional individuals with their CSP Awards. Their stories will appear in a future edition of 5/5.

Kristina Gardner – Yukon Zone

CSP No. 982

Kristina Gardner has been a part of the education team in Yukon Zone since becoming a part of the zone's instructor team 14 years ago. Over the past four years, she has taken on the role of VP Education (a.k.a. training manager) running the advanced first aid program for the zone, ensuring efficient and effective training to CSP standards. She also piloted a spring intake course in 2023 and set up a new system for scheduling diagnostic exams that significantly improved efficiency in the past two years. Kristina has also developed documentation for non-skiing events to ensure that these events run smoothly.

Kristina consistently volunteers for non-skiing events, which are so important in raising the CSP profile and result in donations to the patrol that keep registration fees stable and help secure vital rescue equipment. Most recently, these contributions have allowed Yukon Zone the ability to make a financial contribution to CSP at the division/national level to support development of the new Learning Management System.

In her 15 years as a patroller, Kristina has consistently held leadership roles in Yukon Zone. Starting off as the Nordic patrol leader, Kristina led one of the largest Nordic patrols in the country. She has been a member of the training team for the zone since her second year on the patrol and has consistently grown in that role.

Kristina Gardner is a very hard-working member of Yukon Zone's executive team and ensures patrollers are held to the highest standard.

Ian Hamilton – Powâkan Zone

CSP No. 979

Ian Hamilton's past and continued commitment to the CSP over the past 19 years is commendable. He is a leader, mentor, instructor, instructor-trainer, and an excellent patroller. In his various roles, Ian has made significant and continuous contributions to the CSP in his patrol, zone and Mountain Division. He has strongly encouraged all hills to work and train together.

Ian served as the Peace/Powâkan Zone president for eight years. Under his leadership the zone thrived, and the four patrols became a united team. He cares deeply about recognition and has been key in nominating deserving patrollers for various CSP awards at all levels. He juggles multiple CSP hats simultaneously. His dedication to excellence is to be commended.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Ian lead the initiative to rename the zone from Peace Zone to Powâkan Zone. This was a complex process as he wanted to get the new name right. The new name means guardian spirit in Cree, which was approved by elders in the community and then implemented. This was a significant milestone for the zone.

In 2024, Ian received Mountain Division Life Member Award No. 38 in recognition of all the work he has undertaken over the past 19 years at the patrol, zone and division levels. He consistently demonstrates the CSP values, which is why Ian is so well respected in his community, at his ski hill and by his peers at all levels of the CSP organization.

Anthony (Andy) Hueton – Central Zone

CSP No. 983

With more than 30 years of patrolling experience and eight years as an AFA and on-snow instructor, Anthony (Andy) Hueton has made significant contributions to the CSP at four patrols as a patroller, APL, AFA/OS coordinator and patrol leader. He has worked at the zone level as an AFA and on-snow instructor, and at the national level as a member of the uniform review and selection committee.

Records going back to 2010 confirm that a typical season for Andy is 20-plus patrol shifts, with three seasons in the high 20s, two seasons in the 30s and another two in the mid 40s! In the context of a typical southern Ontario ski season of just 16 weeks or so, that’s a lot of on-snow time. Andy has typically supported two patrols simultaneously, most recently Highlands Nordic Centre and Alpine Ski Club, both in central Ontario.

When Andy joined the Highlands Nordic patrol (in Duntroon, Ontario) the membership was robust and he was one of a dozen or more patrollers who were either totally dedicated to Nordic patrolling or who, like himself, split their duty days between alpine and Nordic patrol duties. In recent years interest in Nordic patrolling has waned, and Andy is now the primary patrol resource at Highlands Nordic, with his efforts being augments by occasional shifts from just a few multi-discipline patrollers. He has taken on all the formal leadership roles at Highlands Nordic, acting as patrol leader, supply officer, AFA coordinator and on-snow coordinator. He also cpmpleted the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and acquired a possession and acquisition licence so that he could contribute to the supervision of biathlon events at the Nordic centre.

Andy is a prolific supporter of Central Zone’s major fundraising events, and actively contributes to the zone’s training activities in his capacity as an AFA and on-snow instructor, easily exceeding the national standard of 20 hours, often recording more than 60. In three recent years, he’s been recognized with the zone's Instructor Milestone Award for contributions exceeding 100 hours.

Andy has almost single-handedly sustained CSP's Nordic presence in the zone. His passion, dedication and expertise endured during the pandemic and the changing winter climate in southern Ontario, and has made it his personal mission as one of a very few on-snow instructors qualified in Nordic skiing to ensure the CSP remains a visible presence at the Highlands Nordic. He supports the necessary on-snow training and qualification processes to keep the remaining few Nordic-qualified patrollers engaged and worked with the ski centre to expand the patrolling options to include snowshoeing and fat biking, thus eliminating a major barrier to those interested in patrolling in a non-alpine environment who are not proficient in Nordic skiing.

It's Andy's dedication to CSP has been consistent and unwavering since he joined in 1991. He contributes to grassroots patrolling like a true workhorse, has stepped up to take on leadership roles at Highlands Nordic and ensures CSP remains a visible presence in the Nordic skiing community in southern Ontario. He was recently recognized as a Central Zone life member and is the only recipient of this award who has not held senior zone level positions, a testament to his grassroots contributions.

Roseann Nasser – Qu’Appelle Zone

CSP No. 986

Roseann Nasser has led Qu’Appelle Zone through some of the more trying times in recent memory. She happened to be just starting into her second year as zone president when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. As a healthcare professional, she was an instrumental resource and contributor to Saskatchewan Division’s development of operating protocols for all patrols in the 2020-2021 ski season. She was the liaison between the ski area and the volunteer patrollers regarding patrol services through this time, not always an easy balancing act between fact and emotions on all sides, especially volunteers who were very concerned about their personal welfare.

Numerous discussions between all parties led to the difficult determination that the zone would not be able to provide a volunteer patrol to the area for the season. The relationship between the patrol and the area was impacted. Roseann was able to maintain a positive outlook and overcome the issues created by this decision, and the patrol returned to provide full services to the area the following season and since. There was little attrition through the pandemic season and since then there has been continued success in both recruiting and retention of members.

At the same time under Roseann’s leadership, a new Nordic patrol has been created in Qu’Appelle Zone and she has been eager to support this group with the equipment needed to provide patrolling services.

Recently the zone’s training manager resigned on short notice. Unable to find a replacement training manager from the existing instructor corps, Roseann stepped into the position and successfully oversaw completion of the zone’s training program for the season.

Roseann takes member recognition very seriously and has re-implemented the annual zone season-end celebration and awards night. It was with great delight that the CSP was able to recognize Roseann in her own right for all of her contributions over the years.