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 CSP 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 103 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 2026, the CSP was delighted to honour seven more individuals. The work of two of them is highlighted below; the stories of more of them will be highlighted in future issues.
Josée Boulet, Bois-Francs Zone, Quebec Division
Life Member No. 104
Josée Boulet joined the CSP in 1996 and has held multiple positions at the patrol, zone, and division level over the course of her almost 30 years of service. She is heavily involved in the training and development side of the CSP and served as the training manager for Bois-Francs Zone as well as being a member of the organizing committee for the Quebec Division first aid competition for 10 years.
From 2014 to 2017 she served as the Quebec Division training manager during which time she also inherited the arrival of online training modules and the implementation of online exams. When she stepped down from that position, her successor entrusted her with the training of the instructor cadre for the division through the national CSP Instructor Certification Program. She also freely shares her expertise and energy sharing her experience with colleagues from other zones through various conferences. For all of her work in the area of training and development outside of her stint as the division training manager, Josée has been recognized by the division in four separate years as the outstanding division training officer.
For the past four years, Josée has served as the Bois-Francs zone president, which allowed her to facilitate the reintegration of the patrollers from Mont Apic resort back into the CSP. In March of this year, the Quebec Division first aid competition was held at Mont Adstock resort and Josée played a leading role in organizing some of the events for the competition.
Outside of the multiple roles at higher levels, Josée is also an active member of the four-seasons patrol at Parc de la Mauricie in the summer.
In the words of her nominators, “Josée embodies the spirit of what a complete patroller represents and demonstrates an altruism that betrays all the contributions she has made since joining the CSP in 1996,” and “consultation is common and no one can remain indifferent when Josée asks for the collaboration of her colleagues.”
In September the CSP was delighted to recognize Josée Boulet of Bois-Francs Zone as Life Member No. 104. Congratulations and well done indeed.
Andrew Hill, Calgary Zone, Mountain Division
Life Member No. 104
Andrew Hill is a key contributor to the success of the Canadian Ski Patrol, especially in the realm of training and development. He has been a key contributor to the zone, division and national training levels over his years of service. Each and every patroller, be they first year or a veteran, has been exposed to the work that he has completed on our behalf.
Andrew teaches both new and returning patrollers, supports instructors at all levels, and most recently has led the national training and development portfolio through the current times of major change, more of which will be seen over the coming seasons.
He is an active patroller at Nakiska Ski Area, and at the zone level, he has been a cornerstone of the training team and his ability to explain complex skills and build the confidence among those he’s working with have made him one of the most trusted and respected instructors in the region. He builds candidates’ confidence and moulds professionalism through his collaboration with them and willingness to mentor to allow them to achieve their best result.
At the national level, he has led the updating of the advanced first aid materials including the advanced first aid manual, pushed changes in the delivery channels through use of the learning management system (LMS) which has transformed how patrollers learn and perform. The leverage of technology has allowed patrollers to undertake a large portion of their training and recertification on their own time, rather than spending that time in the classroom.
The current major project has been the transition of all of our training materials to reflect and align with the new Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standards, which will be rolled out with the next training season. His meticulous attention to detail, steady guidance, and commitment to excellence has allowed this massive project to proceed with as few hitches as possible. Andrew’s vision and leadership of the team has had, and will continue to have, a long-lasting impact on the credibility and effectiveness of the CSP nationwide.
At the annual general meeting in September Andrew was awarded the well-deserved National Life Member No. 105 in recognition of all the work he has undertaken on behalf of the CSP. At the same meeting he was also recognized for 35 dedicated years of service to the organization. Congratulations on both counts.
More stories of this year’s national life membership award recipients will be shared next month.
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