By Elizabeth Oldfield, Communications Team Member (oldfield@telusplanet.net)
This month we are celebrating 2021 Canadian Ski Patroller Award (CSP) recipients. The CSP recognizes patrollers who have made significant contributions to the growth of the Canadian Ski Patrol over and above their regular patrol duties.
The recipients of the CSP Award in 2021 were:
• 953 – Dennis Ambrose – Qu’Appelle Zone
• 954 – René Arseneau – Eastern Townships Zone
• 955 – Brenda Baker – Central Zone
• 956 – Barbara Bull – Central Zone
• 957 – Ditten Demerchant – Fundy Zonę
• 958 – Jason Devloo – Red River Zone
• 959 – J. Paul Eichenberg – Central Zone
• 960 – Marion Karol – Central Zone
• 961 – Gary Ogle – Confederation Zone
• 962 – Jean Rioux – Calgary Zone
953 – Dennis Ambrose – Qu’Appelle Zone
As the CSP Saskatchewan Division president, Dennis demonstrated extraordinary leadership and made significant contributions to CSP programs in Saskatchewan through initiative and creativity. He is a high performer, and a person of vision with the ability to energize and provide leadership to the people surrounding him.
His focus on supporting and developing the membership resulted in the number of training certifications held by members increasing by 58 per cent, year-over-year membership retention averaging 86 per cent, and five years of consecutive membership growth, increasing by 14 per cent. The division’s membership programs even increased 4.3 per cent during the pandemic!
His focus on the safety of the public and our membership has increased in the profile of the Alpine Responsibility Code, and the Cool Pass Program resulted in thousands of positive interactions between patrollers and ski area customers.
He led the efforts to develop procedures, provide education, and supply PPE to members to keep them safe, while providing services during the pandemic. He led efforts to strengthen the CSP and the ski industry in Saskatchewan.
Patrol services were established at one alpine area, and discussions to bring patrol services to two other areas commenced. He spearheaded the division’s Nordic development initiative, creating the training infrastructure to support the creation of a new Nordic patrol and set the division on a path to grow Nordic membership and service in that community.
954 – René Arseneau – Eastern Townships Zone
Since becoming an instructor-trainer, René has raised the quality of the zone’s instructors. He brought a new vision of pedagogy for teaching first aid, especially to instructors in the Eastern Townships area. During COVID, he was able to train new patrollers despite the challenges of severe pandemic restrictions.
He has served a number of positions within the zone including two terms as a patrol leader and as zone VP operations. The leadership he demonstrated as patrol leader at Owl’s Head during the pandemic was above the normal expectations of a patrol leader. The resort was under new ownership with a new operations manager and René demonstrated the expertise of the CSP to management. He motivated patrollers during the abnormal circumstances presented by COVID. He initiated several improvements such as having access to a new change room, having access to extra equipment such as blankets for patients, procedure masks and more radio coverage on the mountain.
955 – Brenda Baker – Central Zone
Brenda has made significant contributions to both the CSP Central Zone and the CSP Ontario Division in the roles of VP finance. She has provided guidance and options on managing the finances of Central Zone and led the audit function to ensure that the details required to support the audit were appropriately in place. She advised the leadership team on the controls required to ensure that financial activities are properly managed.
She was patrol leader for Blue Mountain for three years and successfully managed one of the largest patrols within Central Zone and at the busiest resort in Ontario. She and her husband were able to negotiate with Blue Mountain to have one of its runs named the Dr. Doug run in honour of our founder.
She has been an active AFA instructor teaching and certifying new and returning patrollers. She taught a modified AFA course during COVID in a rapidly changing and challenging environment in which the rules for engagement were in constant flux.
956 – Barbara Bull – Central Zone
Barb established an impressive legacy of service of more than 30 years within the CSP. She exhibited strong leadership as an instructor-trainer the CSP Central Zone training team and served as both an AFA and on-snow Instructor. She coordinated and helped deliver numerous ICP/IYU courses to certify and re-certify other instructors and instructor-trainers.
Barb held the position of patrol leader at Snow Valley Ski Resort. She demonstrated what collaborative team leadership could accomplish, a much-needed transition from leadership styles of her predecessors. Her consultative approach to planning and decision-making produced much greater engagement from the rest of the leadership team and from the patrol membership. It also helped develop her APL’s capabilities for succession purposes.
Additional contributions include member of the organizing committee of the Barrie Ski Swap fundraising event, multiple new patroller field days, the annual MASH Bash at Snow Valley, a major fundraiser for the local regional health centre and hospital, annual safety awareness and promotion days at the Osler Bluffs Ski Club, and volunteering for the Ontario Special Olympic Winter Games.
957 – Ditten Demerchant – Fundy Zonę
Ditten joined the CSP in 1992 and has spent his entire career with the Crabbe Mountain patrol. He has held several patrol leadership and key training positions on the patrol. He has coordinated and led Atlantic West Division on-snow instructor courses at Crabbe Mountain within the last few years.
Ditten was a key team member in the development and implementation of a program to provide first aid support to community events in the Fredericton area, including encouraging patroller buy-in for the project. These efforts have helped the patrol become self-sufficient and assisted with the local costs associated with CSP rebranding.
His leadership in establishing the patrol’s COVID-19 operating plan afforded a safe environment for patrollers, including full use of facilities through a well-designed patroller health-monitoring system, the required physical distancing parameters and procedures for cleaning and sanitation.
958 – Jason Devloo – Red River Zone
Jason was a leader and respected executive team member in the CSP Red River Zone, bringing a quiet effectiveness and efficiency to the several positions he held, including zone VP operations, VP administration, and on-snow and AFA Instructor.
Jason initiated a relationship with city transit and worked on a patroller recruitment campaign on city buses. This unique approach raised the public view of the CSP in a continuing awareness campaign.
Jason’s was an exceptional AFA instructor. His background as a paramedic, extensive knowledge of CSP protocols and wide experience with treatments in the field was transmitted to students in an easygoing manner that is reassuring to many first-year candidates. He was one of the first instructors that people turned to for consultation and/or reinforcement of the practice of the protocols.
Jason took on the role of division representative on the YETI project for replacing the NDS. It was a natural fit as his work in zone operations meant he regularly worked in the NDS and was extremely knowledgeable with that system. His involvement in other areas of the zone also meant that he knew what would be pertinent local information needed for database transition. Combined with his skill as an instructor and ability to impart knowledge, he was well equipped to teach CSP Manitoba Division members the new database and guide them through all the changes inherent in a new data system.
Sadly, Jason passed away earlier this year and is sorely missed by all who knew and worked with him.
959 – J. Paul Eichenberg – Central Zone
Paul’s long service with the CSP has concentrated in two areas, instruction and operations. For many years, he contributed more than 100 instructional hours to the zone and served as AFA coordinator at Alpine Ski Club for 10 years. He was patrol leader for four years, before that, serving as an assistant patrol leader. These roles command a high level of time, commitment, and effort.
He successfully led the implementation of the CSP Central Zone’s in-season AFA core skills program at Alpine. Paul’s leadership was critical to building credibility for the program. At the zone level, he consistently assumes a leadership role by coordinating a variety of new patroller, returning patroller and ICP courses in his capacity as an instructor-trainer.
Paul is a member of the Central Zone board of directors, providing sound advice and input into decision-making. He is involved in a strategic initiative within the zone to re-assess ownership of real estate, with the objective of ensuring the zone has cost-effective solutions for supporting administrative, operations and training functions.
960 – Marion Karol – Central Zone
Since 2004, Marion has held several leadership positions within the CSP Central Zone as a patrol leader, VP operations, and she became zone president at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was responsible for managing CSP Central Zone’s response regarding the virus and dealing with a tremendous amount of uncertainty due to the evolving situation.
Resorts closed suddenly and many events were cancelled including four-season events, AFA courses, the zone awards banquet, and ski swap. Throughout, Marion dealt with all the communications, making sure that all patrollers and patrol leaders were kept in the loop, knowing what to expect and how to accomplish it.
When resorts opened up with restrictions, Marion ensured zone communications provided available information to patrollers to make decision(s) that were right for them with regard to their health and safety.
961 – Gary Ogle – Confederation Zone
Gary has worked tirelessly at strengthening the CSP Confederation Zone as a patrol leader and zone president. His contributions have improved communications, financial stability, incentives for patroller retention, and recognition of the CSP as a first aid provider. He was the driving force behind the procurement, renovation, and branding of a trailer that could be used as a staging area for the many four-season events, resulting in an increase in the recognition of the CSP as a first aid provider. He worked on establishing a fat bike patrol at the local Nordic centre.
Gary introduced the communication platform Slack to his patrol, resulting in a more cohesive, more informed patrol, and more sharing of information among members. At the national level, as zone president, Gary spearheaded the use of this same platform for use by all zone presidents resulting in more efficient and effective collaboration.
By participating in four-season events, the zone has increased its financial stability and individual patrollers receive a reduction in membership fees through participation in the program.
962 – Jean Rioux – Calgary Zone
JR was elected and served as CSP Calgary Zone president for a three- year term. In this capacity he maintained excellent relationships with the board, patrol leaders, division and national levels.
Jean’s leadership was characterized by the following culture shifts: He emphasized the approach that asked “what can the zone do for the patrol leaders to support them in their relationships with the resorts?” A key role for the zone administration was to be the support for patrol leaders and members – a bottom-up approach. He cultivated a culture of inclusion, openness, and respect as it related to matters of governance and interactions with individual members. He created a legacy of a “gentler and kinder” organization with a culture of inclusion, openness, and respect as it related to matters of governance within the organization and interactions with individual members.
Jean stepped outside the zone and formed relationships and advanced the entire organization while zone president, demonstrating great leadership outside of the CSP Calgary Zone. He reached out to other regions and zones collaborating with influential leaders across the organization with the goal of improving the CSP. Jean has also worked to reduce the hierarchical top-down approach that was prevalent in the CSP over the years.
This post is also available in: French