By Stéphane Niles, Board Chairperson (stephane.niles@skipatrol.ca)
Dear CSP members:
Please join me in welcoming Sam Morcos from the CSP Gatineau Zone and Amy Scullion from the CSP Calgary Zone to the Canadian Ski Patrol national board of directors. They have been elected to serve as members of our board, and we are fortunate to have them join us during this exciting period of modernization, change and planning for our future.
Amy and Sam will each serve a three-year term, ending in 2027.
The board of directors met following the annual general meeting held on September 14 to select the officers of the board. To ensure continuity, it was collectively decided that Stéphane Niles remain chairperson and Jodie Marc Lalonde would remain vice-chairperson. Anick Vaillancourt accepted the role of corporate secretary, a role she had de-facto exercised since the beginning of the board election period.
Recognizing that this is the last year of Stéphane’s and Jodie’s terms, the board will develop a succession plan that will see other board members take on board officer positions sometime in early 2025, allowing for a smooth transition and continuity. Details of this transition will be communicated to the membership in due time.
As a result, the composition of the Board, effective September 14, 2024, is as follows:
- Stéphane Niles – national director and chairperson
- Jodie Marc Lalonde – national director and vice-chairperson
- Anick Vaillancourt – national director and corporate secretary
- Jennifer Delaney – national director
- Sam Morcos – national director
- Amy Scullion – national director
- Don Silverman – national director
The AGM also marked the end of the terms of two former directors, Glenn Bonsall and Fred Haight.
I thank Glenn for his time served on the board, and for having served as corporate secretary. During his tenure, Glenn always had the organization’s best interests at heart, looked for consensus and for efficient solutions. Prior to his term on the board, Glenn held various CSP leadership positions, contributing significantly to the organization’s development. As chief of patrol for the FIS Women’s Downhill at Lake Louise from 2016 to 2023, he increased team diversity and encouraged youth involvement. He was a member of the Vancouver Olympics Medical Team in 2010. As Calgary Zone president, he successfully led the zone’s transition to the red and white CSP uniforms and spearheaded the creation of new Calgary Zone patrols at Panorama and Sunshine.
I congratulate Glenn on having received the Canadian Ski Patroller Award this year.
I also extend a heartfelt thanks to Fred for his seven years of service on the CSP board, and his time as chair of the board’s governance committee. I always appreciated Fred’s guidance as well as his knowledge of the organization and its history.
Fred has been a dedicated member of the Canadian Ski Patrol for more than 45 years, recognized for his contributions to the CSP, the ski industry and the international ski racing community. In 2006, he was awarded the Canadian Ski Patroller Award for his 30 years of service in a variety of leadership roles and functions over his patrol career. Fred continued to serve in key roles, including being appointed chief of patrol for major events such as the Vancouver Paralympics and NORAM finals at Whistler. Fred was part of a small team of Pacific South Division patrollers whose bid successfully secured the FIPS Congress for Canada in 2014. His expertise in patrolling and medical response has been widely recognized, especially in his involvement in developing the Racer Down Protocol, adopted by the International Ski Federation (FIS). Fred also co-authored a chapter in the CSP First Aid Manual focusing on responding to athletes with disabilities. For these and many other contributions to the CSP, Fred was this year awarded the Canadian Ski Patrol Life Member Award. Congratulations Fred!
I wish both all the best in their future endeavours. You will both be missed at our board meetings.
There were no member proposals presented at this year’s AGM.
I thank everyone who participated in the 2024 AGM and those who worked tirelessly to ensure its success.
On behalf of the national board of directors, I thank you all for your continued support, dedication, and passion for the Canadian Ski Patrol. We wish you a great upcoming patrol season.
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