Announcements

Best Wishes

for the holidays, and for 2012 from the CSPS Calgary Zone Executive!

2011 New Patroller Training Survey (Closed)

Here's your chance to be heard!

Take a few minutes (no more than 15) and complete the New Patroller Training Survey -- which refers to your experiences in the New Patroller First Aid Course and On-Hill Training (excluding your mandatory four shifts at Canada Olympic Park).

Here's a link to the survey. If that doesn't work, type the following into the address field of your web browser: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JXD3SX6

Please note that your answers to these questions are confidential, and will only be viewed by members of the Calgary Zone Executive. Summaries of all responses will be viewed by Assistant Instructors, Instructors, and Instructor Trainers, and by Zone Education Officers.

If you have questions related to this survey, please send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Thanks in advance for your participation!

The Probe

The December edition of The Probe is now available.

Avalanche Courses

The following avalanche courses have been organised for this season:

AST1: A classroom session will be held the evening of Monday, Feb 27, 6 – 9 pm in Calgary at a location to be confirmed followed by a two-day field session at Lake Louise the weekend of March 3-4, starting at 8 AM in the Guides Room at the Hostel in Lake Louise. The cost for this course is $75.

AST2: Feb 17-20 one classroom day starting at 8 am in the Guides Room at the Lake Louise Hostel, followed by one field day at Lake Louise and 2 field days in Rogers Pass. It is strongly recommend that students practice with their gear at least once before the class, practice can be arranged through Don McClatchie at Lake Louise CSPS. The cost for this course will be approximately $220 depending on number of students. AST1 is a pre-requisite.

If you are interested in either of these courses please e-mail Don McClatchie at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please note that there is a limit of 16 attendees for the AST1 course and it is open to non-Calgary Zone patrollers on a first come, first served basis.

If numbers are short this course can be opened up to patroller family/friends. Another AST1 course is being planned for Norquay, however details have not been finalized yet. The AST2 course is a Mountain Division course that is open to all Division patrollers.

Ski Improvement

2011 Returning Patroller Recertification Weekend Survey

Want your voice heard? If you're a returning patroller and participated in one of the Recertification Weekend Training Courses held at EMS Headquarters in Calgary, we want to know what you think about the experience.

(Please note: this survey does NOT apply to hill-specific returning patroller weekends. To make comments regarding those events, please contact your Patrol Leader or Assistant Patrol Leader - Education.)

It should take less than ten minutes (closer to five) to complete this survey -- and it will help us improve this training event in the future. Here's the survey. If this link doesn't work, go to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PZ9NP2W

Your answers are confidential, and will only be viewed by members of the Calgary Zone Executive. Summaries of all responses will be viewed by Assistant Instructors, Instructors, and Instructor Trainers, and by Zone Education Officers.

If you have questions related to this survey, please send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

I'll leave the survey open until the end of the month, but please don't delay in getting your responses in.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Calgary New & Used Ski Sale

Ski Improvement Clinic

Join us this February (5th to 10th) for the CSPS Mountain Division Ski Improvement Clinic at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort to improve your sliding skills with top level instructors. Lessons start on Monday February 6th for 4 full days with a wrap up banquet on Thursday evening and a final day of free skiing on the Friday. More info.

The Probe

The October edition of The Probe is now available.

Canmore Course Cancelled

Unfortunately, the proposed New Patroller First Aid Course in Canmore has been cancelled because of low enrollment. If you have any questions regarding this latest development, please send them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Canmore Open House

We'll be holding another Open House at the Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park Daylodge on September 25 from noon to 4:00 pm. This is a great opportunity for people living in the Canmore/Banff area to find our more about the patrol. You'll be able to register as well. More information.

Calgary Open Houses

Thanks to everyone who helped make our Open Houses at Canada Olympic Park a great success!

And to all of our incoming new patrollers, welcome to an amazing organization. We'll see you on Monday (unless you're doing the course in Canmore).

If you visited an Open House and have questions, please send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Your last chance for registration is the first day of the course -- please show up at least 30 minutes early. More information about the course.

Website Housekeeping

Canmore/Banff New Patroller First Aid Course

This year in addition to the Calgary Course we will be piloting a New Patroller First Aid Course for potential recruits who live in the Canmore/Banff area.

This course is aimed at recruiting additional patrollers for the Nordic Patrol, although it will be open to all snow sliding disciplines (ski/snowboard/cross country ski). More information ...

Canmore/Banff Open House

We're planning an Open House for people interested in the Canmore/Banff New Patroller First Aid Course in late September or early October. We'll post information on our website as soon as the details are finalized.

2011 Competition

The annual First Aid & Toboggan Competition took place on February 26, 2011 at Nakiska! To see the results please visit www.mountaindivision.ca. 

Calgary Zone Named Canada's Outstanding Zone

Calgary Zone and its members have been recognized as the best of the best, awarded the 2010 Outstanding Zone Award on June 27 at the Canadian Ski Patrol System’s National Annual Conference inMontreal. The Douglas Firth Award, named after the founder of the system, is the highest award the system can bestow on a zone and its members. Calgary Zone and its members topped all other 63 zones across Canada in earning the title and the honour of Zone of the Year. Congratulations to every member of Calgary Zone.

Proud members of the zone executive team and others from Calgary Zone were on hand as Calgary Zone President Geoff Scotton accepted the trophy plaque to a standing ovation at the Annual Awards Banquet. It was third time lucky for Calgary Zone, which had been runner up for the award in both 2009 and 2008. The award was presented by National VP of Operations, Mark Galloway.

Also honoured that evening were Calgary Zone's Jack McFarquhar and Rob Reimer, who were presented with Canadian Ski Patroller Awards.

Please note: If you're having problems with this website, please send your questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Revised December 24, 2011