As we continue to evolve and grow and to best service the CSIA Membership and the Ski Industry, we are recruiting for the new role of Product Quality Director.
CSIA National Board - Election of Directors Vote by April 15, 2021
Dear Members,
In accordance with the CSIA General By-laws the term of office for the Directors of both the Central and Quebec Regions will expire on May 1, 2021. Candidates standing for election are either put forward by the National Board following the Nomination Committee’s recommendations or by submitting their Nomination Form before November 30, 2020, supported by a minimum of 10 Members in good standing in their Region.
As there were no candidates that submitted their nomination form for the Central position, no elections will be held in Central and therefore, Jamie Lou Morneau, is elected by acclamation. Her biography could be found with the biographies linked below.
An election will be held in Quebec for the CSIA National Board representative of that Region. There are 2 candidates in the running for this position, they are (in alphabetical order):
The election process for the National Board of Directors is conducted by mail, fax, email or electronic ballot; and as per the CSIA General By-Laws, is open to those Members in good standing, who reside in the Region the Director will represent (Article 5.06 of the CSIA By-Laws provides further details on the “Right to Vote”). Members are entitled to one vote; and once the ballot has been submitted, it is irrevocable.
Eligible Members from the Quebec Region can cast their vote:
Electronically by accessing their online Member’s Profile (login on snowpro.com); the ballot can be found by clicking the Member Area section and then Online Vote. Once completed, click on the SUBMIT button; or;
Contact the National Office, at 1-800-811-6428 ext. 221 or by email at national@snowpro.com, for a PDF copy of the ballot that can be completed and submitted by mail, fax or email. The submission information is included on the ballot.
The deadline to cast your vote is Thursday, April 15, 2021, 5:00 PM EST.
This Election is a great opportunity for CSIA Members to become engaged with our organization. We encourage you to read the biographies and job description published, (click here for Job Description) to help you better understand what a CSIA Director is responsible for and how the respective skill sets of each Candidate could be an asset for our organization. Voting is your privilege and duty as a Member to ensure our organization has strong governance to ensure our future success. Please exercise your right to vote.
The Women in Skiing Committee hosted an online forum (Zoom) to meet the current Committee Members, and learn more about the past and current WIS initiatives (like the Gender Equity Policy and BPC).
Members of all ages and genders were welcome to attend. This was the first of a series of online discussions aimed at the efforts to increase and support female CSIA Members at every level of the organization. We showed for those interested, how to register for WIS Pro Days or Camps. Participants on the call won some draw prizes!
You are invited to the virtual CSIA Annual General Meeting of the Members, taking place on Saturday November 14, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. EST.
AGM NOTICE – The CSIA Annual General Meeting of the Members will be held in accordance with the CSIA General By-Laws. Members who cannot attend can submit an Electronic Proxy by logging into their Profile on snowpro.com.
Click here to view the AGM Notice in its entirety.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS – In accordance with CSIA’s General By-Laws, the term of office for the Director of the Quebec and Central Regions will expire on May 1, 2021. Any Member in good standing who wishes to stand for election to the Board of Directors for either position in question must, no later than November 30, 2020, submit a Nomination Form, supported by not less than ten (10) Members. Click here for further details.
ACCESS TO THE VIRTUAL AGM
To follow up on the AGM Notice sent last week, please find below information to access the CSIA Member’s Virtual Annual General Meeting, taking place on Saturday November 14, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. EST.
To access the meeting, you will need to register in advance of the AGM – Choose one of the following methods:
You can send an email to aga-agm@snowpro.com, please indicate your complete name and membership number in your email. We ask that you please register by November 13, 2020, so that we may validate your participation.
OR
If you are familiar with the new online program registration process, you can register yourself in advance of the AGM - click hereand search for AGM (in the search bar of the Search and Register section and add to cart). You will be required to complete the entire registration, including signing of the waivers, selecting payment and accepting cancellation policy before clicking on “payment” (this will complete the registration). Note: the AGM does not have any fees attached to it, no fees will be processed and you will not be asked to enter your credit card information.
Once we have validated your registration (may take 24-48 hours), you will receive an email confirmation including the Zoom link to be used to gain access to the AGM on November 14, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. EST. This confirmation also includes access information for documents related to the AGM, which will be available the day of the AGM.
Members who cannot attend the CSIA AGM:
As stated in our AGM Notice, Members who cannot attend the AGM can submit an Electronic Proxy by logging into their Profile on snowpro.com and clicking on Member Area section and then Online Voting.
If you have any questions, or should you experience any technical difficulties, please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Lisa Cambise at 1 800 811-6428, ext. 232 or by email at lcambise@snowpro.com.
As of October 14th, a Renewal Special Prize Offer #1 starts!! 1 in 1000 chance of winning a pair of Blizzard skis! Renew today. Winner announced on social media.
NEW THIS YEAR! In an effort to support the reduction of our environmental footprint, please note that you will only have access to a virtual downloadable CSIA Membership Card, accessible through your Member Area.
The 2020-2021 season is fast approaching… Be in the know! Please take the time to read this important communication filled with relevant information and all the new things happening this year. Click below to have a look!
The CSIA + PSIA-AASI together held a ZOOM Summit Meeting on Sunday June 7th. In attendance were the organizations' CEO's, Directors, Managers, along with Industry Partners and various National and Regional Board Representatives.
Interview with ISIA Vice President America, Martin Jean
Following our interview with ISIA President Vittorio Caffi (full article here), we got in touch with all the Vice Presidents of the Associations, each of them representing a Contitent at the International table.
Here follows the interview with Martin Jean, ISIA Vice President America. Together we find out more about the person, his previous experiences and his future goals and committments within the International Association.
Martin, tell us about your background in ISIA and within the Ski Industry, before becoming Vice President two years ago.
My name is Martin Jean and I reside in Mont-Tremblant, Québec Canada. I have been participating to the ISIA General Assembly since 2007as a Representative of the Canadian Ski Instructor’s Alliance(CSIA).
I have been involved in the Ski Industry for more than 40 years, first as a Ski Instructor and later as the Program Director followed by the position of Director of Education and Members Services for the CSIA, until April 2019. This lifetime involvement in the ski business has brought me to travel around the world to participate in many Ski Industry forums and gave me the knowledge of many instructors' systems.
As ISIA Vice President America, what does your role consists of?
As VP Americas, I am bringing to the table the perspective of the Americas with regards to the education and training of Ski Instructors and the knowledge of the Snow Sports Industry. I liaise with the national organizations in my part of the world and facilitate the communication with the ISIA Presidium.
What have been your priorities during your presidency?
My priorities have been to familiarize myself with the on-going projects of ISIA and to the challenges the Instructors in North and South America are going through.
In America, the priorities of education and training for Instructors has been what we may call a Student Centered Approach. A methodology which concentrates on what is being learned rather what is being taught, by putting student’s needs first.
What are your future goals as Vice President America?
My areas of focus in the next few years will be to increase the number of Instructors to the ISIA minimum standard and offer the ISIA card to all the nations: Argentina, Chile, USA and Canada.
Second will be my contribution to the World Forum. In a few words, the ISIA Snowsport Instructor World Forum will be a gathering of the major stakeholders from the Snow Sports Industry to discuss the challenges we are facing and to share best practices from around the world. We can expect participants in the domain of education, expert trainers, social media, marketing, environment, Snow School leaders, Human Resources, safety, tourism and Ski Resorts operation.
Thanks to Martin Jean for his contribution, wishing him the best of luck for his projects within the ISIA Organization.
Please note that from May 8 to September 4, 2020 the CSIA National Office will be open Monday to Thursday, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm EST and will be closed on Fridays.
Our regular schedule will resume as of September 8, 2020.
This year’s election has been completed and the votes have been counted! We are pleased to announce that Paul Sauvé has been elected to the CSIA National Board of Directors to represent the BC Region. Please click here to read his biography.
Members were invited to vote by fax, mail-in/electronic ballot or online. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all Candidates for their interest, as all were very strong and qualified Candidates!
Paul’s skill sets will no doubt complement those of the current CSIA National Board of Directors. We look forward to welcoming Paul, in his new role as the BC Representative, when he joins the Board on May 1st. It is also important to note that Allison Sharpe was elected by acclamation for a second term in the role of Ontario Representative.
Congratulations to both Allison and Paul!
Wade Sutton (Vice-Chair and BC Representative) is leaving the CSIA National Board of Directors following the completion of 2 terms (6 years) on April 30th, 2020. The CSIA wishes to thank Wade for the many years of dedication and contribution to the CSIA National Board.
Other changes on the CSIA National Board of Directors, that will be occurring as of May 1st, 2020 include: Allison Sharpe (Ontario Representative) is moving from the role of Secretary to the role of Vice-Chair and Morgan Engel (Alberta Representative) is taking on the role of Secretary. Robert Tousignant and Tom De Nardi are staying on their roles of Chair and Treasurer respectively.
To contact a Board Member, please visit snowpro.com for email contact information.
Update April 8, 2020: FYI for Members, we hope each of you are staying healthy and taking all the precautions possible during this COVID-19 crisis. We just want to let you know that during this time our administrative functions are still up and running, so should you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us via the usual communication channels; email and phone.
The situation, as the world is dealing with the Coronavirus (COVID-19), is evolving very quickly. Today's events include a number of Ski Area Operators in Canada suspending operations, therefore we are suspending all of our CSIA Programs, Courses and Events until further notice. If we are able to resume operations during the 2019-2020 season, we will do so with an amended schedule.
For those Members that are currently registered to one of the above mentioned, we will be refunding your full Program fees as soon as possible. Please be patient as we process the volume of refunds.
These are the most challenging of times. Please stay tuned to snowpro.com for updates and posting of Q&A's as the situation continues to evolve, or contact national@snowpro.com or your Regional Administrative Coordinator for more information related to these cancellations.
Best regards,
Perry Schmunk
CSIA Managing Director
Q & A
1)Question: How will I be refunded for the fees of the cancelled Programs, Courses and Events and when?
Answer: All refunds will be issued using the same credit card used when registration took place. Due to the high number of refunds that will need to be processed by our team, we ask that you please be patient with us. We will issue refunds based on Program dates. If you did not receive your refund within 7 days after the actual cancelled Course dates, please contact the Programs Department via email at national@snowpro.com or contact your local Regional Administrative Coordinator (click here for contact list). Please understand that the response time may be longer than usual due to the volume of inquiries.
2)Question: What Programs, Courses and Events are cancelled?
Answer: All CSIA Programs, Courses and Events that were taking place at the time Programs were suspended on March 14, 2020, but were not completed, or Programs that were scheduled to take place as of March 15, 2020 until the end of the 2019-2020 season, are considered cancelled at this time. We will communicate with the Membership should we be in a position to resume our Program operations with a modified schedule, before the end of the refunds being issued for this season.
At this time, our Domestic Programs will continue to operate with the following amendments:
No Indoor components (workshops, videos, lectures, seminars, etc)
No Indoor gatherings (program registration, presentations of results, etc)
In addition, should the Health Authorities issue any changes in any Region or issue any restrictions or recommendations, we will immediately adjust our operations.
The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. The CDC recommends the following:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough in your elbow or sneeze with a tissue, then throw it in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Follow CDC's recommendations for using a face mask: CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
CDC recommends that face masks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19, to help prevent the spread of the disease to others.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
In addition, we are asking every member to exercise the following Public Health Agency of Canada's advice:
If you have travelled outside Canada, it is important to monitor your health when you return to Canada. While abroad, you may have come in contact with the Novel Coronavirus. PHAC asks that you monitor your health for fever, cough and difficulty breathing for 14 days after you arrive in Canada. If you have these symptoms, call the Public Health Authority in the Province or Territory you are in, to inform them. They will provide advice on what you should do.
As recommended by Provincial Health Authorities; "To stop shaking hands, advising people to use another form of acknowledgement. It's a small gesture that shows that we are paying attention to what's going on and it's something that we can do in our community."
In summary, it's important that we all pay close attention to the above information. We will be sure to communicate any changes in our operations, immediately, should this highly fluid situation change at any time.
Congratulations to all of the new Education Program Coordinators (EPC) and Regional Administrative Coordinators (RAC) in all Regions. For their full bios and history visit our Facebook page @CSIA AMSC.
The National Board of Directors of the Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance (CSIA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Perry Schmunk as our new Managing Director, effective November 27, 2018.
Perry joins the CSIA with over 30 years of senior leadership experience in both nonprofit and for profit organizations. Perry has held positions of management, marketing and business development within various organizations including Ski Banff-Lake Louise-Sunshine, Whistler Blackcomb, Tourism Tofino, Cactus Club Restaurants and Concert Properties.
Perry’s major accomplishments include leading complex organizations, developing innovative business and marketing plans, creating shared vision and driving significant change with diverse stakeholder groups.
Perry has participated as a volunteer in both our regional and national CSIA Board of Directors and holds a CSIA Level 4 and a CSCF\ACA Level 2 certification. He has been recognized with the Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee Medal for Community Service and received industry awards for his creativity and innovation. When he is not busy at work or on the snow skiing, he enjoys quality time with his three children, Susi, Owen and Oksana.
In response to feedback from snow schools, a new option for instructor training will be available this season. The CSIA Apprentice Instructor Program, dedicated to any competent parallel skier that wants to become an instructor, provides a new option for the training and certification of entry-level instructors. It combines CSIA content with in-house snow school training and apprenticeship. It includes the basics of practical ski teaching methodology, technical understanding, development of guest service skills, as well as teaching children. In addition, the student will learn the importance of the ski instructor role within to the ski industry. Snow schools providing the training can adapt part of the content and delivery to their own operational context.
This curriculum merges 12 hours of CSIA Level 1 content with 12 hours of snow school training and/or apprenticeship. Participants who complete the Apprentice Instructor Program are eligible for a one day exam to become certified as a CSIA Level 1. This eligibility expires 2 full seasons after completion of apprenticeship. Snow schools who wish to participate in the delivery of the program must register through their Level 1 Regional Coordinator.
The snow schools who participate in the Apprentice Instructor Program will greatly benefit from:
In-house training with the potential of reducing cost and increasing accessibility for participants;
Workplace ready instructors, with training adapted to each snow school;
Local recruitment to meet staffing demands;
Continual development for instructors and trainers alike;
A pool of potential new instructors, therefore creating a succession within their snow school.
For more information, call 1-800-811-6428.
The Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance National Office
