Hiway16 Magazine... about people and places in north-central British Columbia, Canada

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Ski Patrol to the Rescue

by Debi Smith

When I was twelve, my Dad pointed to someone wearing a bright yellow and blue jacket on our ski hill. The person had a maple leaf on the back of his big pack and inside the maple leaf was a yellow cross. "See that?" my Dad said. "If you ever need help, if you get lost or you hurt yourself you can trust someone wearing that jacket to help you."

Ski Smithers Ski Patrollers

Thirty years later, I sat helpless in Blackcombe's Ruby Bowl, my injured leg swelling as I waited for help. It arrived wearing one of the famous yellow and blue jackets of the Canadian Ski Patrol System (CSPS) and before long I was surrounded by similar jackets and loaded, then strapped into a toboggan. My ride to the ambulance was as unforgettable as the volunteer men and women who rescued me.

There are over 6000 members of this National non-profit corporation and their mission statement is "to promote safety and injury prevention in the skiing community and to provide high quality safety and rescue services."

Karen Wilson prepares to use the emergency Panorama Lift stop button

"It's not an easy job," says Karen Wilson of the Smithers Ski Patrol, who points out that while they get a season's ski pass for free, they still have to put in 14 weekend days of work on the mountain and pay for their First Aid training. This training costs about $150 and needs to be recertified annually. Still, for 60 years the CSPS has been attracting members, some like local icon Alfie King, with 20 years of service to his credit.






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