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A Brief History of the Canadian Ski Patrol System

In 1940, Dr. Douglas Firth, a young Toronto doctor and skier, was asked by the Canadian Ski Association to organize and train a first aid rescue group to patrol ski hills. The initial members of the Canadian Ski Patrol System (CSPS) came from the Toronto Ski Club, and they patrolled in and around the Toronto area. In the late 1940s, the CSPS spread to other regions in Ontario, Québec and the West Coast.

In 1961, the CSPS was accredited as a National Charity and became independent of the Canadian Ski Association. Membership had grown to 600 patrollers. By 1962, we were incorporated as a national nonprofit corporation and had raised our registration to approximately 1,000 members. In 1965, with over 1,500 members, it was time to open a small office and hire a secretary to handle the mounting requirements of communication.

In 1973, the CSPS Logo was changed to a yellow and gold cross on a blue stylized maple leaf. It became the official trademark, being registered by 1975. The Ski patrol members had increased to 5,200. During the 1970s Nordic patrolling became a recognized part of the system.

The early 1990s has seen the popularity of snowboarding become increasingly apparent. The CSPS has kept pace by setting Snowboard Standards thus certifying full members to the system.

Today the Canadian Ski Patrol System boasts members of over 5,000 members from all the provinces and territories across Canada, and new members constantly joining. We have been in operation for over 60 years and continue to be one of the largest volunteer ski and on-snow rescue services in the world.

Federation Internationale des Patrouilleurs de Ski

FIPS - the "Federation Internationale des Patrouilleurs de Ski" provides an international forum for the exchange of ideas and techniques used by Ski Patrols around the world.

The concept originated in the late 70's in Canada. CSPS members who had opportunity to ski in other countries found significant differences in techniques relative to CSPS practices. It quickly became obvious that the worldwide ski industry would benefit by an exchange in ideas on accident prevention and first aid, This thought resulted in an exploratory meeting held in Calgary. It was attended by Canada, the USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. In 1976, the founding meeting was held at Jay Peak, USA.

n 1980, FIPS was incorporated as a non-profit corporation with a Canadian Charter. Since then, meetings have been held every two years and have produced a lively exchange of ideas on accident prevention, first aid equipment and techniques. As more countries join FIPS, this interchange becomes increasingly valuable to worldwide patrolling and the sport of skiing in general.