There were so many people who made the 53rd CWSAA Spring Meeting possible. The compressed timelines and uncertain health orders kept things ‘sporty,’ but the execution depended entirely on industry leaders, volunteers, CWSAA Board and team. Defining moments of the event included Eric Lipton’s Embracing Change keynote, the 2nd Women’s Mentorship Reception, Awards Dinner, and the on-snow opportunities at Lake Louise and Sunshine. Looking ahead to 2023 in Whistler, the return of the tradeshow and more networking opportunities and workshops holds great promise.

Thanks to the many that completed the follow up surveys, the organising team has already debriefed the 2022 event, and begun incorporating the feedback into the draft 2023 conference framework. The delegate responses included fantastic suggestions which constantly improves future events.

For several years, CWSAA has been focused on industry knowledge transfer and industry leadership succession. I am thankful to the many veteran leaders that have embraced this, and was equally pleased to see many new individuals coming into our industry - attending and presenting at conference, and embracing the mantle of industry leadership.

Linked to this evolution is the recent advancement of lift courses to digital platforms thanks to Selkirk College. This has dramatically increased the accessibility of lift courses to ski areas at all times of the year. It also allows maintenance teams greater participation in many more topics at the spring conference. CWSAA is thankful to have Bob Bell as part of the team coordinating operations and maintenance content at conference and has shared further insights on lift courses - see Selkirk Lift Course article below.

The spring conference allows us to celebrate our people, and also take stock of where we are as an industry. The fact the conference was pulled together in under 3 months rather than 12 months is indicative of the last two years as operations have been challenged by changing health orders, and for some, significant ramifications due to natural disasters. Overcoming challenges are an accomplishment, but CWSAA and the industry needs to seize current opportunities. We need to learn from the recent past, and propel ourselves forward to be in a position to embrace change, not just respond to it.

As an organisation, CWSAA has embarked on its next three year strategic plan. A vital part of this exercise is the member survey that will be sent to the membership this week. Member input constantly guides the organisation, and in this case, the survey responses help set its path. The Board of Directors will incorporate the members responses into its planning work in June. CWSAA is eager to share the new strategic directives with membership at the fall division meetings.

– Christopher Nicolson