Category: Downhill Day Trips

Candidate for President – Justin Graham

I have been very proud to be your President the last two years – years that have likely been the most challenging the club has ever faced.  Leading our very strong Board of Directors I believe that we have made the tough but correct decisions for the club, and that we have been transparent and fair in our decisions. 

I am very proud that despite the challenges we have faced we have been able to provide our members the opportunity to get out to enjoy the winter and to connect with fellow HPSC members, while following the public health guidelines. 

Last December after very short notice by our previous bus company (Pacific Western) that they were shutting down their Ontario operations, as President I was able to quickly locate and negotiate an agreement with a new bus partner (Attridge Coach Lines) in time for our 2022 season. 

Before becoming President in 2020 I participate in most of the activities of the club (most weekends on alpine daytrips; a couple of snowshoe trips per season; a couple of long trips per season; SkiFit in the fall; Climb the Mountain each year; and many social activities) which allowed me to develop a good sense of the various subgroups of members that make up our fantastic club. 

We really are only as strong as a club as the connections we make with each other!  My desire when first elected as President was to ensure that our members continued to develop these friendships and as a result strengthen our club.  However, during my term it has not been as conducive to achieving this goal as I would have liked, which is one of the reasons I would like to continue to be your President.   

HPSC Volunteer Experience

• President (2020-22)
• SkiFit group leader (Fall 2018-21)
• Alpine Bus Captain (2017-2022)
• Alpine Daytrips team lead as Assistant Director of Alpine Daytrips (2019/20 season)
• W6 Killington trip – Trip Leader (February 2020)
• HPSC Volunteer of the Year – Gold (2019/20); Silver (2018/19); Bronze (2017/18)
• Alpine Daytrips – Bus Captain co-oridnator (2018/19)
• Re-wrote Alpine Bus Captain Training Manual (2018/19; 2020/21)
• Assisted Communications and Marketing teams by creating and editing a lot of the website content (2018/19)
• Assisted Social Director in planning and organizing social events (Fall 2018)
• Continuous member since 2007; pervious member 1987-1993

Profession and Education

• Professional public opinion/market researcher for more than 25 years
• MA, Public Policy and Administration
• Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing major  

Candidate for Director of Administration – Karen Snow

I grew up in Barrie and first learned to ski at Horseshoe. I used to go night skiing occasionally, but I didn’t really take up skiing until I moved to Toronto.

A friend of mine told me about High Park Ski Club in 2002 and I have been a member ever since.  When I joined, I was still snowplowing my way down the hill. Participating in the lessons has greatly improved my skiing and my confidence.  The HPSC instructors are well trained and really care about your progress. I still remember my first ski trip with the club to Quebec, what an experience! I look forward to many more trips. Not only does this club improve your skiing but it also enriches your social life.

Over the years I have volunteered on the Social Committee and as an Ambassador. In 2020, I decided to take on a larger role as Director of Administration to give back to a club that has given me so much.

Over the last two years, I guided the transition from a physical club house to our current virtual club house setup.  As well, in my role of Director of Administration last fall I conducted the successful search for a new liability insurance policy after we (and all other ski industry clients) were dropped by our previous insurance broker. 

[Incumbent Director of Administration 2020-22]

Candidate for Director of Communications – Suzanne de Grandpré

Having grown up in Alberta, I started skiing in Banff and Whistler during university. After a hiatus of a number of years, I moved to Toronto and wished to get back into skiing. I didn’t even know people skied in Ontario until I joined High Park Ski Club, of which I have been a continuous member since 1998.

My time in the club has consisted of everything from day trips, overnight bus trips and, of course, the charter trips which I eagerly anticipate every year! The club has given me the opportunity to ski in Europe and destinations in the U.S., both west and east. I have made many friends and gained many fond skiing memories over the years. The excellent instruction I received from our amazing instructors has taken my skiing to new levels.

As a volunteer, I have been Volunteer Coordinator, Social Director, co-trip leader and bus captain for many seasons.

When asked by the President to take over the position of Director of Communications, I was most honoured to join an extremely hardworking Board. My goal in continuing in this role is to provide members with clear and concise dissemination of information and to use our various platforms to enhance the club experience. I would like to thank my predecessor, Nemanja Davidovic, for his assistance as I transitioned into this role.

I look forward to continuing to serve the club as Director of Communications and working with this great team.

[Acting Director of Communication 2021-22]

Director of Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing – Heather Steel

I discovered the club in 2011 and haven’t looked back! I live outdoors in the summer and was looking for something to keep me active and having fun in the winter. I found the club online, and, having never cross country skied before, I took the plunge and joined.

The 2011 Scenic Caves New Year’s Eve trip was my first experience; I remember tons of snow and a very friendly welcome…and I was hooked! Since then, cross country skiing has become my primary winter activity, a sport I could not imagine living without, and the reason why winter is my favourite season.

In 2013, I became race director and in 2018, I passed my CANSI Level 1 and became an instructor. I also  became the Director of Cross-Country in 2018.  Joining the club has been an amazing experience in more ways than I could have imagined, with wonderful friendships formed and new skills developed (I can finally skate ski!). With everything the club has given me in the past 11 years, it’s important to me to give back and help us continue the amazing work we do.

I am particularly proud of the cross country side for developing a fun and supportive community of skiers. It’s my goal as Director to continue developing that community, working with the Board to introduce new people to cross country skiing and growing the volunteer ranks of our community. A project manager in my day job, I bring the leadership and organizational skills necessary for this type of role, combined with a tireless love (or, some might say, obsession) with cross country skiing. See you on the trails!

[Incumbent Director of Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing 2018-22]

Candidate for Director of Downhill Day Trips – Amy Lam

I love being active and being outdoors. In past winters, I casually went skiing with friends, but never took any lessons or joined a club. In 2018, I wanted to improve my skiing skills and meet other skiers. I googled “ski club” and found High Park Ski Club’s website.

Since being a member, I have been blown away with the quality of lessons and trips the club offers. My skiing has greatly improved since taking lessons with the awesome HPSC instructors. In my second year I started to volunteer as bus captain for Saturday alpine trips, which I also did this season. I have such a blast meeting members, and being part of such a positive, active and winter-loving community.  In 2020 I decided to stand for the Director of Social Activities, since I love seeing the joy that social gatherings bring to members. While that has not been possible during the pandemic, I have learned a lot being part of the Board of Directors in how decisions are made and how the club runs. 

When Erika Clark decided to not seek re-election as Director of Downhill Day Trips, I was very honoured to be asked by both the President and by Erika to consider running for Director of Day Trips. 

I look forward to moving the club back to a more normal downhill season next year. 

[Director of Social 2020-22]

Candidate for Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding Director (Snow School) – David Manning

When I joined HPSC in 2006 as a first-time skier, I thought I’d learn to ski and have a better winter. Little did I know that the club would change my life! High Park gave me the gift of skiing and snowboarding, training as an instructor, and an amazing circle of friends to share this gift with. My commitment to the club is to give an exceptional experience to the next generation of downhill skiers and riders. Backed by our talented snow school director and executive, I empower our snow school to successfully meet the needs of our learners. My qualifications include attaining CSIA level 3 partial (teaching), CSCF Entry Level, CASI-2 partial, ICP-2, and a master of education from Athabasca University.

[Incumbent Director of Snow School – 2020-22]

Candidate for Director of Finance – Clark Seadon

Skiing continues to be a huge source of adventure and excitement in my life. I started as a downhill skier, ski raced for my local club in Edmonton, then while living in Vancouver I threw in a little back-country skiing, and after that lots of family ski trips from Toronto.  Now I get the most enjoyment and challenge out of XC skiing which is why I joined the Club three years ago.  I have been absolutely delighted to find so many people who enjoy winter.

In terms of Finance, I am currently the Club’s Finance Director and am running for another year.  Over the last two years we’ve implemented faster payment processes and I’m looking forward to refining and improving these.  I find my career as a banker and being a CPA/CA has stood me in good stead.  Overall, I continue to look forward to helping members enjoy skiing while ensuring the Club remains financially sound.

[Incumbent Director of Finance – 2020-22]

Candidate for Director of Information Technology – Alex Radulescu

My first time on the slopes was when I was around age 11, learning to ski at Glen Eden. By the time I was able to ski comfortably down blues, I decided to try snowboarding. Maybe I was overconfident, but I was going down greens on my first day! Although by the time I was in high school, I stopped all winter sports until after I finished my post secondary education. I now want to perfect both my snowboarding and skiing, so you’ll be seeing me switching every week.

I have been the Director of IT since 2018 and still excited to give back to the club.  I’m volunteering to help maintain our platforms and try to provide easy to use solutions for both the volunteers and members to make it a more enjoyable experience! If you have any suggestions or want to help out please reach out.  

[Incumbent Director of IT – 2018-2022]

Candidate for Director of Long Trips – Kim Wiebe

Long trips are my passion and after working as your acting Long Trips Director since last fall, I’m delighted to confirm my dedication to this position in an election.  Being nominated by the prior Long Trips Director to take on his role, is a great show of confidence.

It’s a big portfolio but I have a solid record of achievement planning bus and charter trips for the past 15 years and have been the leader of the small team who plan and execute charters within the Long Trips Committee (LTC). 

I have the support of the Long Trips Committee (LTC) to continue as their leader and have the support of the current HPSC Board and President to continue as Long Trips Director. 

Being involved in negotiating charter and bus contracts is exciting but this role comes with a lot of detailed administration, people management, decision making and a major commitment of time.  Although previous Director, Bill Bates, had been hoping to pass on the torch earlier, he waited until I retired from my full-time job (as an accountant) to start fully transitioning the role.

Planning successful trips for the club means evolving with change and keeping your finger on the pulse of where members want to go.  Having personally skied at most of the destinations is a key factor in knowing what can work.  Providing a variety of trips that will appeal to our long-term members, new members, Ikon pass holders, retirees and working members means planning for weekend, mid-week and week-long trips across a spectrum of price points.

Establishing relationships based on honesty, trust and integrity is critical in obtaining the best deals from our ski industry suppliers.  Members deserve fairness and the knowledge that policies and pricing is being fairly applied to all members without special exceptions.

My pledge is to continue to offer the best trips, to the best destinations and best overall value for our members.

[Acting Director of Long Trips – 2021-22]

Candidate for Director of Marketing – Rocco Romeo

My first skiing experience happened when I was 21 years old. A college friend convinced myself and another friend that he could teach us to ski. That weekend we drove up to Horseshoe Valley. With rented skies standing on top of the top of the hill we waited for our first lesson from our experienced skier. He said “watch me” and began to ski down the hill. We watched him slowly disappear from sight and then we both turned to face each other. Dumb faced and after some deliberation we decide to give it a try. Sliding and purposely falling down to control our speed we managed to complete the run. Surprisingly that day didn’t make me stop going but helped me find the joy of skiing.

I joined HPSC in 2010 and was immediately impressed with the lessons I was getting from the ski instructors. I looked forward to the morning lessons and eating lunch together made it possible to develop friendships and ski together in the afternoon.

In 2012 I became a HPSC instructor. I find teaching and passing on knowledge to our members to help them achieve their goals very rewarding. Not only has the club enriched my life I have made many lifelong friends along the way.

Previously I have volunteered on the Social Committee. Now I feel it’s time to give back in a larger capacity that will allow me to use my skill set. I am a Digital Marketing Designer. A creative thinker with experience building brand awareness and launching new products. My goal as the new Marketing Director will be to ensure the club is visible and the target audience is engaged.

Candidate for Director of Membership and Volunteers – Jack Ran

I grew up in downtown Toronto and got to ski about once a year as a child. Our family didn’t have a car, so accessing ski resorts became a much-anticipated event for me to enjoy around Christmas time. Then, as life got busy and the demands of school, sport, and other activities got in the way, I didn’t get to go again for many years. Once I graduated university, I started looking for ways to access ski resorts as a non-driver – another consequence of growing up downtown. This was the moment I discovered HPSC.

Since joining, I’ve participated in many day trips, from skiing to snowshoeing, and have had the most incredible time learning from great instructors and making new friends. I have profound appreciation for all the HPSC volunteers who make these incredible winter experiences possible for those like me and hope to pay it forward through volunteering for the club.

I hope I can make new members feel as welcomed as I did when I first joined!

[Jack has been shadowing our current Membership Director Ruth Schefter since January]

Candidate for Director of Social – Jennifer Beatty

I grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and learned to downhill ski in Banff. I have skied several hills in Banff, as well as in Golden and Whistler, BC.

I moved to Toronto in October 2018 for a job in marketing and was looking for something to keep me active in the winter. That’s when I discovered the High Park Ski Club and it’s been the best thing I’ve done since moving to Toronto! Having never cross-country skied before joining the club, I advanced from Classic 1 to Classic 3. This past season, I went on a number of downhill trips with the club.  I made some great friends and had tons of laughs along the way!

As a marketer in my day job, I was excited to use my skill set as Director of Marketing for the last two years.  However, I’ve viewed social events as a critical strategy for attracting and retaining members and enhancing the overall value proposition of the club, keeping our club strong for years to come! As part of the Board, over the last two years, I have provided many ideas and suggestions on possible social events for the club (which unfortunately due to the pandemic we were not able to do).

When asked by the President to consider taking on the Director of Social role I was excited to put my name forward.  I look forward to continuing to serve our members as part of the Board of Directors in this new role. 

[Director of Marketing 2020-22]