Board’s Goal is to Put More Athletes on the Podium

October 30, 2019 (Calgary, AB) – Alpine Canada has appointed a new board of directors comprised of 12 Canadian business leaders committed to rejuvenating the organization and making Canada a top three skiing nation by the 2026 Olympics. Alpine Canada’s members, the 11 Provincial and Territorial Organizations, elected the new directors at the organization’s AGM on Tuesday. 

Newly appointed Chair, Tim Dattels, thanked the past directors for their dedication in furthering Alpine Canada’s mission to develop Olympic, Paralympic, World Championship and World Cup medallists, and inspire and grow Canada’s 2.5 million skiing community.

“We are thrilled to have assembled a talented group of leaders with diversified skills and global reach who are committed to creating a plan, in collaboration with our provincial organizations, for accelerating the development of our ski racers,” said Dattels. “Our plan will build on Alpine Canada’s brand of excellence and enhance the organization’s financial health through strong governance and increased sponsorships.” 

Dattels welcomed Erik Guay, former Canadian World Cup alpine ski racer, as a new board member. “We are grateful to have Canada’s most decorated male alpine ski racer, Erik Guay, on our team to help develop and drive our high-performance plan in this new era.”

“I look forward to supporting all our ski cross, alpine and para-alpine racers as they strive to achieve their goals and stand on the podium this season, and all the way to Cortina 2026,” said Guay.

The announcement comes as Canada celebrates 100 years of ski racing history. “This is a pivotal time for our organization and for our athletes as we aim to build a lasting legacy of ski racing for the next century,” said Vania Grandi, President and CEO of Alpine Canada. “We are looking forward to working with our government and corporate partners to develop the sport and provide our athletes the skills and experience to be role models on and off the slopes.”

Alpine Canada is well positioned leading up to the 2022 Beijing Olympics with multi-year support from Mackenzie Investments, Helly Hansen and Descente, as well as an annual renewal of Nikon as the official camera of ACA. The organization has added several new sponsors over the past season, including COLD-FX, Fairmont/Accor hotels, Steam Whistle Beer and Via Rail.

The following individuals were appointed as directors and pledged financial support:

·       Tim Dattels, Managing Partner, TPG Capital Asia (Chair)

·       Anne-Marie Boucher, Attorney, M. Fisc., Philanthropist

·       Bruce Chapple, Partner, McMillan

·       Paul Desmarais III, Senior Vice-President, Power Corporation and Power Financial

·       Erik Guay, former ACA athlete and World Champion 

·       Blake Hutcheson, President and Chief Pension Officer, OMERS

·       Don R. Lindsay, CEO, Teck Resources

·       Barry McInerney, President and CEO, Mackenzie Investments

·       Tracey Pearce, President, Distribution and Pay, Bell Media

·       Darryl White, CEO, Bank of Montreal

·       Mark D. Wiseman, Senior Managing Director, BlackRock

·       Kaori Zage, Entrepreneur, Property Developer and Sports Advocate (Singapore & British Columbia)

“The Alpine Canada team is excited to harness the expertise of our new board members to create a platform that gives our athletes the support and programs they need to excel in 2026 and beyond,” said Grandi. 

As part of its revitalization, Alpine Canada worked with renowned marketing agency TAXI to develop its 100th anniversary logo, a new visual identity that includes peak iconography and communicates the thrill of living life at full speed, as well as a new tagline, “The Peak of Sport.”

ABOUT ALPINE CANADA

Alpine Canada is the governing body for alpine, para-alpine and ski cross racing in Canada, as well as for Canadian ski coaches, providing education, certification, insurance and compliance with the coaching code of conduct. With the support of valued corporate partners and donors, along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Coaching Association of Canada, Alpine Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, World Championship and World Cup athletes to stimulate visibility, inspiration and growth in the ski community. In 2020, Alpine Canada will celebrate 100 years of rich tradition in competitive skiing in Canada.  

For media enquires, please contact: 

Whitney Hunter

Manager, Communications

whunter@alpinecanada.org

(403) 471-6032

alpinecanada.org