Bruce Hamstead has been officially recognized as the 2023 Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Electoral Area F Volunteer of the Year.

Hamstead began volunteering at Panorama Mountain Resort when he put his children into the youth ski racing program many years ago. His natural leadership skills, hard work and determination saw him obtain both national and international levels of certification in ski racing and he has often been invited to participate as a delegate for any Canadian group participating in global alpine ski conferences.

His international accomplishments have helped ensure the growth and sustainability of Panorama’s ski racing program. His dedication to providing a safe and fun environment for young skiers has been widely recognized and he has worked tirelessly with manufacturers of safety netting to improve performance and reliability.

His role has had such a huge impact, that five years ago, the permanent start structure for races at Panorama was dedicated in his name. The Hammer Hut and the plaque acknowledging his many contributions is used and seen by young racers coming to Panorama from across Canada, North America, and the world.

Most recently, Panorama hosted the World Junior Alpine Ski Championships and Bruce sat as deputy chair of the organizing committee which was responsible for initially winning the bid to act as host.

He is also the President of the Panorama Subdivision Owners Association and in this capacity, has forged strong, productive relationships with government departments responsible for providing services to the entire resort.

Area F Director Susan Clovechok formally recognized Hamstead at the Electoral Area F Town Hall Meeting Monday night (Oct. 23) in Windermere.

“He is a master at garnering volunteer support to pull off massive accomplishments and for that Team Panorama is now widely recognized as having one of the finest racing programs in all of Canada,” she noted.

“Bruce has volunteered countless hours that has benefited and will benefit young athletes from our communities, his neighbourhood and the tourism sector for many years to come.”

Clovechok quoted Steve Paccagnan, Panorama CEO, describing Bruce’s contributions: “’Bruce is a person whose dedication and hard work have made him the heart and soul of our local community, his selflessness shines through in the countless hours he dedicates to helping others. He’s the kind of person who always takes the time to reach out and ask how people are doing, making our mountain resort community a better place, one heartfelt conversation at a time. We are so very proud of Bruce!’

“Steve’s experience of Bruce is consistent with mine as I too have enjoyed a very positive working relationship with Bruce over the past five years.”

Lead image: Area F Director Susan Clovechok, left, with Bruce Hamstead.  RDEK photo

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