Board of Directors

CAWM is run by a volunteer Board of Directors. Board Members are elected by the CAWM Membership at the Annual General Meeting, in accordance with the CAWM By-Laws.

Paula Slaney

President - MD, CCFP, FAWM

Paula is a rural family physician living in Newfoundland and a clinical assistant professor with the department of family medicine at Memorial University. She completed her fellowship in the academy of wilderness medicine (FAWM) in 2019. She is passionate about wilderness medicine education and research as well as promoting the benefits of spending time in nature.

Her favorite activities include hiking, kayaking, camping, and traveling with her partner, Matthew and their two dogs, Everest, and Ziggy.

Svea Brousseau

Vice-President - BSN, RN

Svea was born in Behchokǫ̀, Northwest Territories, and grew up in the Okanagan. She is a Critical Care RN working in ICU, Critical Care Outreach, Emergency at Kelowna General Hospital, and with the Integrated Crisis Response Team alongside the Kelowna RCMP. She has nursed in various rural locations throughout Northern BC.

Before nursing, she was a Creative Director.

Outside of work Svea loves the backcountry, especially hiking and skiing.

Dave Jerome

Treasurer - Maj, MD, MSc, CCFP-EM, FAWM, DiMM, DiWEM

Dave is a Family/ER Physician living in Kamloops BC. He works as a Medical Officer with the Canadian Armed Forces, and has deployed overseas with both the Army and the Navy. He has volunteered for over 10 years with Ground SAR teams in NS, NL, NWT and BC, and he completed his Fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM) in 2020. Dave was one of the co-founders of CAWM in 2020 and served as the Association's Founding President from 2020-2023. Dave’s favourite outdoor activities include paddle sports, diving, orienteering, backcountry hiking and sport climbing.

Peter Symons

Secretary - EMT, ACP

Peter’s entire career as an advanced care paramedic was spent in the mountain parks both, in Jasper and Banff. He is an Advanced Care Paramedic with over 40 years of experience delivering Pre-Hospital Care. His varied background ranges from military medic to Ski Patroller to owner of the Ambulance service in Jasper in the days of private ambulance

Peter has taught many prehospital courses over the years and is very involved with ITLS (International Trauma Life Support) where he is an Instructor and Instructor Trainer. He was a contributor and Subject Matter Expert for the ITLS Duty to Respond text and has just been published in the new ITLS Provider text in the new environmental chapter

His outdoor passions are Cycling, Photography, SCUBA, Ocean Kayaking and Travel particularly to Tahiti and French Polynesia.

Craig McArthur

ACP, DiMM

Craig was a little late to the party with EMS being his third attempt at a career. After completing early EMS training in Calgary, he worked for several years in safety and industrial settings before moving to Inuvik, NWT to work on North America’s northern most EMS service for a couple of years. Returning to Edmonton for ACP training saw him sent to Banff EMS as a student. Recognizing a good thing when it comes along, he later joined their team and has been there for the last 14 years. Enrollment in the Diploma in Mountain Medicine program with the WMS has brought him to a number of WMS conferences, and he was involved with their efforts to build a local hospital in a remote village in Nepal. He tells people that he is a good skier, and resides in Banff, AB where he continues spinning that yarn.

Raz Peel

PCP, FAWM

Raz is a climber, paramedic, ski patroller, educator, technology wizard/programmer and croissant connoisseur. In his free time, Raz volunteers and holds leadership roles in various organizations, including Squamish Search and Rescue and the Red Cross. Raz loves puns and used to be indecisive, although now he's not so sure.

Jeremy Seed

Jeremy is an emergency medicine resident at Queen’s with an interest in wilderness and pre-hospital medicine. Jeremy grew up in southwestern Ontario where he spent his time canoe camping, whitewater kayaking, and conquering the small bumps in the province that collect snow in the winter.

Jeremy has been involved with CAWM since the early days, helping start the Medical Learners Interest Group and being one of the brains behind the wilderness medicine race. He is excited about creating novel wilderness medicine simulation and education opportunities.

Stephanie Smith

MD, CCFP-EM, BN

Dr. Stephanie Smith is an Emergency Medicine Physician in the Canadian Armed Forces with a passion for prehospital, military, and wilderness medicine. A faculty member with the Canadian Medical Association’s Physician Leadership Institute and a Medical Advisory Group member for St. John Ambulance, she is dedicated to advancing clinical leadership and resilience in remote and austere settings. An avid hiker, camper, and snowboarder, she brings her love of the outdoors to her work promoting safety, teamwork, and wellbeing in wilderness environments.

Heather White

MD, FRCPC, FAWM

Dr. Heather White MD FRCPC FAWM is an Emergency Medicine physician in Kelowna, BC. She practices full time EM at Kelowna General Hospital and works as a Ski Doc with the Big White Ski Patrol in the winter. She completed her FAWM in 2017. Heather is one of the founding members of CAWM in 2020. She sat on the Board of Directors 2020-2023 and was the association’s treasurer from 2021-2023. She has continued her work with CAWM on the Wilderness and Environmental Fellowship Committee since 2023. Heather is excited to rejoin the Board this year! Outside of work, Heather enjoys skiing with her two small kids, mountain biking, triathlon and trail running.

Past Board Members

Steve Roy (Founding Member: 2020)

Chris Lipp (Founding Member: 2020)

Anne-Marie LeBlanc (Founding Member: 2020-2023)

Heather White (Founding member: 2020 - 2023)

Dave Healey (2020-2021)

Mackenzie Wardle (2020-2021)

Tyler Semmens (2021)

Mike Webster (2022)

Mike Koppang (2021 - 2023)

Kendra Young (2022-2024)

Bree Kullman (2025)

Miles Randell (2022-2025)

Kavi Singh (2023-2025)

Matthew Smith (2023-2025)

Alana Hawley (2020-2025)

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All Members of CAWM are entitled to run for the Board of Directors and attend the Annual General Meeting

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