snofairy

Hi folks,

Just looking for a bit advice really, with all thats going on with the recession I'm a bit concerned that me and my OH will struggle for work when we head to Fernie in Oct for the ski season.

If there's anyone working in tourism at the moment it'd be great to hear your views about the coming year or how your finding things at the moment.

Its getting worse everyday here in the UK, I currently work for a university and while my job's safe at the moment nothing's set in stone.

Also I'm starting to wonder if there's ever a 'right' time to take a year out and if we're doing the right thing. Currently, we're renting so no mortgage or ties to prevent us from going and we wanted to go before my OH reaches 30 & is no longer able to take advantage of Bunac (He's 28).

Thanks guys for your help & advice!

fernie

Snofairy
If there is powder people will come. No profession is 100% safe but way up what your leaving in UK. England gets two inches of snow and grinds to a halt, and its almost Armageddon, (I live in Scotland and we deal with it). Canada gets a two feet overnight and its powder day, work for an employer that works the 12 inch rule and you have the day off to ride.
I quite my job to go on BUNAC. It was the best thing I ever did, and now I spend my time saving to get back to Canada. If you go out to try Canada, embrace it and yes you will miss your friends but I can more or less guarantee that the local bar you go to in the UK, will still have the same people sitting at the bar in a years time and not much will have changed.
You on the other hand would have done something very special and seen and lived things that are awe inspiring. If you dont try you'll never know.

There are so many Ski resorts in Canada, and the Olympics are in Whistler, but be careful when you arrive, leave it too late and you cant get a place to stay. I have attached two links for you. One from the local newspaper in Fernie.
http://www.thefreepress.ca/
And this one is the survivors guide for Whistler.
http://www.mywcss.org/documents/SG08-09_fn_000.pdf
The info from the Whistler guide is invaluable.
My favorite resort after Whistler is Kicking Horse near Golden.
Fernie

Mistress Miggins

My OH is a heli pilot in Revelstoke, he's been just as busy, if not busier than last year.... so busy in fact we can't make it up there this year! So it will have to be Edmonton mall instead lol, but anyway, my point is, he's reported no down turn and they rely on trade from the UK, USA, OZ and Europe

Good luck

Ms Miggins x

sunshine81

Hey,

I was skiing in Fernie last season and there still appeared to be work available in Mid January. The slopes were way more quite than Europe but I am sure i saw jobs advertised in or around November on skifernie.com

And that 12 inch rule is awsome. I was sat beside a local guy on the first chair on a monday morning. As you do we started having a craic and i naturally asked him what he did. He said he worked in a shop in Fernie so my next question was "why are you not at work" to which he replied "It's been dumping" and thats when he explained the 12 inch rule.

I asked him what his boss thought of this and he said well he is on the chair behind so if you shout loud enough he will probably be able to answer you.

How cool is that?

Rodge9

Hi, I did a ski season a couple of years ago and I will back in Canada later this year, although not to do another season. I believe some resorts - for example the Fairmont in Whistler - have recruitment fairs in the UK in the summer, and also in Canada a couple of months before the season starts. Incidentally, my friend started a (now very popular) Facebook group for BUNAC folk which I'm pretty active on, not sure if I'm allowed to post a link, but just type in 'BUNAC Work Canada' on there and you'll find it. A lot of people there are asking about working a ski season too.

I'm a bit worried about the recession etc too but I really think the media doom and gloom is actually making it worse, as is the general sense of cynicism and misery in this country, albeit in some cases understandable. I went to Austria recently and my friend said it was only sporadically mentioned in the news there, the ski resort I went to was extremely busy too. Surely it's not worse in Canada anyway is it?

Good Luck!

Whiskers

I have heard mixed stories on this topic.

Some locals we know here in BC have a condo in Whistler and they have said it is quieter than usual. Reason - less Japanese tourists are visiting and less Americans are visiting (due to the value of the dollar.)

However when we went up last week it was heaving and we met lots of Americans. I got chatting to a guy from Cambridge who was working the season in the resort. He said enough though the snow had been less than last year he had worked just as many hrs and the resort seemed to have employed just as many people.

Sorry................ this post has been no help whatsoever!

P.S I agree there is never a right time to take a year out. Good luck!!

gryphea

Just back from Fernie

Why don't you pop over to snowheads and ask their advice over there? I think one poster on his second season there and he may be able to tell you all the best jobs, the vibes etc.

snofairy

Thanks guys, your advice has been great, please keep it coming! I've more or less got everything sorted, digs, flights & visas so its just alot of saving to be done now.

The only reason I'm having a few sneaky doubts is purely down to the economic situation, I totally fell in love with Canada when I was there in 08 and I know that the resorts tend to be quieter than Europe - which is great when your after fresh pow!

I'm gonna be contacting the resort around May to ask a few questions and find out when's the best time to apply, Fernie has an employment fair mid-Oct so we'll be there for that but I want to do everything I can to boost my hopes of getting work!

Thanks again & keep the advice coming!

chutley

Hi

I'm currently in Banff doing a 3-month Gap Ski Instructor programme so I can offer a bit of current information.

All the local papers are reporting that it has become an employers' market. Last season every shop/restaurant had a sign advertising for help, now there are fewer jobs to go around and you don't see any signs advertising for help.

Sunshine has laid off all the part-time ski instructors and are not employing any Level 1 Instructors and only a couple of Level 2 - they can pick and choose. They normally have about a hundred; they now have about 30.

Tourists are down by over 45%.

I'm sure the best and brightest will still find employment, but it is not as easy as it was. Sorry to be so negative - just reporting facts, but I hope this helps you with your decisions.

Good Luck

gad33

Just talking about this today with a friend whose son works year round for the mountain. I don't know if you are thinking of working on the mountain or in the town. But Fernie has laid off a load of their Australian and New Zealand workers this season.
It's not just the economy, snow fall affects visitors. And this winter hasn't been good for snow in the mountains.

snofairy

Chutley, when did you get to Banff? We will be going to Fenie in mid-Oct in time for the jobs fairs so it'd be interesting to know what it was like at the start of the season. Thanks for your honesty too, Banff is bigger than Fernie so its important to know how the 'bigger' resorts are handling themselves.

snofairy

We're planning on getting work wherever its available really, my OH is a landscape gardener which is obviously not in crying need in the winter months but has plenty of experience with the mechanics of mowers, gritters etc. He also has to grit industrial estates over here during the winter months, which although is no way near as severe as in Canada, he knows how to handle gritters and snow ploughs and isn't afraid of hard work!

I've worked in retail for 4 years while at uni and was a waitress for 3 years before that so I'm hoping to pick some work up in either area.

I know the snow hasn't been great in Fernie this year but there's still two and half months of the season left so hopefully the Griz will begin to work his magic!

fernie

Snofairy,
If you want to work in a licensed establishment you need a serve it right card. Its an online course, which you cant really fail, to serve in a bar or restaurant in BC. Here is the link.
http://www.servingitright.com/
Do it before you go and add it to your résumé.
Good luck
Fernie

snofairy

Thanks Fernie, will definately be doing that, have to keep all my options open!

Robbie500

For any of those thinking of working at Sunshine. If you are in the UK and thinking of working at Sunshine it would be advisable to look at when and where they are recruiting in the UK during for the 2009/10 season. The resort employed 90% of all its overseas staff from overseas at jobs fairs in Australia, the UK and Ontario. And only 10% at the job fair in Banff in October. So do not waste a trip in 2009 to Banff to try and get a job at Sunshine go to the hiring in the UK. It will be advertised on Sunshine website.