Canada West Ski Areas Association
#300 - 1726 Dolphin Ave V1Y 9R9 Kelowna, BC, Canada

Right now, following the health rules means having a paycheck. COVID is in every community, and the rules help contain the spread of COVID. Enjoy outside, but no social gatherings or parties. Be the Reason, We All Have a Season! http://skiwellbewell.ca/

One of the necessities of high elevation ski area golf courses...clearing the fairways with snowcats mid ski season. The greens have emerged.

The 2021 BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference is next week! This is a great virtual event for ski areas (especially in BC) to tune into some amazing sessions from the comfort of your office, home or other local spot! Check it out

We are most excited that for the first time in many moons there are items on the CWSAA weekly team meeting agenda other than the pandemic. eg: Bike Park Forum on March 3, and the Spring Conference on the week of April 26. CWSAA members registration and details on-line. DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing Kal Tire

Sea To Sky Gondola has been busy this year preparing for reopening in late spring.

Over the past few weeks Bob Dodge has been sharing stories about SROAMs grads, in celebration of the program's 40th anniversary. One of the articles, "The Canada West Way: A Culture of Cooperation and Collaboration," features current and past CWSAA Board members. In this article of Tales of SROAM Success, features Dorothy Gould (class of 1984), Jason Paterson (1996), John Shea (1983), Tim Foster (1990) and Steve Paccagnan (1988). The article also share's Jimmie's legacy of The Canada West Way. Read more, including the latest article "Big Heroes in Small Areas" https://selkirk.ca/sroam-success

This is the final week to submit nominations for the Annual CWSAA Awards. Deadline for submissions is February 28. Complete the nomination forms and find out more > https://cwsaa.org/about/awards/

The Lake Louise Ski Resort & Summer Gondola opened a new chair this season to access the new West Bowl terrain. Check it out in this video that features important safety information about accessing the terrain.

Bring it on! What an exciting year 2021 promises to be. The ski industry is so fortunate to be made up of talented and optimistic people that give, contribute, and work tirelessly to make things possible. To our Board, Committees, all our members, and the many partners that support and provide guidance...thank you for making it possible to serve and provide communities with healthy outdoor activity. It has never been more important. DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing Kal Tire

Help spread the word to any industry folks looking to work in Nakusp at Summit Lake Ski Area this winter. They are unable to open yet due to significant staff shortages.

Great video from Fernie Alpine Resort on the Alpine Responsibility Code!

Congratulations to Falcon Ridge on their opening day!

Big White Ski Resort has created a great video demonstrating the new Central Reservation and check in experience for accommodation at the resort. https://youtu.be/2LV9Aex01BY

The CSIA AMSC has adopted COVID protocols to keep all participants safe during training programs. Check out their great video. https://vimeo.com/482800844

Much appreciation to our Saskatchewan Chair Lawrence Blouin and amazing SSAOA hosts at Mission Ridge (Angie, Mike, Anders, Owen, Jennifer). Mission Ridge looks fantastic...trails mowed, new lodge flooring and amenities, and new tube park grading for an extra fifth lane. Thanks for the added support from Prinoth's Don Shaw, CWSAA Board Director Penny Lindballe Vincett and national CSIA boss Perry Schmunk . DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing Kal Tire

Opening Day! Tim Foster and Pip Albrow at Sun Peaks have presented at CWSAA functions and have played an important part of Sun Peaks' robust pandemic protocols. DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing Kal Tire

What an immaculately graded and well spaced beginner zone. Hidden Valley in Cypress Hills in SE Alberta has a conveyor and handle tow immediately in front of the rental building and complements its quad chair and Tbar. Winter is close...the ice is on the lake in Elkwater. DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing Kal Tire

It's always good to see the leaders on the slopes. Michael Ballingall enjoys Big White's season start today, and Steve Paccagnan is in the middle of Panorama's early race training season.

The wait is almost over. These sleeping giants are almost ready to come out of hibernation. Let the snow making season begin : Snow Valley Ski Club

Skiing and snowboarding provide vital winter physical activity and helps sustain healthy strong families. An active community is a healthy community and never has physical activity been more important. Snow sports also take place in a natural physically distanced outdoor environment. Learn more, about how we are working together to have a safe winter season in Ski Well, Be Well >> https://www.skicanada.org/ski-well-be-well/

Rabbit Hill has done an excellent job of taking the elements of Ski Well Be Well into their Know Before you Go program.

Mike Tanner and his team have been busy. Winsport looks amazing. DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing Kal Tire

Thanksgiving may be over, but the feeling of thanks has been overwhelming this year. * We are so thankful for the collaborative industry spirit that has brought us all together virtually over the past several months. * We are thankful to all the committee members, board members, all ski areas and associate members who have provided tremendous support and input to help map out the season ahead. ... * We are thankful to partner associations across the country and USA in developing industry messaging through Ski Well, Be Well. https://www.skicanada.org/ski-well-be-well/ * We are thankful to our friends at DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing for the vehicle rental discount to ski industry (promo code CWSAA) and Kal Tire for providing ski areas with our ARC safety signage and $100 coupon to staff of all CWSAA members. * We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! See more

The Nitehawk's silent auction is now live. Thanks to all the member's that have supported this recovery effort. There are only 3 days left to bid on auction items.

Can you imagine...every day. Every day for months Chief Medical Officers Dr. Henshaw, Dr. Henry, Dr. Roussin, Dr. Shahab, Dr. Hanley, and Dr. Tam have stood up, made tough decisions, faced challenging questions, brought forward the facts, and demonstrated compassion for us as citizens. Thank you to each of them for their continued leadership and commitment.

Great reconnecting with the team at Mt Timothy. Thanks to our friends at Driving Force for the vehicle rental discount to ski industry (promo code CWSAA) and Kal Tire for providing ski areas with our ARC safety signage and $100 coupon to staff of all CWSAA members. DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing Kal Tire

Troy Hudson is the GM of Sovereign Lake Nordic Club near SilverStar BC. A CWSAA member, the club has been a leader in the development of nordic ski area operation protocols during the pandemic, and has shared them from Manitoba to BC. Thanks Troy and Sovereign Lake. Awesome face covering!

Summer at Cypress Mountain is kicking into high gear, with the installation of a Mountain Coaster.

CWSAA caught up with our immediate Past Chair of the Board Andre Quenneville...at opening day at Mt. Norquay. CWSAA was finally able to present in person the gift of appreciation presented to Andre during the virtual AGM last summer...a copy of The Man Behind the Maps - Legendary Ski Artist James Niehues. Thank you Andre for your continued inspiring leadership, passion, and service to our industry. DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing Kal Tire

Ski Resorts across North America will be welcoming guests this winter to enjoy the wide open spaces while skiing and snowboarding. The snow sports industry values and prioritizes the health and safety of its guests, staff and local communities. Each ski area will be adapting its operating plan to provide a low-risk outdoor recreation opportunity this winter. Learn more, in the industry best practices guide: Ski Well, Be Well >> https://www.skicanada.org/ski-well-be-well/

Great idea. Sunshine Village, Big White and a few other ski areas are bringing in temporary restroom trailers. These facilities will allow guests to use the restrooms without having to enter main indoor lodges. Line-ups can form outside the facility, creating less congestion for indoor lodges.

By any standard the Canadian Rockies are simply stunning and Lake Louise is integral to that magic. The cats, lifts, snow guns, and staff are all in final preparations. What a spectacular day. DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing Kal Tire

Next week's Online Industry Session is being hosted by Cluster Montagne featuring 5 of Western Canada's ski areas. Cluster Montagne is a nonprofit public-private organisation that represents and promotes, throughout the world, French know-how for sustainable mountain tourism development. Wednesday Sept 24 at 8am Pacific (special time!). Register Here: http://www.cluster-montagne.com/cluster-montagne-talks-can/

The new Crystal chair at Sun Peaks Resort is nearing completion.

Bring it on. Excited for Mt Norquay that will serve their first skiers and riders tomorrow. Check the website for new protocols and details. As always...know before you go. DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing Kal Tire

This week's Online Industry Session is a discussion with New Zealand and Australia to learn from their winter season. Special time this Wednesday is 1pm Pacific time. Register in advance to attend: https://cwsaa.org/2020-online-industry-sessions/

Snow sports intrinsically follow many COVID-19 prevention protocols: people participate in their natural family bubble, spread across expansive areas of outdoor space that lead with ease to social distancing. And guests are already accustomed to wearing face covering/balaclava, gloves, and goggles. We’re all working together to ensure Canadians can enjoy skiing and snowboarding at ski resorts this season. Learn more about how we are working together to have a safe winter season in Ski Well, Be Well >> https://www.skicanada.org/ski-well-be-well/

Welcome to SilverStar. The team has done an amazing job of setting guest expectations upon arrival and consistently demonstrating commitment to COVID risk reduction throughout the ski area. Clear signage at the village gateway establishes basic protocols (eg: distancing, hand washing), as well as asks any guests with flu-like symptoms to return another day. Hand sanitizer stations are mounted at every building entrance, and customised signage for each facility is prominen...tly placed (eg: patrol, retail, tickets, etc). Easy to do things such as clean cards on restaurant tables let guests know when they are available, and outdoor seating helped F&B capacity. Tokens (eg: mini hockey sticks) used in retail help staff manage the number of patrons in a store. A pre-purchase lift ticket sales system was introduced this summer and the marketplace quickly adapted to new protocols and appreciated the focus on safety. One way traffic flow is used in the daylodge. As a past host venue of CWSAA fall meetings and mountain bike forum, SilverStar’s reputation for great riding is well known. Things like a bike carrier near the ticket window allows riders to ensure their bike (eg: fat tire) will fit into the carrier thus identifying any issues at the village, not later at a lift terminal. The well crafted pump track is a popular attraction in its own right, as well as an opportunity for warm up and or a gentle introduction to bike park features. Congrats to GM Ken Derpak, Brad Baker, Alison Crick, Norm, Ian, and the full SilverStar team for their summer and building a great foundation for the coming winter operations. DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing Kal Tire See more

Ski Area Snowsports Director's and Supervisors are encouraged to join next week's Online Industry Session: Snowsports Schools. Hear from a New Zealand snow school Director about what they have learned and discuss best practices in snow school operations. Special Time: 12:30pm Pacific! Wednesday Sept 9. Register Here: https://cwsaa.org/2020-online-industry-sessions/

With the snow touching down in many areas, if you haven't got your winter tires on yet, don't delay! If you're in the market for a new set of tires, don't forget our friends at Kal Tire are offering all CWSAA members (and their employees) a $100 coupon. Check out the September CWSAA Newsletter for your coupon.

The wait is almost over. These sleeping giants are almost ready to come out of hibernation. Let the snow making season begin : Snow Valley Ski Club

CWSAA joined Aidan Kelly at Sun Peaks Resort to look at the many COVID protocols used this summer. Great ideas abound. Travellers are greeted with orange branded safety signage starting at the parking lot. Riders and sightseers are greeted by staff before entering the lift mazing to check tickets, explain protocols, and answer any questions. Indoor capacity limits are communicated at entrances, plexi-glass barriers are installed at counters such as Guest Services, and sta...ff use a variety of face covering styles based on the duty being performed (ie: shields, fabric coverings, etc). Indoor daylodge traffic is reduced by the use of an advance ticket purchase system and outdoor kiosk for pickup. Food and beverage services added an outdoor patio and tent for busier periods to service guests. It was most exciting was to see the work on the new alpine quad chair and the Doppelmayr carriers and Fatzer haulrope in the staging area ready to go. Thanks Aidan, Marc White, Helen Davies, Peter Nixon, Dean Roberts, and many others at Sun Peaks for their active contribution to industry efforts. DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing Kal Tire See more

Thanksgiving may be over, but the feeling of thanks has been overwhelming this year. * We are so thankful for the collaborative industry spirit that has brought us all together virtually over the past several months. * We are thankful to all the committee members, board members, all ski areas and associate members who have provided tremendous support and input to help map out the season ahead. ... * We are thankful to partner associations across the country and USA in developing industry messaging through Ski Well, Be Well. https://www.skicanada.org/ski-well-be-well/ * We are thankful to our friends at DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing for the vehicle rental discount to ski industry (promo code CWSAA) and Kal Tire for providing ski areas with our ARC safety signage and $100 coupon to staff of all CWSAA members. * We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! See more

This week's Online Industry Session brings together key industry sport partners. Learn how CSP, CSIA, CASI and PSOs are adjusting their practices for COVID and impacts for ski areas. The session is Wednesday Sept 2 at 9:45am Pacific. Please register by Tuesday at noon: https://cwsaa.org/2020-online-industry-sessions/

Great reconnecting with the team at Mt Timothy. Thanks to our friends at Driving Force for the vehicle rental discount to ski industry (promo code CWSAA) and Kal Tire for providing ski areas with our ARC safety signage and $100 coupon to staff of all CWSAA members. DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing Kal Tire

This weekend marked the opening of Vista Ridge's 12-hole golf course. The course is designed as a family friendly, beginner style course with grass bunkers (no sand), over-sized cups, mostly par 3s & 4s and one shorter par 5. There is also an aqua range, with floating balls and island greens.

Want to find out more about the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. CRA is hosting a webinar on August 28 and 31. https://www.go2hr.ca//canada-emergency-wage-subsidy-questi

As ski areas prepare of the winter season ahead, face coverings was a discussion of high interest following the CWSAA AGM last week. This Wednesday a cross industry panel shares the experiences of their staff and guests with respect to face coverings, and consider an industry position recommending face coverings. Register today to participate in tomorrow's session: https://cwsaa.org/2020-online-industry-sessions/

This spring Nitehawk Year-Round Adventure Park experienced a devastating landslide that affected their chairlift and some terrain. Work has been underway to stabilize the slope and begin the repairs. However, as a non-profit, Nitehawk needs your support to help fund this. Businesses can help by donating an item to their silent auction. Please see this webpage for more information on the event and how you can help: https://gonitehawk.com/fundraisers/comedynite/

Next week's Online Industry Session is an Industry Discussion on Face Coverings. Join us with a panel discussion on Wednesday August 26 at 9:45am Pacific. Register in advance Here:https://cwsaa.org/2020-online-industry-sessions/

Introducing the four newest members of the CWSAA Board of Directors: *Dorothy Gould (Associate Director), Rigging Specialties & Rocky Mountain Lift Services *Hildur Sinclair (BC-Yukon), Troll Resort *Kim Jones (ASM), WinSport *Penny Lindballe (ASM), Valley Ski Club... CWSAA's new Board Chair is Andy Cohen of Fernie Alpine Resort. Read More > https://cwsaa.org/20//21/2020-21-cwsaa-board-of-directors/ See more

There is some hype at The Lake Louise Ski Resort & Summer Gondola with the teasers about this project.

SAM Magazine (Ski Area Management)'s next Huddle is Monday August 24 at 4pm EDT. "Lessons from Down Under" will be a panel of ski area operators from Australia and New Zealand discussing many topics including staffing, rental, ski school, capacity issues, food & beverage, patrol, and much more. Learn how these resorts responded to changing mandatory restrictions in response to COVID-19some Australian resorts had to close for the season and some on our panel are experiencing "many operational wins so far" with better results than anticipated. There is much we can learn from their experience as we plan for the strange winter ahead. Advance Registration is required: https://www.saminfo.com/mou/coronavirus-update-2/the-huddle

We love the ski industry. Leaders are often hands-on in the field, so taking calls from the seat of a Prinoth or Pisten Bully groomer is not unusual. Rob at Little Smoky ski area is no different as he joined the CWSAA AGM by phone from the fieldand he really means ‘the field’. Little Smoky Ski Area DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales, and Leasing Kal Tire

This guy is a special leader. Andre Quenneville took on the role as Chair of CWSAA two years ago. He has served with distinction and been a tireless champion for the association including attending the fall meetings in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Andre will chair today's AGM and serve two years on the Board as past Chair. Thank you Andre for your dedication and service.