CWSAA Spring Conference & Trade Show
April 25-27, 2023
Whistler Conference Centre
Last Chance to Register for the Conference
- Registration closes on Sunday April 16. All numbers must be provided to the Conference Centre in advance of the event, therefore there will not be "at the door" registration available for any events at the CWSAA Conference.
- Please ensure if you need to add any delegates, or events or have not registered yet, and plan to attend, that you register immediately.
Conference Agenda
There are 47 sessions at this year's spring conference. The full agenda can be found HERE on our website. Some feature sessions during the three days include:
- Future of Travel (Tuesday April 25 at 9:00am in the Sea to Sky Ballroom A) – What does the ski and travel industry look like five years from now. Moderated by Sun Peaks’ Amy Blakeney, this panel of industry leaders [Angela Nagy (GreenStep), David McKenna (Rocky Mountaineer), Andre Quenneville (Mt Norquay), Rich Burkley (Lake Louise)] will share their thoughts on emerging trends and how the ski industry needs to position itself for future success. Paul Mathews (Ecosign) will kick off the session with observations of leading ski industry innovations from around the globe.
- Reconciliation in Action (Wednesday April 26 at 9:00am in Garibaldi A) - What does reconciliation look like at a local level? In this session, Chief Gélpcal (Lil’wat Nation), Councillor Wilson Williams (Squamish Nation), Georgina Dan (Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre), and Alison Pascal (Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre), will join Kate Roddick and Wolfgang Sterr of Whistler Blackcomb to share how reconciliation is showing up in North America’s largest mountain resort.
- Resort Housing Symposium.... Lessons from Whistler and North America (Thursday April 27 at 2:00pm in Sea to Sky Ballroom A) - Housing a local workforce is among the most pressing matters facing mountain resorts today. Join this presentation to gain insight into resort housing models and solutions. Attendees will hear from industry experts who will present and discuss how Whistler is working to address housing challenges before expanding the lens to explore housing solutions across North America. Panelists include Al Raine (Mayor, Town of Sun Peaks), Duane Jackson (Whistler 2020 Development Corp), George Ruther (Town of Vail), Kate Roddick (Whistler Blackcomb), Steve Bayly (Whistler Valley Housing Authority), Dale Mikkelsen (Resort Municipality of Whistler), with Journalist GD Maxwell as the session Moderator.
Whova Conference App
- CWSAA will be once again using the Conference App Whova. The app is an important tool for communication and building connections at the conference. Delegates may download the Whova App HERE.
Tourism HR Canada: Discover Tourism
Tourism HR Canada recently launched Discover Tourism. This is national recruitment and retention program which aims to help the tourism industry thrive through educational resources and information. Its goal is to match the skills of job seekers to careers that will bring them happiness, fulfillment, and excitement. This initiative also acts as a resource for employers looking to retain existing employees while attracting new talent to the industry.
Learn More at discovertourism.ca
Travel Alberta 3 year Business Plan
This week, Travel Alberta released their 2023-26 Business Plan: Recovery to Resilience sets the course to grow Alberta’s visitor economy past $20 billion by 2035. It outlines Alberta's plans to drive tourism growth, increasing jobs, growth, and economic diversification, so all Albertans can experience the benefits of a robust visitor economy.
Key elements of the plan include:
- Connected Tourism Ecosystem
- Attracting High-Value Travellers
- Enabling Access to Alberta
Learn More & Read the Plan HERE.
Passenger Ropeways Courses - Spring is a great time to build on the team education.
It's a great time to build on the knowledge your team has gathered throughout the season. Passenger Ropeways courses provide important training for key individuals at every ski area.
Selkirk College Passenger Ropeways Mechanics: The Lift 151, Lift 152 and Lift 153 are all online self-directed programs. The Spring semester starts soon and runs May 1 to June 19 Learn More & Register HERE
!! Did you know that Small Ski Areas can enroll in these courses at 50% discounted rate. There are limited discounted spots each semester.
In BC, Technical Safety BC also offers a free course to compliment the Selkirk College courses, that focuses on the Safety Standards Act, Safety Standards General Regulation and Elevating Devices Safety Regulation and how it applies to the Passenger Ropeway industry. This course is recommended for maintenance and operation managers/supervisors or anyone who is responsible for completing the PR Pre-Operational Inspection Declaration at BC ski areas.
Learn More & Register for the Technical Safety BC course HERE.
You already love the slopes and can’t get enough of the action, now you can take your passion to new career heights. Selkirk College's SROAM Program can help you become a top professional in this vibrant industry.
During the first three semesters, students take 22 courses focused on tourism, business, and operational subjects that prepare them for a role in the ski and snowboard industry. During the fourth semester, students undertake a 21-week paid work semester at a ski resort, which may lead to full-time employment.
Find out more about the SROAM 2-year diploma HERE.
Safer Spaces: New Course for Workers now available
Workplace sexual harassment is a serious issue, particularly in service industries such as tourism and hospitality. One immediate action you can take to address this issue in your own business is by encouraging staff to complete go2HR’s Safer Spaces training program.
Last year 495 individuals enrolled in the employer-focused Safer Spaces course.
Last month, go2HR introduced a follow-up course directed to workers that follows the same storytelling format, though enhanced by multiple storylines and different characters. Again self-directed and completed entirely online, this free course will help workers understand their roles and responsibilities when it comes to preventing sexual harassment, explain how to disclose or report sexual harassment, and describe how to build a safer and more respectful workplace.
We encourage you to consider participating in Safer Spaces – the new worker-facing course or the employer program – and take a step towards reducing sexual harassment in the tourism industry. Registration can be completed HERE.
TIAA's Labour Market Study of Alberta's Tourism Sector
In collaboration with Tourism HR Canada, the Tourism Industry Association of Alberta (TIAA) has released a new study, that identifies key structural labour challenges facing the industry and proposes evidence-based, action-oriented recommendations that will produce meaningful change in the tourism sector.
Read the full report and its recommendations HERE.
BC-Wide Tourism and Hospitality Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Survey
Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC), go2hr, and Destination BC have partnered to conduct a survey about the status of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) efforts of tourism and hospitality businesses throughout BC.
BC Tourism and Hospitality businesses are encouraged to complete the survey! Take the anonymous DEIA survey (available until April 28, 2023) to help inform DEIA needs, areas of focus, and our collective path forward. This survey provides an opportunity for meaningful DEIA engagement and open feedback, to gain a better understanding of DEIA efforts that will help lead us to a better future, together.
Complete the survey HERE.
National Tourism Week: April 24-30, 2023
Tourism Week is a collaboration between TIAC and its partners across the country, including members, provincial and territorial industry associations, destination marketing organizations, and industry stakeholders.
This year’s theme is CANADA: Powered by Tourism!
Learn More about you can get involved & download the TIAC National Tourism Week Toolkit HERE.
Many provinces have also released info on their involvement including: Alberta & Saskatchewan.
Minimum Wage to Increase Effective on June 1st
Last week, the Honorable Harry Bains, BC Minister of Labour, announced that B.C. minimum wage will increase on June 1 from $15.65 to $16.75 per hour. With the increase B.C. will have the second highest minimum wage in Canada after Yukon at $16.77. Since 2015, the minimum wage has increased 60.2%. Read the BC Government News Release HERE
Read the response from the BC Chamber of Commerce HERE.
Avalanche Course New Prerequisites
Students entering the Avalanche Operations Level 1 program will be required to complete a new AvSAR Level 1 course before attending the Operations Level 1 course.
Learn More about the Canadian Avalanche Association's (CAA) training programs HERE
Contact Canadian Avalanche Association for more details.
CWSAA Members are invited to post their jobs on the CWSAA Job Board.
CWSAA Partners
EASY RESERVATIONS: www.drivingforce.ca
CONTACT: 780-483-9559 or edmgdsreservations@drivingforce.ca
Save 10% on vehicle rentals with code "CWSAA"
Thanks to Driving Force for making it possible to visit ski areas throughout the year.
Photo taken at: Road to Purden Ski Village (BC)
Quality tires at an affordable price
Learn More about Kal Tire's current promotions HERE.
Places & Faces
Sun Peaks Resort recently announced a new lift. The West Bowl Express will be located in the upper reaches of Mt. Tod. The new Doppelmayr constructed lift will be complete in advance of the 2024/25 winter season - electrical and foundation work will be carried out this summer with final lift installation to take place the following year. Learn More.
Cynthia Thomas & Dawn Sleiman holding 5 pairs of Elan skis donated by Andreas Rauch at SKIRON for the 2023 Small Areas Auction.
Many ski areas were in attendance at the Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS) held last month in Banff. Tourism professionals from around the world participated in a number of sessions, including a ski social. Congratulations to SkiBig3 and Banff partners that played host to a wonderful Mountain Travel Symposium
A CWSAA delegation joined Bill Hunter and Jennifer Goad and their team at the Mountain Resort Branch. The Branch is located in Kamloops BC and serves ski areas throughout the province.
Rabbit Hill (Edmonton) will commence summer operations this year with the addition of Summer Tubing. Learn more about this new family attraction HERE.