President's Message
CWSAA at Hudson Bay Mountain
As the western Canadian ski industry looks to the coming winter season, it exhibits its customary vigour and optimism. There is something innate about the enthusiasm and passion for snowsports. The tingle of anticipation has already been felt with the first crisp mornings, and photos of snow on the high peaks.
It is also true that the complexity of our industry grows, and is impacted by external forces.
On the morning of September 15 of this year, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the Productivity Mega Deduction to increase Canada’s tax competitiveness. It is intended to stimulate a super cycle of investment across the country. Earlier this year, CWSAA and its peers across the country, through the Canadian Ski Council, advanced tax recommendations to federal Ministry of Finance in the form of a Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance similar to those offered the manufacturing industry. Simultaneously, a study commissioned by CWSAA, TIAA and TIABC, demonstrated that such policy change would stimulate capital investments by ski areas over the next five years by 20%. The culmination of efforts by ski and other sectors are revealed in the Productivity Mega Deduction. This is a huge opportunity for ski area investment in assets such as lifts and snowmaking, and again affirms the benefits of collective industry action.
On another front, business complexity is seen in the current trade relationship between Canada and the US. As an integrated economy with supply chains that extend across the continent, the industry has seen immediate costs on equipment necessary for the winter ahead. CWSAA and Canadian Ski Council has worked to gain clarity for industry relating to tariff applications and seeks relief where possible. The specialised nature of the ski industry means in some cases our industry sources equipment that can only come from outside Canada. The known extra expenses, and the uncertainty for costing capital projects, has an obvious impact on business decisions.
CWSAA Board of Director Chairs: Kim Locke, CWSAA Chair. Courtney MacQuarrie, ASM Chair. Hildur Sinclair, BCY Chair.
Yet another force picked up by media, is the forecast for the winter ahead. All too often, long range predictions are reported as absolutes. While changes in climate and the temperature of an ocean current is factual, knowing how this translates to a specific location is not precise. What most do expect is variability. CWSAA has scheduled panel discussions at the fall meetings to provide an understanding of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) modeling and forecasts.
Ski area operators are adaptation masters. The parameters within which we adapt are constantly changing, but the need to adapt to new conditions has been with operators since the inception of our industry. Tim Foster at Sun Peaks exemplifies an experienced operators approach by explaining he challenges himself and his team to control what they can, seek to do things differently, and be ready to respond quickly as needed. Ski areas have many tools at their disposal from summer grooming to snow storage and much new technology to aid their ability to manage the slopes and provide an exciting experience for guests. This preparation and management of resources is what ski area operators do, and distinguishes a ski area from beyond its boundary. As Ian Curran of Sunshine Village explained on a recent planning call for the ASM Division meeting, ski area operators have always been in the business of managing and harnessing resources to provide an experience for guests. This is our business.
The coming fall meetings will highlight and share many ways in which ski areas prepare and manage resources into the season. It is precisely this expertise that warrants optimism and confidence for the season ahead.
Cheers
– Christopher Nicolson
CWSAA Board selects Division Chairs
Back Row: Stewart Laver, Darcy Arnold, Al Graves, Dave Morrison, Derek Look, Mark Ormandy, Katherine Seleski, Amy Blakeney, Eddie Wood. Front Row: Belinda Trembath, Courtney MacQuarrie, Kim Locke, Hildur Sinclair. Absent: Robert Kennedy, Anders Svenson.
Following CWSAA’s AGM in July, the CWSAA Board of Directors held its annual in-person Board meeting this past week.
The meeting was lead by Chair Kim Locke, and identified Courtney MacQuarrie and Hildur Sinclar as the ASM and BCY Division Chairs respectively for the coming term.
The meeting reviewed and reaffirmed the current strategic directives of the Association, including the emphasis on education and advocacy. This included the ratification of a new Terrain Park considerations document that will be presented at fall meetings. Eligibility criteria for the Small Areas Assistance Fund was also expanded to ski areas up to 50,000 skier visits and increased legal support.
The Board received a presentation by Angela Nagy of GreenStep Solutions. Drawing upon learnings from the water reduction and waste management fields, Angela highlighted how well documented changes in social behaviour were realized. This overview helped inform forward looking discussions on skier and rider slope safety, a topic that will be shared and workshopped at the coming fall meetings.
The Board of twelve elected Directors and three ex-officio Directors meets virtually six to eight times a year serving two year terms.
Upcoming Industry Events
2026 Fall Meeting Schedule
| Event | Event Dates | Location | Registration Deadlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASM Division Meeting | September 29–30 | Canyon, Red Deer AB | September 18 |
| Lift Safety Bootcamp (AB) | September 29 | Canyon, Red Deer AB | September 18 |
| Bike Park Forum | October 6 | Sun Peaks, BC | September 18 |
| Lift Safety Bootcamp (BC) | October 6 | Sun Peaks, BC | September 18 |
| BC-Yukon Division Meeting | October 7–8 | Sun Peaks, BC | September 18 |
| Alberta Northern Meeting | October 14 | Grande Prairie, AB | October 7 |
| BC Northern Meeting | October 20 | Hart, Prince George BC | October 13 |
| Lift Safety Bootcamp (BC North) | October 21 | Hart, Prince George BC | October 13 |
| Saskatchewan Ski Area Operator's Association Meeting | October 25–26 | Ski Valley, Manitoba | n/a |
Note - Registration for the SSAOA meeting is done separately and more info will come directly from the organizing committee.
Small Areas Assistance applications for the ASM and BCY events are now closed. Northern meetings are due one week before the event.
🔗 For more details visit our Fall Meeting webpage.
Mark your calendar, the 2027 CWSAA Spring Conference & Trade Show runs April 26-29, 2027 at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
Federal Productivity Mega Deduction a Major Win for Ski Industry
A new federal tax incentive announced this week has the potential to significantly increase capital investment at Canadian ski areas, including lifts, snowmaking and other equipment.
On September 15, the Government of Canada announced its new Productivity Mega Deduction, proposing permanent immediate expensing for most depreciable capital property acquired on or after September 15, 2026. This would allow businesses to deduct 100% of the cost of eligible investments in the year they become available for use, rather than depreciating them over many years.
For Canada's ski industry, the announcement represents a significant advocacy win. The opportunity was initially advanced to CWSAA by Sunshine Village's Mike Irvine and Ralph Scurfield, who identified the growing investment advantage available to ski areas in the United States and challenged the Canadian industry to look at how Canada could remain competitive. U.S. ski areas benefit from permanent 100% depreciation for qualifying investments, while Canadian operators have historically recovered many major equipment costs over much longer periods.
This led to coordinated advocacy by Canada's ski industry. In April, the Canadian Ski Council and Canada's four regional ski area associations, including CWSAA, wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney calling for investment incentives comparable to those available in the U.S. The letter noted that western Canadian ski area master plans alone identify more than $22 billion in potential investment, pending favourable economic conditions and incentives. CWSAA also partnered with the Tourism Industry Association of Alberta (TIAA) and Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC) on a study to quantify the potential impact of improved capital investment incentives. The research forecast that comparable tax treatment could result in an approximately 20% increase in ski area investment over the next five years.
The Productivity Mega Deduction would expand immediate expensing from roughly 15% to about two-thirds of capital asset investment across the Canadian economy and make the measure permanent. Based on the announced rules, Class 8 equipment — commonly applicable to investments such as lifts and snowmaking equipment — appears to be eligible for immediate expensing. Buildings are excluded. Tax professionals are now sorting through the details to identify precisely which investment items are applicable to the new rules.
The announcement is an important outcome from coordinated effort by ski areas, industry associations, and tourism partners to demonstrate how competitive tax treatment can help unlock private-sector investment in Canada's ski industry and the communities it supports.
Participate to Help Strengthen Canada’s Ski Industry
As ski areas across Western Canada prepare for another winter, the Canadian Ski Council (CSC) is inviting operators to participate in its national programs: the Canadian Lift Pass (CLP), SnowStart Kidz Pass and Never Ever Days.
Together, these programs help introduce new participants to skiing and snowboarding, encourage families to explore more ski areas, and support the long-term health of our industry.
Canadian Lift Pass: Funding Work That Benefits the Industry
The Canadian Lift Pass is the sole revenue generator supporting CSC’s strategic investments on behalf of the Canadian ski industry. Revenue generated through CLP enables the CSC to invest in:
- Research & Intelligence – providing national consumer insights, participation data and industry research to support better decision-making.
- Advocacy – strengthening the industry’s voice and supporting work on issues that affect ski areas across Canada.
- National Marketing – building awareness of skiing and snowboarding and inspiring more Canadians to consider getting on snow.
- Skier Development Programs – creating pathways that help turn curiosity into participation through programs such as SnowStart Kidz Pass and Never Ever Days.
When a ski area participates in CLP, it isn’t simply offering access to passholders. It is helping fund work designed to strengthen the entire Canadian ski industry.
Building the Next Generation of Skiers and Riders
SnowStart Kidz Pass helps families get their children on snow and build skiing and snowboarding into their winter lives. Children ages 6–12 receive three visits at every participating ski area, encouraging repeat participation while bringing parents, siblings and other family members along with them.
Never Ever Days focuses even earlier in the participation journey, giving first-time skiers and snowboarders a simple, welcoming way to try the sport. The nationally consistent $29.99 package includes a beginner lift ticket, rental equipment and a lesson, removing some of the uncertainty that can prevent interested Canadians from taking that first step.
Each program plays a different role, but they share one objective: grow participation and create more lifelong skiers and snowboarders.
Join Us for Winter 2026/27
There is still an opportunity for ski areas to participate this winter. Whether your ski area joins one or all three of these programs, your participation contributes to a stronger national network working together to grow our sports and support the future of the Canadian ski industry.
Interested in participating? Connect with the Canadian Ski Council to learn more about the programs and how your ski area can get involved HERE, or contact programsupport@skicanada.org
New Investments Support Canadian Ski and Snowboard Athletes
New public and private investments are strengthening support for Canadian ski and snowboard athletes, with funding directed toward high-performance training infrastructure, athlete assistance, coaching and competition.
Earlier this summer, the Government of Canada announced funding for upgrades to national alpine and snowboard training centres. Investments include up to $4.024 million for the Canada Snowboard National Training Centre Network and up to $3.652 million for the National Alpine Ski Training Centre Network.
Alpine funding will support improvements at the Nakiska National Ski Cross Training Centre in Alberta, Panorama Mountain National Alpine Training Centre and Dave Murray National Alpine Training Centre in BC. Snowboard investments include upgrades to the WinSport halfpipe in Calgary, along with facilities in Yukon and Quebec.
The federal government also announced a $3-million annual increase to the Athlete Assistance Program, bringing annual funding to $43 million to help high-performance athletes with living, education and sport-related expenses.
In September, Capital Power and Alpine Canada announced a proposed long-term partnership, beginning with $5 million in its first year. The investment will support athlete pathways, coaching, national training centres, event hosting and high-performance initiatives across alpine, Para alpine and ski cross. It will also eliminate National Ski Team fees. The partnership has the potential to grow to $25 million over its initial term.
Ski areas supporting athlete development
Ski areas are also important partners in athlete training and competition. Through the CWSAA Competitor Pass Program, participating ski areas provide eligible athletes and coaches with complimentary lift access for approved training and competition.
For the 2026/27 season, 450 athletes and coaches have been approved to purchase a CWSAA All Areas Competitor Pass, providing access to ski areas across Western Canada. While athletes pay an administrative fee for the pass, the lift access itself is provided by participating ski areas — an important in-kind contribution to Canada’s competitive ski and snowboard system.
Together, these investments and contributions from ski areas help provide Canadian athletes with the facilities, financial support and on-snow access needed to train and compete.
CWSAA Members are invited to post their jobs on the CWSAA Job Board.
Selkirik College Passenger Ropeways Courses
Selkirk College continues to play a central role in developing talent for the ski industry through its full-time Ski Resort Operations and Management (SROAM) program and flexible online course offerings.
Second Year SROAM students at Sea to Sky Gondola.
Learning from the industry, in the industry
Second-year SROAM students recently hit the road for their annual summer field trip, visiting Manning Park Resort, Grouse Mountain, Sea to Sky Gondola, Whistler Blackcomb, Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners and Cypress Mountain.
Throughout the trip, students received behind-the-scenes access and learned directly from industry professionals about resort operations, planning, guest experience and the many career paths available within the ski industry.
Thank you to the teams at each stop who welcomed the students, shared their knowledge and provided a first-hand look at the industry. Experiences like these provide an important connection between classroom learning and ski area operations.
Online Ski Industry Courses
Selkirk’s online ski industry courses provide a flexible learning option for ski industry staff.
The following Passenger Ropeways courses are now open for registration and run until December 4, 2026:
- Lift 151 – Surface Passenger Ropeways and Passenger Conveyors
- Lift 152 – Aerial Fixed Grip Passenger Ropeways
- Lift 153 – Aerial Detachable Grip Passenger Ropeways
Lift 150 – Train the Trainer is also available through ongoing intake. Designed for experienced lift operations personnel, the course supports staff responsible for delivering in-house lift operations training and can be started at any time between August and March
Small Ski Area Scholarships
Selkirk College offers scholarships to employees of small ski areas (under 20,000 annual visits). Up to five small ski area employees can receive a 50% discount on Lift 151 or 152 tuition.
Manitoba adopts permanent time
On September 17, the Manitoba provincial government announced that it will remain on daylight savings permanently. In light of this announcement Manitobans’ clocks will not revert to standard time on Nov. 1. Manitoba joins several other provinces and territories that have adopted or are moving toward a permanent time including British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
🔗 Read More: https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=75397
Equip Supervisors to Handle Sensitive Situations: New Training from go2HR
As ski areas ramp up hiring ahead of peak winter season, supervisors are often the first point of contact when workplace issues arise, and many teams bring on a wave of new and returning staff, including new and young workers who may be less familiar with BC's workplace rights and reporting processes.
go2HR recently launched Part 2 of its Safer Spaces for Supervisors series, Reporting & Investigations, built for supervisors and HR professionals across the tourism and hospitality sector. The course gives supervisors the foundational skills to respond to workplace sexual harassment complaints with care, consistency, and procedural fairness, covering everything from investigation and documentation to knowing when to escalate to outside help. In ski operations, where teams form quickly each season and work closely together, well-prepared supervisors play an important role in keeping the workplace respectful and supportive. Operators whose leadership teams have already completed Part 1 can treat this course as the natural next step toward a safer, more informed workplace heading into the season. Additional support is available through go2HR's Safer Spaces page, including advisory services and a step-by-step guide to building a Sexual Harassment Prevention Program, and the full Safer Spaces for Supervisors series offers a comprehensive foundation for operations of any size.
Enroll in Safer Spaces for Supervisors: Reporting & Investigations
CWSAA Partners
EASY RESERVATIONS: drivingforce.ca
For Leasing enquiries CONTACT Jordan Arsenault:
(306) 261-6110 or JArsenault@drivingforce.ca
Driving Force has locations across western Canada to serve the ski industry.
CWSAA at Murray Ridge, BC
New Nokian Hakkapeliitta® 01
New Nokian technology with retractable studded tires, provides better grip, less road noise and greater longevity.
Purchase the Nokian Hakkapeliitta® 01 at KalTire!
Alberta Non-Profit Learning Centre webinars
The Alberta Non-profit learning centre offers webinars and courses free to support the non-profit and voluntary sector. Live webinars topics include board governance basics, grant writing, cybersecurity, roles of the board executives and many more. All the webinars are for individual board members, volunteers and non-profit staff from any non-profit organization, as well as anyone generally interested in governance and operation of non-profits.
Upcoming sessions include:
Understanding Your Legal Landscape webinar:
- Tuesday, September 22, 2026 (7:00–8:30 p.m.) https://bit.ly/4f28TWL
- Wednesday, September 23, 2026 (1:30–3:00 p.m.) https://bit.ly/4vuRxqs
"Organizational Policy: It's Not Just for the Behemoths" webinar:
- Tuesday, September 29, 2026 (10:00–11:30 a.m.) https://bit.ly/3SWyLuw
"Financial Responsibilities" webinar:
- Tuesday, October 6, 2026 (7:00–8:30 p.m.) https://bit.ly/4guCSaj
- Wednesday, October 7, 2026 (1:30–3:00 p.m.) https://bit.ly/45YirfN
"The Role of the Board Treasurer" webinar:
- Tuesday, October 13, 2026 (7:00–9:00 p.m.) https://bit.ly/45K42UJ
- Wednesday, October 14, 2026 (1:30–3:30 p.m.) https://bit.ly/3SwytdO
"Budgeting for Non-Profit Organizations – Module 1" webinar (modules 2-4 will be taught is 2027):
- Module 1 – Tuesday, October 27, 2026 (7:00–9:00 p.m.) https://bit.ly/3TZ2dAq
- Module 1 – Wednesday, October 28, 2026 (1:30–3:30 p.m.) https://bit.ly/3RN3Mkr
Learn More HERE.
Other Industry Events
Over the next few months, in addition to CWSAA's ski industry meetings, there are a number of other Tourism and ski industry related events. For more events, see the CWSAA events calendar.
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September 28 – October 2, 2026 |
Whistler Conference Centre |
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October 6 – 8, 2026 |
Hood River, Oregon |
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October 19-20, 2026 |
Victoria, BC |
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October 20-22, 2026 |
Prince George, BC |
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November 16, 2026 |
Edmonton Convention Centre |
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February 24-26, 2027 |
Victoria, BC |
Places & Faces
SROAM alumnus JC Pepin has returned to Selkirk College as an instructor with the Ski Resort Operations & Management program. JC brings 15 years of ski industry experience, including completing his millwright apprenticeship at Sun Peaks Resort and working as a journeyman millwright at Lake Louise and Whitewater. He now brings that experience back to SROAM to help develop the next generation of ski industry professionals.
Calgary has been selected to host the first-ever X Games in Canada, February 19–21, 2027 at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park. The event will bring the world’s top ski and snowboard athletes to compete in Big Air, Knucklehuck, Slopestyle and Superpipe. X Games Calgary will be the largest winter sport event hosted at WinSport since the 1988 Olympic Winter Games. Read More.
Amazing progress at Asessippi Resort, following flooding earlier this year. New lift shacks and a temporary pump house have been built and significant clean up and repairs are well underway in preparation for this season. Congratulations to the team for all the work and progress.