Ski resorts across B.C. desperate for staff as seasonal workers struggle to enter Canada
CBC
Heavily reliant on seasonal workers from all over the world to stay afloat, staff shortages are one of the biggest concerns facing B.C. ski resorts right now. With the pandemic continuing to prove a roadblock for many trying to enter the country, resorts are now scrambling to find alternative solutions.
With winter fast approaching and the border open again to international visitors, some of the province's ski resorts say they're worried they won't have enough staff to operate at full capacity this season, especially as ticket sales start to increase.
"It is the largest issue that we're dealing with," said Michael Ballingall, senior vice-president of the Kelowna-based Big White Ski Resort.
The resort needs 600 staff to keep their mountain running this winter, Ballingall said, and so far, they've only confirmed 230 employees.
"I say confirmed — they've accepted a job with us. But we don't know if they've accepted a job somewhere else. It's not until we ask them to report that we actually can breathe a sigh of relief," he said.
Ballingall said Big White normally experiences an influx in applications from seasonal workers during this time, but the pandemic is proving difficult in getting those people to Canada.
Pedro Pablo Iturrieta is one of those people. Before the pandemic struck, Iturrieta was working in a restaurant in Whistler, B.C., on a working holiday visa. But when public health restrictions closed down his only source of income, he was forced to head back home to Chile.