Working the Canadian ski season.

[Regan of Gong]

Hey ya'll. I'm about to graduate Uni and I think it'd be pretty cool to go work in Canada for their ski season as a gap year thing. I know there's at least a few people here who have done it, so I'm just looking for some general advice. At the moment I've got my work visa application filled out (the international experience program one) but I've also missed out on the Australian OWH programs where you pay $700 to get a job.

The thing I'm tossing up at the moment is whether to pay the $150 for the Visa then head over to the Whistler job fair at the start of November, get an SIN and try find a job, or whether to not bother at all and just go over for a couple of weeks in February as a holiday. Obviously my preference would be to work a season there, but bar any positive responses from the emails I'm sending out to employers at the moment, it's a bit of a risk heading over in November not knowing whether I'll get anything.

What do you guys reckon? If you worked there, how did you get your job sorted?

 

[shirtz]

done it with OWH.

was the best for me. i worked in whistler and everyone else who went to the job fair had been sitting around for months waiting for snow while i arrived in dec ready to go. it would work if you went to the job fair, got the job then traveled for a bit though.

 

[Regan of Gong]

done it with OWH.

was the best for me. i worked in whistler and everyone else who went to the job fair had been sitting around for months waiting for snow while i arrived in dec ready to go. it would work if you went to the job fair, got the job then traveled for a bit though.

So the job fairs are decent then- I'm more than likely to get a position doing something?

In hindsight I should've got this sorted a while back and just forked out the $700 for OWH, oh well, see how we go now. Anyone else?

 

[Hugle]

I had a few mates go last year through the OWH program, they all seemed to find good jobs through it.

I'm in Canada at the moment (studying, not working) and I was in Banff last week, literally every second place had a sign in the window looking or staff, from pubs to jewelry stores to the bakery. It seemed like it wouldn't be super difficult to pick up work...

 

[John U]

I went to Canada to work a ski season at Whistler in 97 (at least this was my goal and my dream). Back then the work visas were only for 12 months. I arrived before the end of the preceding seaon which I thought was awesome, went up and skied for a few days and thought this is going to be a ball tearer when I come up next season and work on the lifts for the whole season.
I was wrong.
Turned up for an interview in August/September and because my Visa ran out before the season ended the interviewers pretty much said I had no chance.
I was fuckin' shattered. I rang home and found that there was a good job with great experience waiting for me so I told Canada to shove it and headed home.

A lot has changed since then.
In '97
- Mountain biking at Whistler in its infancy, virtually non existent
- working holiday Visa's for Aussies 12 months

Now
- Mountain biking at Whistler in Summer looks as attractive as the ski/board season in Winter, if not better (longer days in Summer)
- working holiday Visa's for Aussies 2 years (I think)

Just make sure your visa doesn't run out before the end of the season you intend working whether that be Summer or Winter.

Aside from my disappointment I had a great time in Canada. One of the best things I have ever done came totally out of the blue when I hooked up a with Helicopter GeoSeismic Survey being conducted near Fernie. Flying around in helicopters seeing the Rockies up close for 6 weeks, making some great mates and having an excellent time, and getting paid for it. What I am saying here is don't think that the working the ski season is the be all and end all, and that organising a job when you get there can probably lead to some of the best experiences you can have.

If I was in your shoes I wouldn't be paying anyone $700 to liine up a job for me. What if the job you get sucks? If you just turn up over there and are prepared to work hard and try different things you shouldn't have too many issues finding a job. I would be going straight to Whistler and finding a job doing whatever, spend a summber riding and getting settled in and lining something sweet up (jobwise) that will allow you maximum time on the slopes in Winter.

I wouldn't worry too much about doing your gap year thing as soon as you finish uni. Just make sure you get over there allowing enough time to use your working Visa.

And don't spend all your time working at Whistler. Go somewhere else and work with Canadians and learn a bit about them as a result. They're awesome people.

 

[Regan of Gong]

I wouldn't worry too much about doing your gap year thing as soon as you finish uni. Just make sure you get over there allowing enough time to use your working Visa.

And don't spend all your time working at Whistler. Go somewhere else and work with Canadians and learn a bit about them as a result. They're awesome people.

Cheers for the advice man At the moment I specifically mentioned Whistler because they have a job fair in early November, which is the earliest I'll be able to get over there after my final weeks at Uni, assuming I can't get an offer via email/Skype with other resorts. I'm also really keen to do it this season, as I'll still be right to apply for a whole bunch of graduate jobs that start early 2013, as a lot of them specify having graduated in the last two years. Not wanting to go straight into a full time real job having barely turned 21, a gap year kinda thing seems like a good option for me. My visa will be valid for two years so who knows, I might stay for the summer if it all works out.

 

[John U]

I only got passes in my final year at uni. My results weren't going to blow anyone away. There were a lot of people that worked harder and got better results than me in my course. As a result I didn't stress too much about getting a grad position as a I knew my chances were low.

Instead I relaxed a bit for the summer and let all the peeps going for the grad positions sort themselves out. I started looking for a job in March and walked into one of the higher paying positions in a reasonably good location without much hassle.

Not sure what you are studying but in the world of Geology getting a grad position wasn't the be all and end all (back in the day at least).

Your plan sounds pretty solid. Don't be too rigid with it though. Some of the best things in life occur when things don't go according to plan.

 

[Nerf Herder]

If your going over there with the view of maybe staying a long as possible (which I would) ... my suggestion is to secure the work visa ... but initially go in on the tourist visa.

Do a bit of touring and get that all out of the way, maybe find a job whilst your travelling ... head over to the US and then when coming back in, for the 2nd time, thats when you should activate your work visa.

all depends on how long you want to stay ... but if the goal is to maximise the stay or even increase your options to maximise your stay and earn income , then this is the best way to do it legally IMO. note: make sure you do everything by the book for both the US and Canada, as they have long memories and will kick your arse out to god knows what country with no way to get home.

Secondly, as nice as Whistler/Blackcombe is for skiing ... its coastal, so the temps have to be lower to produce drier snow (or more likely maintain it in as dry a state as long as possible) ... if POW is a big must for you ... work in one of the interior resorts. I worked at Fernie ... and February is to die for ... maybe Silver Star or Panorama might be a better compromise for both snow quality and summer riding (although I think one of these resorts is near a lake system so again a bit more moisture in the POW)

Last one ... this one could have changed.
When I was there, Canadians pay an unemployment (or employment insurance) ... as long as you have earned an income and therefore have paid some insurance payments ... then you are entitled. This is a bonanza for season workers ... many of my friends worked as tree planters during the summer seasons, and skied winter living off the insurance payouts ... or you could do the opposite and work winter and ride summer. Worth looking into this just in case my info is out of date.

Good luck, I loved Canada and highly recommend it if you like 4 distinct seasons, varied terrain and people with a similar outlook as Aussies.

 

[[Z]]

Nerf,
You wouldn't by any chance know how much these payments are? This may be the touch of god that I also need for my Canada plans next year! Going over for some summer riding and getting entitled to some insurnace would be bloody amazing!

** is this only available to citizens?

 

[Nerf Herder]

Nerf,
You wouldn't by any chance know how much these payments are? This may be the touch of god that I also need for my Canada plans next year! Going over for some summer riding and getting entitled to some insurnace would be bloody amazing!

** is this only available to citizens?

howdy sorry no idea re payment size, I never ended up getting the payments ... but its enough to get you food and shelter, and maybe the occasional piss up ... sorry for my lack of detail from memory the longer you were working prior to being unemployed the more you can get out.

re: availability, I am almost 100% certain that provided you earned income and made payments into the pool ... you are entitled to get the unemployment insurance cover if you are subsequently out of work. I am very sure it was an insurance scheme as several of my Canuck friends explained it to me. I was actually planning to work the summer, and ski the following winter, but didn't work out that way. Lastly, an Aussie friend of mine was getting payments for a while whilst she was living with her boyfriend in the middle of nowhere and couldn't find a job.

Just to clarify ... this is not health insurance aye, its a type of unemployment benefit ... just in case.

Please research this, via Canuck embassy and or other Canadian govt sites ... and don't rely on my memory, almost 15years since I was there.

 

[Regan of Gong]

Thanks for all the advice, keep it coming!

The main thing I'm scared of is rocking up in November, trying to find a job and getting nothing...then running out of money at the start of December and going home without getting much decent skiing in

 

[brad353]

health insurance

i have a question regarding health insurance. i'm currently trying to get the details for my trip to bc sorted. i have my WHP application approved, and in the approval letter it mentioned that i have to have health insurance before entering the country. does that mean like private health insurance similar to what we have here in australia, or do they just mean travel insurance? (i'm planning on being there for twelve months or more). can anyone recommend what companies i need to contact in canada to enquire about the insurance? also, can anyone give me a rough idea of what to expect to pay for twelve months of insurance? thanks

 

[Mail Man]

I am quite sure they mean travel insurance, I don't think you can get private heath insurance unless you are a permanent resident (they have weird rules in Canada). You will need to sort that out before you leave Australia, it costs a lot more when you do it from OS. I do not know of any companies.

 

[L.P.]

Its pretty awesome, im doing it now in whistler.

I worked over summer as a bike tech, and that made it super easy to get a job over winter. im working in ski tuning now, which i recon is a pretty shit job, except i work 2 days and 2 nights, which means i can ride 5 days a week. and that is awesome.

Obviously, in both winter and summer, experience helps getting jobs. that said, working as a liftie or something like that, its pretty easy to get a job.

Look on their employment website before you go. There are lots of jobs that will be listed before the job fair, and try to get there early, if you can get there for early interviews then its a lot easier than the job fair. the job fair typically has thousands of people liining up for a hundred or so jobs left.

i recon come here at the end of summer, bring a trail bike and ride all through the dead season while looking for a job and setting up for winter. then you;ll be pretty sure you get something.

Have fun!