Okanagan ski resorts facing staffing challenges

With opening day just weeks away, several ski hills in the Okanagan say they're struggling to fill staff positions for the upcoming season.

Several ski resorts in the Okanagan are just weeks away from opening up to the public, but a staffing shortage being felt across B.C.’s ski resort sector is causing some concern ahead of the new season.

“It is at an all-time struggle,” said Apex Mountain Resort manager James Shalman.

“I don’t know what is going on. I’m not sure where the staff are.”

Shalman says he’s looking to fill at least 150 positions but it’s been a struggle. He says the hill is hosting a hiring fair on Nov. 2 at the Penticton Lakeside Resort from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.

“We need to hire positions, really in every single field,” said Shalman. “So that could be lifties (chair lift operators), snow school (instructors), sales and marketing. Everything. Even a Zamboni operator.”

Shalman said he’s looking at the possibility of adding more incentives to attract workers, like offering ski deals at other local ski resorts. That strategy was employed by Silverstar Resort, and now they say only a few job postings remain vacant.

At Big White, they’re not only experiencing a shortage of workers, they’re also dealing with a shortage of space to house them.

“Twelve-hundred people normally, prior to COVID,” said senior vice president of Big White Michael J. Ballingall of the number of staff they used to have.