The roles are full time and you can expect an average of 4-5 days work per week across the season. Working in a tourist resort means that there are fluctuations in the number of guests and therefore the number of hours of work you will get. During peak times, such as Christmas, you may be working 6 or even 7 days per week. In the quieter times you may only get 2-3 days work per week. Each pay cheque will be different so there will be times you need to live on a budget. The great thing about fewer shifts though is that you’ll be able to ski on your days off and did we mention that a season-pass is included?!

Participants head out towards the end of November and the season generally finishes for Whistler Kids in mid-April. The exact date depends on how good the snow is! Our programme runs until the end of April to give you some time to enjoy the spring skiing and relax after a busy season, before heading home or continuing your travels.

This depends on the support role that you are looking to work in.

Den Masters and Kitchen Assistants do not need to have any previous ski or snowboard experience. You will be able to walk to work without the need to ski/board. On your days off, you’ll certainly have lots of opportunity to improve your skills!

For the Outdoor Ranger position you would need to be an experienced skier or snowboarder (minimum of 4 weeks experience) as this role involves moving equipment around the resort whilst on your skis/board.

When the snow is there! You will arrive at the start of the winter season towards the end of November and then work until the end of the season in April.

Included in this programme is a ZipTrek tour. This takes place during stay in Whistler and is a great way to get to know Whistler, the local habitat and your fellow Oysters!

The tour takes about 3 hours to complete, it takes in 5 ziplines crossing over the Fitzsimmons Creek (between Whistler and Blackcomb). This is an exhilarating adreline rush adventure but also teaches you a lot about the local environment you will call home for the next 5 months.

Check out this video from ZipTrek

These roles are great for people who do not have as much ski experience or who are snowboarders. Excluding the Outdoor Ranger role, you will not need to ski at work so you can concentrate on developing your skills on the mountain during your time off.

The great thing about being a support staff member within Whistler Kids is that you get the same benefits as the instructors – which means, among other things, you get a season long ski pass included with the job!

Working in Canada for a season is a great use of your gap year or career break. Not only will it enhance your CV but it will also enhance your independence and confidence. You will be living and working in another country for 5 months and developing your skills.

The winter in Whistler is perfect for a ski season. Temperatures remain below 0 on the mountain for the majority of the season meaning fantastic snow. Even when the village warms up, temperatures as low as -20 are not uncommon mid-winter on the mountain.

It can take up to 6 weeks before your first pay cheque arrives so you will need to arrive in Canada with enough money to feed and entertain yourself. We would suggest having a minimum of £1000 available, plus extra if you are buying skis/boots. Once you start earning money, you should be able to live on the money you earn day to day. You might want savings in place to cover any extra trips or outings that you want to do.

A requirement of the CIC Working Holiday Program is that you arrive in Canada with the equivalent of $2500 in your account (approx £1600).

You will be able to set up a Canadian bank account with the help of our local representative at TD Bank in Whistler, which you will be able to get a card for. Credit cards are advised for emergencies, as well as enough cash to see you through the first few days. There are ATM’s in the village so you won’t need too much cash with you.

We recommend opening a free account with Revolut with you as well. You can read more on our blog here.

You will need to apply for a Canadian IEC Working Holiday permit before you go. To be able to qualify for the working holiday visa, you must be between the ages of 18 and 30, and hold a passport from one of the eligible countries stated by the Canadian Embassy: Australia, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea Rep, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom. This costs C$250 approximately (£150).

You will also need a Police Check for immigration purposes and this costs approximately £45.

We will help with this once you have booked a place on the programme.

You will need to make sure your passport is valid for a minimum of 6 months after your return date (any less can be possible but is likely to cause delays at immigration).

Most people book with Oyster on their own and travel with the rest of the group. The group meets at a UK briefing course before you go to Canada and we also create a Facebook group each season.

You will be able to travel with a friend if you wish, please state this on your booking form.

Please visit your doctor or travel nurse to find out. It is unlikely that you will need anything in addition to your routine vaccinations, which should be up to date.

For any information related to Covid-19, please see the Fit for Travel website or the UK government’s travel advice page for Canada.

There is a hospital and multiple pharmacies located in Whistler village. For anything more serious, the main hospitals are in Vancouver.

Life in the Snow School is very safe, as it has to be for the young children! However you should always follow advice given by your employers to keep yourself and the children safe.

Whistler is a very safe village in general but it is always advised to keep valuables secure and stick together when you first arrive.

Staff accommodation, HOUSE, is located halfway up Blackcomb Mountain. This means that you are pretty much ‘ski in ski out’ and that your commute to work involves a ski down to the village creating fresh tracks in the morning! To get back to your accommodation you can take a lift, or if the lifts are closed, either take a bus or walk up the mountain. This takes about 20 minutes. Whistler Kids has three bases in the resort.

If you are working at the Creekside base, you will need to get a bus from Whistler Village each day. The bus takes 10 minutes and the cost of the monthly pass is approximately $70.

Our participants live in staff housing on the side of Blackcomb Mountain, referred to as ‘HOUSE’. There will be 4 of you living in a small apartment (usually with other Oyster people).

Each apartment has 2 bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bathroom. You will be sharing a room with bunk-beds. On each floor of the building there are about 10 apartments. The Oyster group all live together in the one building which means you get to know everyone in the group really well.

The cost of the accommodation comes directly off of your pay cheque and equates to approximately an hours pay per day (around $12 per night).

Your accommodation is self catered so, for the majority of time, you will be cooking for yourself. This is far cheaper than eating out every night! There are supermarkets in the village where you can stock up.

When you are working, you will be entitled to a meal at lunch time. This usually consists of a soup, main meal (pizza, pasta, hot dog, chips etc) and dessert (cookies, jelly, cake etc).

If you are feeling flush, or it’s a special occasion, there are plenty of places in Whistler to eat out with something for every appetite. Expect to pay C$13-20 for a main meal.

There is a very good staff deal that people tend to take advantage of a couple of times a week at a restaurant close to the staff accommodation. For $7 you can get a 3-course meal!

WiFi is included in your rent and each apartment has its own broadband connection.

Pretty much all public spaces in Whistler offer free WiFi from pubs to cafes and restaurants. Even the lift stations have WiFi!

NB: If you are keen to take a laptop with you, you should be aware that most insurance companies will not insure it.

You should take an ‘unlocked’ mobile phone with you to Canada (or you can buy a cheap Canadian one) and purchase a local ‘pay as you go’ SIM card. This is useful for contacting the representative and the rest of the group as local calls are very cheap.

Expect to pay around $40 per month for your mobile/cell contract. No need to waste money on a data plan as the WiFi is accessible all over. All you need is a deal with inclusive minutes and texts.

You can buy international phone cards to call the UK for $10+tax from any supermarket/phone shop this will give you hundreds of minutes to use any way you like, including calling the UK.

You will need a phone as part of your job.

Whistler is in the West of Canada, on Pacific Standard Time and is 8 hours behind GMT (GMT -8).

Canada, like the US, operates on 110V, 60 cycle electric power. You should bring an adapter with you that has a two pronged (flat) plug.

Most people use their days off to take advantage of their free ski pass and hit the slopes.

There is plenty to do in Whistler besides skiing and snowboarding. ZipTrek is an educational tour of Whistler’s coastal temperate rainforest that lasts for approximately 3 hours. You learn you all about sustainability and conservation as well as ‘zip lining’ along a number of wires that cross the Fitzsimmons Creek. This is an exhilarating thrill, hurtling across the rainforest at tremendous speeds! We include a ZipTrek tour during our orientation.

Further afield, Vancouver is 2 hours bus ride from Whistler and you can head there to shop or to watch an ice hockey match. There are usually good discounts available for staff, and sometimes free, coaches to Vancouver.

Working in a ski resort means that the hours you work are dictated by the weather and the number of tourists that are on holiday there. During the peak seasons (Christmas, New Year, and school holidays) you could be working 5 or 6 days a week but then in quieter periods this might reduce to 3-5 days a week.

The drinking age in British Columbia is 19.

As an employee at the resort, you will get very good rates on equipment and food at selected outlets. For example, 50% off food in some restaurants and 20% off general ski gear.

Canada (Lonely Planet Country Guides)

You will get to know our representative well in the first few days as they help you settle into life in Canada. You will go through an induction that involves a tour of the resort, assistance with setting up Social Insurance Numbers, bank accounts and mobile phones. You will also be introduced to your employer.
Once you start work, the representative takes more of a back seat role but is there as a helpful friend should you need assistance. Once a month, they will run a meet up with you and the rest of the group. Day to day, you will be under the supervision of your manager and supervisor at work.

Staff at Oyster’s head office and in-country will be responsible for your safety and welfare while you are on our programme. This will start from the moment you are picked up from the airport until the end date of the programme, when you will make your own way back to the airport. If you are arranging your own flights and arriving earlier or later than the rest of the group on arrival day, you will be responsible for getting yourself to the hostel in Vancouver where you will meet the rest of the group.

Before and after the Oyster programme, you will be outside Oyster’s responsibility and should make sure that you act safely and avoid risk. This is also true if you choose to get involved in activities during your time off. We will give you plenty of guidance and advice about this.

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