Imagine: You make first tracks on virgin powder in the crystal-clear morning air, work at a local ski resort, or in town during the day; you return to your chalet after work, hang out with new friends or get ready to enjoy the vibrant nightlife Banff offers.
Working a season in Canada attracts many young people between 18-35 years old, from all over the world including many Canadians that are drawn to Banff for the season, a full year or longer.
Banff’s three ski resorts offers a wide variety of different mountain jobs such as guest services, instructors, gondola and lift operators, base services and parking attendants. There are also general retail jobs, as well as more specialist roles in ski/snowboard rental and tuning shops. If you have experience in hospitality, there are also positions available in hotels, bars and restaurants for chefs to porters and waiting and bar staff to housekeepers. The range of jobs available is just as wide as you would find in European resorts.
All that come to Banff to work for a winter season are drawn here primarily because we have one of the longest winter seasons in the world, were you are promised consistently good snow, vibrant nightlife and like-minded people.
International Experience Canada now controls all Working Holiday Visa’s. Depending on the passport you hold, you are required to be between 18-35 years old and in some cases you must be between 18-30 years old to acquire the working holiday visa, which we can help you find out.
Whether you are taking a break from your studies, finished your studies, or that you just do not feel quite ready for the real world. Out here you can escape the day-to-day grind of city life to take advantage of a mountain lifestyle for a season, there are plenty of options for work in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are the largest cities here in Canada that a lot of working-holiday-makers often gravitate towards. However, those that are looking for a season on snow tend to gravitate to the west. Whistler has always been a popular choice, but Banff is one of the top a destination that Canada has to offer. It is located in Banff National Park and if you compare Whistler to Banff, Banff is not just a ski resort, it is a year round destination, where you got all that the mountains can possibly offer, from great hiking trails and mountain biking in the summer to champagne powder and one of the worlds top 10 destinations for off-piste skiing.
Banff National Park in the Canadian Rocky Mountains covers over 2500 square miles of breathtaking mountain scenery. It is the largest national park in Canada, approximately 1 hour west of Calgary, Alberta and spans the border into British Columbia. The town of Banff is a busy town that draws 4 million tourists per year, with the majority of visitors coming in during the summer. With wildlife such as bears, elk and mountain goats on your doorstep, to snow covered mountains, raging rivers and turquoise lakes. Banff provides easy access to hiking, river rafting, mountain biking, climbing, camping and brilliant world class resorts for skiing and snowboarding.
Banff's three ski areas: Lake Louise, Sunshine Village and Mount Norquay offer the largest ski area in Canada. Over 7000 acres of variable terrain and tons of snow to keep us happy from early November until the shorts and flip flops come out in early May. There are several other resorts within a few hours that also make for great road trip destinations, as well as Heliskiing and Catskiing operations in the backcountry for those that are after luxurious champagne powder, that you will not find as fluffy and light either on the west coast in Whistler nor anywhere in Europe.
Another thing you will probably know of, if you have been skiing or snowboarding much in Europe are the massive line-ups for the lifts. If you are tired of wasting half of your day on the mountain just waiting in line to catch the next lift up, you should try out one of Banff’s three resorts or generally just any resort in Canada.
Organizing a season in Banff requires advance planning, especially for passport holders from the UK where the working holiday visa quota is limited and fills up each year sometimes as early as April and May. The visa is valid for one full year from the date you enter Canada and UK candidates are eligible for two separate one-year working holiday visa’s. Whether you are interested in working for a season on the mountain, working a year in town, or gaining a certification to teach skiing or snowboarding and working on the mountain teaching every day, Banff should be on your radar, and Gap Year Canada can help you make your dream come true.
Living and working in another country provides an unparalleled experience where you will meet new friends, and gain new experiences, skills and experiences that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
"Out here you can escape the day-to-day grind of city life to take advantage of a mountain lifestyle for a season..."
Written by Rikke Meldgaard from Gap Year Canada, who can help you plan your season in Canada, including help with applying for a visa and finding a job.