Mount Washington holding job fair ahead of winter season

Mount Washington is seen in this file photo from its Facebook page. (Facebook/Mount Washington Alpine Resort)

Courtenay, B.C. -

One of Vancouver Island’s largest private employers is on the hunt for new talent and is looking to hire a significant number of new workers this weekend.

“It’s quite amazing, we staff up to 800 employees, so that’s about a 700 increase,” says Cam Thickett, employee experience manager with Mount Washington Alpine Resort.

“We have a lot of returning employees each year we’re very grateful for however we’re always looking for new faces and people willing and ready to come up and enjoy the mountain experience.”

Each year, the mountain participates in a job fair to seek recruits. This time around, it will be holding one on Sunday.

“We just want to meet you,” Thickett says. “We want to hear what you’re interested in doing with us and why Mount Washington? Why do you want to be part of the community here?”

Resort managers know that aside from the paycheque, employees are also interested in working on the mountain because of the free skiing and snowboarding.

“It’s such a fun place to work, really,” says marketing manager Kayla Stockton.

“You’ll like being outside, getting out on the snow. Even if you’re not a skier or a snowboarder, there’s plenty of job opportunities for you up here at Mount Washington, but of course it’s one of the best perks is getting the season’s pass access to everything we have going on up here.”

While many job sectors are experiencing problems recruiting workers, the resort says it’s not having the same difficulties, with the exception of one area.

“We are struggling to find qualified food and beverage staff, so if anybody’s interested, we have a great operation here with great tips in the winter,” Thickett says.

Employees like lift and tube park manager Jenn Macklin say along with the perks, employment at the mountain also offers a great team atmosphere.

“We do team-building activities during training, we like to have trivia nights just to build the team feeling, we do soccer nights, we try to get together as often as we can,” Macklin says. “Obviously, with the pandemic, it is kind of difficult, but we want to help each other out if we can.”

Thickett estimates 10 per cent of the resort’s employees are from international sources, but most are from the local area, Vancouver Island and elsewhere in the province.

“We have a lot of people travelling across the country to come and spend a winter here on Vancouver Island,” he says.

The job fair takes place on Sunday, Oct. 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Comox Valley Visitors Centre.

Information on employment can also be found on the company’s website. www.mountwashington.ca