Whistler Labour Shortage

Whistler Labour Shortage For anyone who frequents one of North America’s premier ski destinations on a regular basis, it’s blatantly obvious there is something absent in Whistler. There is plenty of snow, plenty of scenery, plenty of tourists. So what’s missing?

Go into any local bar or restaurant and take a look around. Count the staff working, the service, or lack of. In the village and you will see signs up on many windows looking for help. There is a major labour shortage in Whistler and the problem is only getting worse. In fact, many employers are so desperate they are offering outrageous incentives to lure would-be employees to work for their establishment. Free season’s passes, free food, etc.

So, what is the cause of this gigantic dilemma? Well, one of the problems lies in the lack of affordable housing for Whistler’s seasonal residents. There are thousands of condos in the centre and surrounding areas of Whistler, but they are usually gobbled up by tourists before an ad can even reach the local classifieds. And to add to the problem, these condos aren’t exactly inexpensive either, especially on a hostess’ or ski instructor’s wages. Unskilled labourers have no where to live. There are employees who literally live at their place of work, while others sleep in their cars or crash on sofas.

Another part of this problem lies in the increasing strength of the Canadian dollar. Whistler used to attract many workers from other countries to staff the bars, restaurants, and service positions during the ski season since, currency wise, it was very affordable to do so. However, living in one of the most expensive municipalities in the nation is not cheap anymore. After rent, food, and other living expenses, not much is left in terms of profit. Australian, British, and New Zealand twenty-something’s still flock to one of Canada’s top tourist destinations to work, and contribute to the migrant culture that makes this aspect of Whistler so unique. Though, with the word getting out about the Canada's current employment woes and the strong Loonie one can only wonder how long will this migration will last.

An article in www.BCBusinessonline.ca goes explains in further detail about Whistler’s labour crisis.

http://www.bcbusinessmagazine.com/bcb/top-stories/2007/02/01/labour-summit