Canada Mega Thread - 2017 /2018 edition
1. Welcome to the 2017 Canada Mega Thread.
Please feel free to view the previous threads as they have lots of good responses and information too: http://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/18391 and https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/13765
The purpose of the new thread is to update some details and improve from gained knowledge. The visa process was out of date as well so I looked up details and added them. If they aren’t correct, please let me know as I am now unable to actually apply again.
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2. Applying for a Canadian Visa
Note: Apply for your police certificate first! It takes the longest to come back. It is $42 and just has to be valid within the last 6 months for most ski field jobs. You can apply for it here: https://afpnationalpolicechecks.converga.com.au/
Note2: If you have had any convictions on your police report, maybe go apply for Japan instead. Canada is quite picky when your record isn’t clean. One of the main reasons people don’t get visas is because they have had a DUI.
a. To be eligible for the Working Holiday category, you must:
• be an Australian citizen,
• have a valid Australian passport for the duration of your stay in Canada—your work permit in Canada will not be longer than the validity of your passport,
• be between the ages of 18 and 30 (inclusive),
• have the equivalent of CAN$2,500 to help cover your expenses in Canada,
• be able to take out health insurance for the duration of your stay—you may have to present evidence of this insurance when you enter Canada,
• be admissible to Canada,
• have, prior to departure, a round-trip ticket or demonstrate that you will have the financial resources to purchase a departure ticket at the end of your authorized stay in Canada,
• not be accompanied by dependents, and
• pay the fees.
b. Create an account for your application here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/e-services/account.asp
c. Click to use a GCKey. You will not have a sign in partner unless you have already been to Canada.
d. Make sure you choose IEC (International Explore Canada). You will most likely not have a personal reference code yet so choose the option below “I do not have a Personal Reference Code that says IEC)
e. Get added to the pool of applicants. There may be a fee (it’s either here or at the end) of $230 - $250 approx.
3. Once you get your “Conditional Acceptance Letter” you can continue onto part 2 of the Visa process
- Go to http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/e-services/account.asp
- Log into your account and fill out the questionnaire. This will take 10-20 minutes
Then you get to a checklist of documents you need to upload:
a. IEC Conditional Acceptance Letter
- This is the conditional acceptance letter that you got for completing part 1. Download it from your Kompass account and upload it to the MyCIC account.
b. CV / Resume
- Short and sweet. Canada wants to know where you studied, where you worked, what sort of jobs you have done. 1-2 page(s) of Education, Previous jobs and Current job will do. Try not to have gaps in between jobs. This helps if you were off for 4 months to use the year that you were there rather than specific months. Have a look at my resume as a guide, here - http://imgur.com/a/uZXw4. It’s always gotten me interviews.
c. Passport or travel document
- Copy of the photo page of your passport
d. Digital Photo
- Digital version of your passport photo.
- Don’t shrink it to try and make it passport size. Mine was relatively big (Think 600 wide x 800 high).
- Keep your face as about 75-85% of the photo, minimal WHITE background and not too much shoulders. Try to keep the aspect ratio like your photo on your Passport. Mine was approved from a photo taken from my d-slr.
e. Police Certificate
- You will need this to apply for jobs anyway. This is available online from https://afpnationalpolicechecks.converga.com.au/. You need 2 forms of ID (100 Points) and will cost you about $42. Can take up to 8 weeks to get back so apply early. But if you are clean, you can get it as quick as 1 week later.
f. Family Information Form
- You may need to right click and “Save Target As…” with this form as well due to Adobe Acrobat errors.
- This one you CAN NOT use a digital signature.
- Fill in the form, print it off, sign all 3 lines and scan it back in.
g. Submit to the CIC for approval.
4. Finding a Job
Most mountains in Canada require you attending a job fair. Some of the more popular mountains like Whistler and Big White give most of their jobs to 3rd party companies like The Working Holiday Club. If you are intending to do a popular job like a lift operator, this is the easiest way to get a job there. There are options to get a job through the job fair and plenty of mountains that don’t require you to pay a fee to a company for pre-screening.
Whistler:
http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/employment/jobs-at-whistler-blackcomb/index.aspx
Big White:
http://www.bigwhite.com/contact-us/employment-info/jobs/?ccm_tab=2#tab
Silver Star:
http://winter.skisilverstar.com/silver-star-internal/working-silver-star/job-openings
Sun Peaks:
http://www.sunpeaksresort.com/employment
Revelstoke:
http://www.revelstokemountainresort.com/resort/employment
Kicking Horse:
http://kickinghorseresort.com/careers/
Panorama:
http://www.panoramaresort.com/employment/
Fernie:
http://skifernie.com/careers/
Red:
http://www.redresort.com/jobs/
Whitewater:
https://www.skiwhitewater.com/employment.php
Sunshine Villiage:
http://www.skibanff.com/jobs/
Lake Louise:
https://www.skilouise.com/news-and-info/employment.php
Norquay:
http://winter.banffnorquay.com/your-mountain/employment/
Note: If you are looking for a specific trained position, you may need to start looking quite early. If you’re looking for your basic ski bum jobs like a lifty, bar bitch, ticket inspector or retail sales person, these generally come out anywhere between August and October. Don’t stress if your resort of choice hasn’t released their jobs yet. They will come.
If you want to be sure of a job, especially lift operations, find 4 or 5 resorts that you wouldn’t mind working at and apply for them all. If you get one, accept it even if it’s not your first choice. Then if a better option comes around, take the better option and apologise to the first resort with something like: “Dear Lift Ops, Unfortunately I won’t be able to work at “resort name here” I apologise for any inconveniences caused and I hope you have a great season. Regards, “Your Name”“.
This is actually good for people who show up late to a resort and / or people wanting to get into these jobs as they get re-advertised or allows people behind you to get a shot at the job of their choice. Most likely you’ll never go back to work at that mountain anyway so it’s not really burning bridges.
5. Finding a flight
There are many websites for finding flights and travel agents can be great. Go into a travel agent with your research and they’ll likely match it and give you any pointers you need. If you’re doing internal flights as well as a long distance flight, they might even be able to find you a better deal combining the 2 flights than online. If you know someone who is a travel agent, hit them up too it at least helps them out with commission or reaching targets. If they can’t help, then just go back to the online way.
Here is a list of good websites to check. Remember that once you find a flight, check the extra fees (sometimes they ruin a good flight price) and check the airline’s website as they quite often hold the best deals for their planes. (and they don’t have to pay a fee to the booking agency that way.)
https://scottscheapflights.com/en-au/ (Not technically a flight finding site but he will email good deals on occasion. I went Sydney to LAX return for $750 with 2 bags each way, 6 months apart)
http://www.kayak.com.au
http://www.skyscanner.com.au
http://www.iwantthatflight.com.au
http://www.webjet.com.au
http://www.expedia.com.au
5.1 The day you’re leaving
Pack your bags a week before and then re-pack the day before you leave. Take out as much of the “just in case” stuff. You probably don’t need it or can buy another one cheap when you get there. When you wake up and are heading to the airport, say your goodbyes at home and catch the train / bus / cab to the airport. You’ll be stressing enough since you’ve just left your life at home and you don’t need the added stress of a crying of mum / dad / best friend / siblings. You need to be organised by getting your ticket, checking in luggage and claiming tax free items that you purchased in the last month. To do this, bring your receipt (over $300) to the duty free counter along with the item (snowboards, bindings, boots, gear, laptops action cams, digital cameras all purchased for your trip can be claimed!) and get your 10% back. If you’ve spent over $1000 on this sort of stuff you can get back >$100 which can really help in the long run.
One big thing for me is the 14h flight. It’s long and tedious. Movies are great but after 2 or 3 you’re over them. Make sure you have a killer playlist on your phone and some TV series on your laptop / tablet. Grabbing a few seasons of a series you wanted to watch can easily kill 5+ hours with you being hooked on the characters.
If you want a peaceful flight from babies, chatter or other external noise, look into noise cancelling headphones. I got a pair of Bose QC35s and they are amazing!
6. Arriving in Vancouver (also applies for Calgary or any other city in Canada)
Yes Vancouver is a major city. But it’s no New York or Los Angeles, so you don’t need to spend a week there to see all the sites. Remember that you’re likely on a budget so don’t go crazy shopping and touristing before you even get to your ski hill and start your job. You should have a hostel or hotel booked for when you arrive. Check your luggage in and start getting the important stuff done. I would commit about 4 days tops to see and do everything worthwhile in Vancouver and add 4 days if you want to visit Vancouver Island and 1-2 day(s) to visit Whistler if you’re not working there. (optional of course)
a. Visa
Get off the plane and leave your bags at the luggage unload. Go straight to the Visa area and beat anyone that’s on your plane to that line. Most likely you just got off your Air Canada flight and arrived at 7am and are the first one there. If you wait for everyone else, you can get stuck in a queue. Your bags will be fine (often taking longer to get off the plane than your Visa takes anyway.
b. SIN Number
Once you’ve checked into your accommodation, the most important thing is your SIN Number. It’s the same as a social security number in the USA and is required for work, bank account and a few other things. Remember to take a picture and send it to yourself in an email so you have a copy. The closest downtown Vancouver location is here: https://goo.gl/maps/kpwAt. Obviously bring your work permit you got at the airport and your passport (should be together.)
c. Change your money into Canadian dollars.
Never do this at the airport as you’re throwing away about 5-10c per dollar. When you are swapping a few hundred, this adds up. On Granville St in downtown Vancouver is Charlies Currency Exchange which has really good rates. As always, carrying a lot of money on you is a risk (especially walking in and out of currency exchanges) so be careful and keep an eye out for anyone looking less than legit. Remember that you don’t need to bring your life savings on the plane. If you want to transfer more money after you have a bank account, sign up for Transferwise here: https://transferwise.com/u/e6acfd
d. Bank Account
Make an appointment to sign up for a bank account. You’d think you could just walk in and do it… but you can’t. So call up the bank of your choice and organise to speak with someone. The bank you should go with changes per resort. RBS or TD bank for Whistler (or Scotia if you’re living in Creekside). Sun Peaks doesn’t have a bank on the hill so any are fine. One massive positive for Scotiabank is that they are part of the international banking alliance which means you can withdraw in the USA at any Bank of America bank for free (after the exchange rate) They also have hockey team cards if you’re a fan of the NHL.
d2. Tangerine: https://www.tangerine.ca/en/spending/chequing-account/index.html
This is another option for a bank if you don’t want to get charged fees. Since they don’t use physical banks and don’t run any teller machines, there is no monthly fee and you get unlimited transactions. Cash withdrawls are free from Scotiabank ATMs and you can organise it all online. They are run by the same company as ING Bank in Australia who I currently use here and the Australian version is amazing. Check it out before committing to $12 a month in fees from other banks.
e. Phone / Plan
This only applies to mountains where you can get phone reception otherwise it’s pointless. Manning park for instance has no reception. The main carriers are Telus, Rogers and Bell. Telus is the one I went with due to decent sized data plan and good reception at Sun Peaks. Other plans like Virgin can be just as good (utilizes Bells network) and you get the same deal at almost half the price. Check with facebook groups of your chosen mountain which carriers are the best. For Fernie, Virgin, Bell and Telus all worked well. Whistler has a Telus tower so they are good there too.
f. Transport
Either book a bus (Greyhound) or buy a car. The positives to having a vehicle are that you can drive to and from the hill if required, can do shopping runs when required and can do road trips to other mountains when you feel like it, not when someone else is going. The negatives are that people ask you for favours all the time, petrol / insurance is costly and if you have an accident it will cost you. (luckily there are no kangaroos to hit but deer can still ruin a car)
Make sure that you have winter tyres (or at least all seasons) fitted or you will not do very well on snow or icy roads. If you do buy a car, put a generic address in the town you’re living in and update it once you get a house. 6 Months rego on my car registered in Burnaby, near Vancouver was $1300. 6 Months rego on my car in Fernie was $750.
7. I’ve made it to the resort, what’s next?
a. Friends
A lot of people who came to Sun Peaks came with friends. There is no problem with this as it give you someone to fall back on and you can help each other get through things. The downside to this is that some people get comfortable and don’t go out and try to make new friends. Being at a ski resort in Canada means there are literally tons of people who are in your same situation. Just start shaking some hands and going “Hey I’m TJ, how’s it going?”. If you’re flying solo, you pretty much end up doing this so you know someone and it snowballs.
If you don’t get out and meet people, there is the likely chance that you end up like a few people I met. One story was a group of 5 or so and generally kept to themselves. In that group was a couple, I didn’t actually meet them until 3 months into the season and just before we met them they decided it wasn’t what they wanted and booked a flight home. As soon as they booked a flight home, they came over and met our group of people and started actually enjoying themselves on the mountain. The day they left, they said they totally regretted the decision and wished they had of pushed themselves more.
b. Snowboarding (or skiing)
You might have been the best shredder of your friends and even one of the better people that you have seen on your local slope but that’s not the case anymore. If you haven’t been to North America before, you’ve probably never seen actual tree runs and you’ve probably never seen people who have been born and bred in the snow. They can ride and will happily show you up lol. However if you become friendly with them they might show you some cool spots which have the best powder or the best tree runs.
If you’re going to Canada as a newbie, never fear there is someone to help you out too. If you work for the mountain, there is a good chance you get free lessons. Go to the main office and sign up and they’ll have you shredding in no time. Keep at it, the first few days might suck. If you’re not a mountain staff member, a good idea is to either make friends with a ski instructor or if you can’t do that, go to the bunny hill (the easiest hill on the mountain) and see if you can’t find a lifty to give you a hand. If they are half decent, they might give you a few pointers to get you up and shredding.
c. Partying
You want to go out as much as possible. You didn’t go halfway around the world to sit in your room. This is great, get out and do it. However, don’t go crazy on buying everyone drinks and getting hammered every night for the first 2 weeks and go broke. Take it easy to begin with and once you start earning money and forming a budget then you know your limits and can be a little bit silly. Remember you are going to be earning $11 an hour and can’t really afford to be spending $50+ more than once or twice a week. At Sun Peaks, there is a bell above the bar. When someone hits it, everyone touching the bar gets a shot on you. It’s your choice to hit it. (watch out for people hitting it multiple times in a night. Rich people… lol)
Also, lines for locals night will be crazy for the first month. Get there early and hang out with friends. When the night gets busy then party down. Otherwise, drink at home and wait for December / New Year when people are actually broke and the lines are a lot more reasonable.
This is also the case for the big theme parties. At Fernie there is the German Sparkle party, Ugly Christmas Sweater party, NYE/NYD, Mogul Smoker and Hot Dog Day to name a few. Don’t miss out by waiting in line cause you got there late and don’t be lame and stay home for some of the best parties out there!
d. Parties and pre-drinks at your place
This will likely happen whether you want it or not. Try to keep your valuable things locked in your room and everything will be fine. Be prepared to clean up in the morning.
Work on your beer pong skills, kings cup antics and poker skills as these were all pretty common for us. If you live in staff accommodation there is a good chance your best friends are a 5 minute walk away. If you live in a town like Fernie, they could be half a town away. Be sure to make an effort to make the most of your season!
e. Housemates
They could be great they could be bad. Take what you’re given in staff accommodation and if you don’t like it, find another place to live. Be prepared for people to eat your stuff and use your stuff when they run out. You might do the same back. Try to be a decent person and ask first / replace stuff and don’t be that guy that never helps out around the house. The dishes pile up quick. If everyone does them twice a week it really helps.
If you get your own place, try screening applicants to find the best group of people you can. But don’t be too fussy that it ends up costing you weeks of double rent because nobody was up to your standards.
f. Shopping
If you can split a massive shop with your housemates, it will go a long way to saving money in the long run. Costco is great for this, take your non-canadian passport to costco and you can shop there for free! (no credit cards allowed for travellers. Debit / Savings / Chequing accounts are fine.) Zip lock bags and a freezer are a godsend. We used to get a few kilos of mine, steaks, chicken etc and split them when we got home. Then you can just defrost in the sink while you’re at work and then have food ready to be cooked when you get home.
If you don’t have a few decent knives, go to Walmart and buy a few of these bad boys. Chef Knife They aren’t top quality but will do a much better job than trying to cook with steak or butter knives (or even blunt knives).
8. Things you need to pack for a snow season in Canada
1. Snow Gear. If you don’t have this, wait until you get to Vancouver or visit Seattle for some deals. No you don’t want a 2nd hand board from the 80’s. Go to a sales store like the boardroom in Vancouver and grab some new gear. There are lots of options and great sales if you arrive before the season.
a. Snowboard: Look for something that’s your style of riding. If you are a newbie, probably best to stick with a hybrid style board as it has the best of both worlds. Have a look for camber profiles here: https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/4119. Also, check out this article which has a good explanation of which board you need.
https://www.boardworld.com.au/snowboarding/guides/snowboard-characteristics
Note: If you have large feet, Size 13 or up you may need a wide board. Look for boards with a 255mm or wider waist width. This also depends on your binding angles. If you run 18/-18 then you can get away with a skinnier board than someone who rides 9/-9.
b. Bindings: There are a few different types of bindings. The traditional type of binding has 2 straps and a highback. If you’re a newbie, stick with the tried and true method. Other options are rear entry bindings. You do the straps up to your liking and then you pull the highback down to put your foot in. This can be quicker but is generally a lot more of a pain in powder and really doesn’t save more than a few seconds per run. The other option is a single strap method like the Ride Contrabands. This just has 1 strap that covers your whole boot. Do them up like a regular binding but quicker. The downside is that they can have unusual pressure points.
c. Boots: Again a few different types. Laces will always be a solid option. You can do them up as tight as you like and customise where they will be tight and where they won’t. Remember not to put too much pressure on the top of your foot or you might cut the circulation off and leave yourself with dead toes. Other options are speed laces. These can be really good, they are quick and do up similar to laces. It’s also easier to get tight than laces for weaker people, providing more support. BOA is the third type. If you’re going this route, try to get 2 BOA systems otherwise they can do up incorrectly and cause issues. Another problem with BOA is that the wheel can wear out which means you’ll be tightening up every run.
d. Socks: Might not sound important but good snowboard socks are a must! They keep your feet warm and can stop things like blisters which are caused when wearing footy socks or regular cotton socks. They also wick away sweat so you don’t feel wet and soggy. Don’t be afraid to buy more socks during the season, especially if you’re a lifty.
e. Pants and Jackets: Try to ensure that you get a minimum 10k waterproofing and 10k breathability. This will ensure you stay dry and have a good season. If you are working as a lifty outside, getting black pants means you can substitute your own pair for the work pair if you want. My uniform at Sun Peaks was a shell from the North Face which didn’t provide much heat. I had to wear thermals each day which to me was less comfortable.
f. Gloves: Another big one. If you are working outside, you need more than 1 pair of gloves. I went over with 3 pairs and they were all pretty destroyed by the end of the season. If you are bumping chairs on fixed grip lifts, I’d recommend a pair of these for working in: Ice Man Rigger Gloves They are super well made and cheap. By all means, they won’t work well for riding in but when chilling at the lifts and bumping, they are amazing! Riding gloves are a different story. Get a pair or 2 of decent gloves so you can swap them out if they get wet.
g. Face Mask: It’s a different type of cold in Canada. You need a face mask if you’re riding at any sort of speed. I took over 3 because they are similar to gloves and socks, need to be washed regularly and will get wet and snotty.
h. Goggles: Lots of reputable goggle brands make the cut here: Anon, Dragon, Electric, Oakley and Smith are all good. If you wear glasses, try to get an OTG (over the glasses) type of goggle or start learning to wear contacts. Another good idea is to get your helmet first and try the goggles with the helmet to make sure they fit together. Nothing worse than having a gaper gap (or punter gap) and having a line of sun burn on your forehead. Again, check out the BW store for some good deals on these.
On the other side of the fence is cheaper or no name brands. These generally fog up quicker and will lower your enjoyment at the hill. If there is one thing to spend some cash on, it’s a good pair of gogs.
i. Helmets: Last but definitely not least is a Helmet. If you plan on riding as part of your job you’ll need to wear a helmet at most resorts. This is for your safety, their insurance and pushing the safety aspect to the guests. “Our staff wear helmets, you should too”. Other than that, helmets are generally warmer, stay dryer, and can potentially save your life in a bad crash.
Note: Some resorts will require you to have a leash to register your snowboard to ride on. Grab one from the local snowboard shop for a few bucks. If not, borrow one from someone else on the mountain and put it on for the check and then give it back. After the original check, most mountains don’t even care. Personally I think they are pointless as if you take both boots out of the board you’re likely to remove the leash anyway, providing nothing but an inconvenience.
2. Non Snow Gear
a. Underwear: Buy a heap and bring it. As you’ll likely be wearing snow gear most of the time, this will be the thing you need the most of. You also don’t want to be doing a load of washing every 5 days because you don’t have enough. When paying for a machine (a few bucks a time adds up) it’s better to take a full load than wasting your money.
b. Jeans / Pants: Don’t bring 12 pairs. Bring a 2 or 3 pairs of different pants so you have a variety but aren’t overloading your suitcase. Half the time you’re out on the snow anyway so you’ll be wearing your work pants or your personal snow pants.
c. Shoes: A good pair of hiking boots and something to go out in will suffice. If you need extra shoes or your current ones get destroyed, then buy them over in Canada. Wear your biggest shoes on the plane so you don’t waste your precious bag space.
d. Shirts: Tees are a must. Don’t go crazy trying to buy brand name stuff here cause nobody sees them. You’ll be in a hoodie or jacket 90% of the time. My best suggestion would be to go to costco or walmart and go crazy on plain white, black or coloured tees - Walmart link.
e. Hoodies: Pick 1 or 2 and take them. You’ll likely wear right through them so don’t be afraid to throw them at the end of the season too. Maybe take 1 nice jacket or sweater for going out in but don’t go overboard. These take up a lot of space and are easily purchased overseas if bag space is an issue.
f. Sunglasses: Very important to have at least 1 pair. It’s bright at the snow and sunnies are generally more comfortable than bumping chairlifts or scanning tickets in your goggles. The mountain will give you a toque (beanie) to work in so that helps.
g. Driving gloves: You may laugh but driving gloves can really help if you get a car. The car is normally left outside and in the early morning, your steering wheel can be frozen and the last thing you want is cold hands before you even get to work. There are a few options. Motorbike gloves, golf gloves (1 for each hand lol) or very thin snow gloves (Spring gloves or liners).
9. Things to leave behind:
a. Dress shoes / heels: Really, nobody cares and you look out of place.
b. Multiples of snow gear: It was a great idea to bring 3 boards when you were packing but the extra baggage charges on your way home says otherwise. You will likely ride 1 of those 3 boards more than 90% of the time, even in powder and even in the park. Leave the specialist boards at home and keep them for specific holidays. If you do go Heli / Cat boarding, just rent a high quality powder board for the day.
This also includes snow gear. If you always wear a Red and Green Christmas tree combo, people will recognise you and go riding with you. If you change your look every day, nobody will notice you on the mountain and you’ll just have a ton more gear to carry on the plane etc.
c. Your dignity: Get off the high horse, we are all snowboard bums. If you have been at the resort for 5 years or you’re a first timer, you’re likely going to do something stupid. Take it in stride and don’t let it get you down. Get out of your comfort zone from day one and meet new people. When I moved into staff accom, I just started knocking on peoples doors and introducing myself. Having pre season dinners / drinks with your neighbours and future work mates and making friends is the whole point.
d. Your family and friends: They mean a lot to you, mine do to me too but you have to realise that you’re in another country, with a different time zone and new people around you. Communicate on Facebook where you can and the occasional skype call home but know that not everyone can make time for you and it can be hard to contact people back home. The more you call home, the more home sick you’ll get. Remember that nothing changes at home while you’re away, your friends will still be there ready to take you back in when you get home. A month after your back, everything is back to normal, you’ve seen everyone and you’re looking for a job. Don’t expect anything to be different because you’ve been away. People don’t care as much as you’d like to think. This isn’t a negative thing, just trying to ensure everyone makes the most of their overseas experience!
10. Things to forget ever existed
a. Cheese. It’s expensive (think $12 for a 500g block) and it’s orange. It’s weird at first, you get used to it.
b. Vegemite / Tim Tams / Milo / BBQ sauce. They don’t exist in Canada. Or they do exist and are stupidly expensive or taste different. Milo isn’t as great and BBQ sauce is all smokey BBQ.
c. Lemonade, Sprite and Solo / Lift. Lemonade is made with real lemons and is not sprite. If you want Sprite, ask for Sprite. Solo and Lift on the other hand are non-existent. If this was your favourite soft drink like me, prepare to be disappointed. Also Fanta, Coke and a few other soft drinks don’t taste nearly the same. Probably best to start drinking water anyway since you’ll be broke.
d. Spray on deodorant. Another thing that is hard to find. If you despise roll on or stick deodorant like I do, bring a bunch of these. If you’re planning your trip early, take note of how long a can lasts you and pack enough to get through the season. (Rexona is twice the price over in Canada.)
e. Money. You go over with a ton of savings, prepare to plow through them. You can do Canada on a budget and / or work 2 jobs to make it work but don’t expect to come home with a pile of cash. That 1 day you smash your board on a rock or split your pants in half is the one thing that can just decimate any sort of funds you had remaining
Hey mate, great info. Heading over at the end of the year for the season. Was wondering whether or not to purchase all my gear over there or get some on sale here before i leave? currently have nothing.
Hey Kerrodp,
Normally you can save some money on new gear over in Canada (say $100 or so on a board etc) but the sales here might be that much better.
The biggest factor for me would be having to transport a large bag of gear overseas is not exactly fun but you need to weigh that up with the extra time (and money for accomodation or transport) needed to get new gear.
Which mountain are you planning to head to? and are you planning to work for the resort (many resorts have staff deals which could save you 10-25%!)
Welcome to Boardworld, @kerrodp! 
Snowboard prices are comparable between Australia and Canada. Australia is a year ahead for most brands so the gear is exactly as you would get in Canada. TJ has a good point, though. End of season sales here will be cheaper for the same board you’ll get for full price in Canada at the start of the season. Also, don’t forget you get all your tax back at the airport through the TRS, so you’re saving another 10% on top. Personally, I think it’s always better to get your gear here. It’s cheaper (of you use the two strategies above) and you’ll get exactly what you want and be sorted from day one.
Great work as always with the thread, @TJswish! 
Thanks for the help @TJswish and @rider26
I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for some sale deals here then before I go.
Yea planning on working for a resort and living the life. Hoping to get a job somewhere in the Kamloops/Kelowna area i.e Sun Peaks/Kicking Horse/Revie, i’m not too fussed.
I’ve had a friend work sun peaks before so hopefully she may be able to get my foot in the door there.
I worked at Sun Peaks in 13/14. It’s a great hill with good staff accom (try to get in to Little Shuswap Lodge (LSL), not Whispering Pines). It’s a more “Family Friendly” hill so there are some black runs but nothing similar to the steep terrain at Revelstoke, Kicking Horse or Fernie.
Sun Peaks do give a discount on snowboard gear for staff at their retail shop. You can also get a job with a Skype interview from Australia so that’s a perk. (show up a few days before training etc).
Kelowna is the local town for SilverStar which isn’t on your list there. Again a Family Friendly mountain. Have heard from some people before that it’s really mellow and they got bored while there.
Revelstoke doesn’t have staff accom but have a massive amount of terrain for the minimal amount of lifts. You’ll definitely get good by riding there. Jobs can be hard to come by since there isn’t a huge village or amount of lifts but if you get in, you’ll enjoy it.
Kicking Horse is similar to Revvie. Town in smaller than revvie, no staff accom but lots of terrain for minimal lifts. From what I saw, there were lots of houses in the area and lots of parties around but away from the main town. (might be cheaper to have a good time?).
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I don’t know if you’re planning any boarding during the Aus season but if you are, there are some of last years boards in the BW shop that are on sale which could be a good deal rather than waiting for the end of the season
Thanks for the help @TJswish and @rider26
I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for some sale deals here then before I go.
Yea planning on working for a resort and living the life. Hoping to get a job somewhere in the Kamloops/Kelowna area i.e Sun Peaks/Kicking Horse/Revie, i’m not too fussed.
I’ve had a friend work sun peaks before so hopefully she may be able to get my foot in the door there.
No worries at all, @kerrodp. Please let me know if there’s anything I can help you with. You’re always welcome to PM me or email jeremy(at)boardworld.com.au if you want to discuss board options.
Also, forgot to send you this link for the TRS: http://trs.border.gov.au/ (it’s super quick and easy to do). This applies to any goods you purchase over $300 on the one receipt within 60 days of your departure date (you must be taking the goods with you—they will check).
Thanks so much for all this info! This has probably been the easiest to digest in one spot that I’ve come across.
I’m currently planning a working holiday in Whistler for 2017/18 and am still trying to work it all out as I’ve really only just decided I can do it this year.
I have two friends over there and they have both said that jobs aren’t the issue as much as finding accommodation is. I was thinking for my first season that getting a job with WB would be ideal as I could secure staff housing, but I am really unsure whether I should suck it up and pay the $1000 fee for Working Holiday Club or get over there in October for the job fair in Whistler and hope that housing is still available? I’m probably just looking at a retail/hospo job as I work in Marketing but am having a “career break” to do this.
Does anyone know around when the job fair in Whistler actually is, and whether this would be leaving my run too late for a job / accom? Is there a job fair earlier than October?
Welcome to Boardworld, @tammy22!
I just spoke to WB Employment for you. They will be announcing dates for the 2017 job fairs in the next couple of weeks. Keep an eye on their website for details. https://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/employment
You’re right about getting a job being the easy part. Whistler is in a housing crisis and it is indeed tough to find a place to stay. Your best bets are gaining employment with WB and getting into staff housing (there might be a wait list so first come first served, and first-year staff always get priority), or going with TWHC, or having your friends on the ground actively try to find a bed/room for you. Given the current housing situation, my strong recommendation is to not come here and just try to wing it. Whistler is driving people out because of a lack of housing. Have a plan before you come!
Keep in mind you can actually save a bit of money by using TWHC, in that you don’t need to come to Whistler so early and sustain yourself without a job. You can come much closer to the starting date of your job. This alone can save you quite a bit of money!
Are you sure you can still get in with TWHC for the 17/18 season? I know usually they fill up about a year in advance. You might want to look into this.
The job fair is usually around the last weekend of October, but I would wait for the confirmed date before making any travel arrangements. I would highly recommend getting to Whistler before the job fair and making sure you have at least 2 weeks worth of accommodation booked at one of the hostels or something. Have all your documents in order (resume, work visa, references etc.) to give yourself the best opportunity.
I believe there may be an earlier job fair which is generally for Canadians but anyone can attend. The issue with this is you would be getting to Whistler very early and will have to sustain your living expenses for a longer period of time. Most internationals will usually just attend the October/November job fair. Keep an eye on the employment page for details.
Just to add to what Rider said, TWHC normally does their interviews in like February the year prior. And if they say they are still open, they will likely say that you can get a job in Whistler (and you’ll get something crap like housekeeping) or can do your dream job at Grouse or Seymore.
If you’re set on Whistler (since you’re friends are there) then I’d be super careful about paying the money to TWHC because the above could very much happen. Just work hard this year and save your pennies then go to the job fairs and then in the downtime, go explore BC or some parts of the USA. If you stay in hostels and leave most of your stuff with your friends, it shouldn’t cost you too much to spend some quality exploring time!