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Labour shortage hitting ski industry ahead of season opening

Click to play video: 'Quebec ski hills struggling with mounting labour shortage weeks away from opening'
Quebec ski hills struggling with mounting labour shortage weeks away from opening
WATCH: The colder weather has ski enthusiasts and ski operators excited about the opening of the downhill season. But trying to get everything in place is a big challenge this year. As Global’s Tim Sargeant reports, several ski operators are having trouble filling positions due to a labour shortage. – Nov 15, 2021

The ski industry is getting a taste of the labour shortages affecting other parts of the Quebec economy — just as hill operators are getting set to open the season.

In Mont Saint-Sauveur, more than 100 positions are available, including dozens of ski instructor jobs.

The CEO is planning two upcoming job fairs to attract workers.

”We invite people to come, we show them around and we hire them here,” Louis Philippe Hébert, the CEO of Les Sommets, told Global News.

The situation is similar at Ski Bromont in the Eastern Townships, where more than 200 vacancies are listed on their website. The jobs range from seasonal, part-time to full-time permanent positions.

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The ski hill is offering higher salaries for some positions. Operators are even trying to entice people to come out of retirement.

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”We will adjust our schedule regarding this to have employees working only in the mornings or at night,” Marc-André Meunier, Ski Bromont Marketing Director, told Global News.

RELATED: Labour shortage causing business owners to delay or cancel orders: survey

On the south shore, more than one hundred workers are needed to fill positions such as snow-making operators and ski instructors.

Some ski classes may be limited due to the lack of staff.

”There is a risk that we could have some limitation, but we’re still early because the main activities of ski schools start in January. So we still have a month and a half in front of us,” Michel Couture, Ski Saint-Bruno CEO, told Global News.

The operators aren’t expecting the shortage to delay their planned openings.

 

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