CWSAA June 2025 Newsletter - Canada West Ski Areas Association

Presidents Message

It�s that time of year again�one of the most important for the Association.� While fall and early winter creates the operational juice and excitement that we thrive on, for Association geeks, the arrival of the annual member survey results are circled on our calendars.� It may sound odd, but there is good reason for it.

As shared earlier this year, the Board of Directors established CWSAA�s three-year strategic directives in January. These were shaped by member input, focused stakeholder conversations, and a thoughtful Board planning process through the end of 2024. The 2025 member surveys are the first formal check-in on those directives. Success in this process boils down to one word: alignment. If the Board�s directives align with member priorities, we�re starting in a strong position�and the results suggest we are.

Two things stood out clearly this year: Safety and Risk Management remains the top priority, with Education and Industry Guidance following closely behind.

Here�s a quick snapshot of the top CWSAA resources members identified as most valuable:

� Safety & Risk Management: Resources relating to safety, liability, and signage are highly valued�especially by operations teams, general managers, and risk managers. This held true across both small and large ski areas.

� Networking & Connection: Opportunities for peer exchange and shared learning continues to be a major draw. Members value connecting with others and finding solutions to common challenges, and benchmarking resort operations.

� Conferences & Educational Opportunities: From spring and fall meetings to webinars and workshops, these offerings remains important to industry leaders.

� Government Relations & Advocacy: This was especially important to senior executives and owners.� Policy and regulatory topics, as well as broader recognition of the industry�s economic contributions all surfaced repeatedly.

When asked how CWSAA could best support members going forward, the message was clear: advocacy matters. From land use and permitting to communicating industry�s economic contributions, there is demand for a strong voice on behalf of industry.

CWSAA is in the implementation phase of the plan.� The Board approved the financial resources in the 2025/26 budget to execute these priorities. The core deliverables of the Association are on-going, and particular focus is being placed on education, training, and advocacy.� Various presenters at spring conference highlighted work being done around terrain parks, lift mechanic education, and other guidance materials for operations.� These will be delivered in both virtual, in-person, and written formats depending on the topic.� On the advocacy side, considerable work is underway. Alberta resorts initiated its work at a session at spring conference, and a new advocacy plan is being presented to the Board next week.� The BC committee has been highly engaged with officials over the past year relating to tenure renewals and other policy pieces.

On the near horizon, the fall meetings will reflect the above work.� This September, CWSAA is pleased to host the Bike Park Forum in conjunction with Ski Area Magazine�s Summer Ops Camp in Whistler.� It serves as a unique opportunity to see Whistler Blackcomb�s summer operations from the inside.� The Forum will feature both outdoor and indoor content relating to planning, wood feature construction, safety, irrigation, progression zones, and advancing the guest experience.

Registration and detailed information for all the fall meetings (including the new Northern meetings) will be sent to members shortly.� The dates and locations can be found below and on the CWSAA events calendar.

Thank you again to members for the constructive input and continued support for your organisation.� As a result, the Association is poised with a targeted and impactful course for the next three years.

- Christopher Nicolson

Highlights of this month's newsletter

Bike Park Forum

Group Accommodations are available at the Listel.

More info will be sent and Registration will open later this month.�

Upcoming Industry Events

� CWSAA AGM � July 23, 2025 | 10:00 AM Pacific (online)

� SAM Summer Ops Camp � September 2�4 | Whistler

� CWSAA Bike Park Forum � September 4�5 | Whistler

� ASM Fall Division Meeting � September 23�24 | Winsport

� BC-Yukon Fall Division Meeting � Oct 2�3 | RED Mountain

� Northern Small Areas Meeting (Grande Prairie AB) � Oct 16

� Northern Small Areas Meeting (Prince George BC) � Oct 23

� SSAOA Fall Meeting � October 26�27 | Table Mountain

� 2026 CWSAA Spring Conference � April 27�30, 2026 | Whistler

Tourism Industry Association of Alberta

Nominations are open for the Tourism GRIT Awards and TIAA AGM updates.�

Ski Resort Operations & Management

Take your career to the next level and enroll in the 2 year SROAM Diploma program at Selkirk College.�

Skills training for supervisors

go2HR offers a number of training programs including a new 8-module Supervisory Training Program.�

Places & Faces�

Eastern Canada Ski Areas Conference

Mt Washington

Sun Peaks

Doppelmayr Canada

Grouse Mountain

Michael Fraser

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