Late October through to late May
March – November
Ability to stay 12 months, if not the full 2 years.
Alberta
Very limited housing on mountain that is allocated by department managers Most staff prefer to source their own accommodation in Banff.
19 years
Anyone eligible for a Canadian working holiday visa
Held via Zoom
Staff housing is provided for some, but not all, positions at Sunshine Village. Please speak with the HR manager of Sunshine Village in your interview to confirm if your position will come with on-mountain, Banff or no staff housing. The housing on the mountain is very minimal and is only accessible by gondola. This means once the Gondola closes you cannot get to and from staff housing.
As Banff is where all the nightlife and action is, most staff prefer to source their own accommodation in the town in Banff, rather than stay on a hill.
If housing is not provided for your specific role The Working Holiday Club™ will provide you with housing assistance in the format of a housing newsletter which will outline the best approaches to sourcing housing in Banff or other local towns.
The housing market can be quite expensive in Banff and all rooms would be shared… At the end of the day you are living inside a postcard (which is also a National Park).
Employs over 375 staff during the winter season
This location does have staff housing but it is very limited. Sunshine Village is only accessible by Gondola. It usually operates from 8am -5pm so that means once this Gondola shuts you can’t get up or down the mountain. There is minimal staff accommodation up on the mountain and this is usually offered to staff who work nights or early mornings. They also have a very small amount of town based housing as well. Each department has an allocation of beds in staff housing ... .clarify with the recruiter when interviewing what roles have on mountain or in town housing. The accommodation can be across various locations in the township of Banff. The resort offers a staff bus for transport between the village of Banff and Sunshine base area. Most staff here prefer to source their own accommodation in town as this is where all the action and nightlife is!
There is no night life at Sunshine Village on the mountain. All the action is in Banff which is roughly 20-25 min drive from the base of the resort's gondola. This town boasts various clubs, bars and plenty of evening activities.
Saturation of Aussies is high. The township of Banff is an international magnet for tourism…making it a known hub of activity and action.
This place is cold during the winter. Can get down to -30 regularly. Base area elevation is just over 5,400ft and the alpine elevation is close to 9000 ft!!! The wind chill can drop the temperature to well below -40!!!
Sunshine Village offers outdoor roles like Lift operations (must be able to ski to an intermediate level) & gondola ops. As far as indoor roles: there are a range of roles in food & beverage (back and front of house), retail, guest services, hotel front desk, housekeeping, cleaners, rentals. The range and number of roles on offer changes annually based on returning staff – check the website for more info.
To progress up the management or responsibility ladder at this resort – means doing back to back seasons.
This resort offers a ski pass with your employment for Sunshine Village.
This resort has 3358 acres of skiable terrain and much of it is above tree line.
Reciprocal benefits to other local ski areas are available for full time employees. Mt Norquay & Lake Louise are the mountains that are typically where your staff pass will give you access. Clarify with management if there are any ‘blackout’ days for these other resorts before traveling to them.
Lots of staff choose to purchase a Big 3 ski pass for the season which will give them regular access to all 3 mountains in the area.
Sunshine is a 20-25 min drive out of Banff township. It's the most popular Ski Resort in the Banff area.
The TWHC will assist with your first season's contract. The ball is in your court – we help you get the job, you need to work hard to keep it. Ongoing extension of contracts are based on seasonal performance and at the determination of management, as is housing. If in doubt – ask your manager. Sunshine Village operates a summer operation and should your performance be amazing during your season, you could expect to be asked about extending your contract.
Once the lifts close for the evening and the stars are out, grab a pair of snowshoes and take a walk through the village. After your evening stroll, grab a steaming mug of hot chocolate fireside at the Chimney Corner Lounge.
On select evenings at the Sunshine Mountain Lodge, the ski runs turn into tobogganing hills. Ask for a toboggan from our front desk and have a blast sliding down the mountain trails that surround the village.
Tobogganing available Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings after lifts have closed on traditional Maplewood toboggans.
After a vigorous day on the slopes, unwind in one of Banff’s largest outdoor hot pools. Complete the relaxation experience with a visit to our cedar-lined dry sauna.
For adults looking for some after-hours fun, the Mad Trapper’s Saloon provides a historic and authentic old-lodge experience. Built in 1928 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, the venue has now been transformed into a rustic mountain pub.
Sit back and relax after a day on the slopes with family movie nights in the activities room. There are popcorn and treats as we feature an early show for the kids, followed by a late show for adults. Enjoy a different theme each week, from classics to recent releases.
On Friday nights, you can head into Banff for the evening and catch the last gondola (10 pm) back to the lodge. A shuttle bus is available to take you to and from the town of Banff.
It offers loads of skiing and riding options and is close to a cranking ski town with lots of nightlife. Lots of options in the area – be it road trips to other ski resorts or ice hockey games in Calgary and or events in the area!!! Lots to do!
Everyone wants to go there. It is beautiful…can't blame them! Place is busy due to people skiing or just tourism in general. It’s a major stop for nearly every known tour operator both summer and winter. Finding places to live in Banff is close to impossible any season and it's very cold in the winter!!!
All full-time staff ski ride free at Sunshine and receive significant discounts at over 13 other amazing Canadian ski & snowboard resorts.
food & beverage outlets, retail store, on retail equipment and ski lessons.
Examples of group trips from previous years: Lake Louise, Kicking Horse, Panorama, Red Mountain, Marmot Basin, Big White And Fernie Trips, NHL hockey games In Calgary, Ice Climbing, Paintball, Ice Fishing, snowmobiling and much, much more….
part of our staff recognition program
Australia Day activities Spring concert series in the Village.
As you can imagine Sunshine is one of the most popular locations to work, due to not only its location close to Banff but its incredible mountain! The competition for jobs here is fierce. Applicants need to be 19 years of age or older. Training is offered for all roles. However, some specific roles may require previous experience. Positive attitude, exceptional customer service skills and a huge amount of teamwork is the backbone of all employees at Sunshine Village.
