Every year Business in Vancouver (BIV) newspaper publishes a chart of the largest ski resorts in British Columbia -- ranked by annual skier visits. We have calculated the estimated revenue of resorts in the Kootenay Rockies by multiplying the daily lift price by the estimated annual skier visits. Most of the ski resorts in the Kootenay Rockies did not release their number of skier visits but we have estimated them based on where they appeared on the BIV list (if no number was stated we added 10 per cent to the preceding figure). This estimate does not include any additional revenue garnered from food and beverage, accommodation or ancillary products. Here is how the resorts in the Kootenay Rockies were ranked:

Fernie Alpine Resort    

Provincial Ranking (8)

Daily Ski Pass (Adult) $68

Annual Skier Visits 385,000                                            

Estimated Revenue (millions) $26.2

Panorama Mountain Village

Provincial Ranking (12)

Daily Ski Pass (Adult) $73

Annual Skier Visits 165,000                                         

Estimated Revenue (millions) $12.1

Kicking Horse Mtn Resort Golden

Provincial Ranking (14)

Daily Ski Pass (Adult) $75

Annual Skier Visits 150,000                                       

Estimated Revenue (millions) $11.2

Kimberley Alpine Resort

Provincial Ranking (16)

Daily Ski Pass (Adult) $63

Annual Skier Visits 154,000                                      

Estimated Revenue (millions) $9.7

Revelstoke Mountain Resort*

Provincial Ranking (--)

Daily Ski Pass (Adult) $74

Annual Skier Visits 130,000                                      

Estimated Revenue (millions) $9.6

Red Resort – Rossland

Provincial Ranking (18)

Daily Ski Pass (Adult) $66

Annual Skier Visits 115,000                                      

Estimated Revenue (millions) $7.6

Whitewater Ski Resort

Provincial Ranking (20)

Daily Ski Pass (Adult) $63

Annual Skier Visits 66,000                                      

Estimated Revenue (millions) $4

Industry Totals

Daily Ski Pass (Adult) $69 avg price

Annual Skier Visits 1,165,000 skier visits                                     

Estimated Revenue (millions) $80.6 million ski lift revenue

*Revelstoke Mountain Resort did not appear on the list, we have simply estimated their numbers as being in the middle of the pack.

The date is Monday, December 12, and the job fair will be held at the Best Western Hotel in downtown Invermere from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Applicants are encouraged to bring their resumes and various job descriptions are available for review at the Columbia Valley Employment Centre in Invermere.

Located at:

1313 7th Avenue, Invermere
Ph (250) 341-6889 Fax (250) 341-6809
Email: cvec@cyberlink.ca
Website: ekemployment.ca

"We are very excited to be putting funds in the hands of communities to benefit youth in their specific regions," said Wayne Lundeberg, CBT, director, Youth Initiatives. "These first communities demonstrated a readiness to come together in a collaborative manner to set priorities, address issues in their regions and enhance activities and services for their youth."

Six pilot communities and their surrounding areas that will begin the program this winter are: Revelstoke, Golden, New Denver/Silverton, Salmo/Ymir, Crawford Bay/Riondel, and Montrose/Fruitvale/Beaver Valley.

"Our community is incredibly excited by the opportunity to enhance our youth services," said Daniel Seguin, Crawford Bay and Riondel area. "We look forward to working together and with CBT, to find the common ground on which consensus can be built as to where to direct the funding. It's definitely an inspiring time on the east shore."

The program is intended to bring added value and provide resources to communities that show the desire and ability to work together to identify and address issues in their youth communities.

"Both youth and adults in the community have been talking about addressing the gaps in the youth services and opportunities for years," said Monica De, Golden and area. "Since CDYF became available, there is finally a flexible funding opportunity to help address the needs of youth in Basin communities."

Another four communities who submitted successful Expressions of Interest will begin the program in the spring of 2012. They are: Nelson/Harrop/Proctor, Trail/Warfield, Rossland and Kimberley.

The next deadlines for Expression of Interests from communities are March 16 and October 31, 2012. Guidelines and applications are available at www.cbt.org/youth. For more information please call Wayne Lundeberg at 250-304-1625 or email cdyf@cbt.org with "subscribe to CDYF info" in the subject line to receive program updates.

CBT works with youth and communities to increase youth opportunities and engagement through enhancing capacity, leadership and participation. In addition to this new program, CBT also funds youth developed projects through the Columbia Basin Youth Grants program and provides a forum for youth in the Columbia Basin to share their art, ideas and experiences with each other through Scratch magazine and www.scratchonline.ca.

This pilot program will provide an $8 per hour wage subsidy to encourage small businesses, non-profit, First Nation and public sector organizations in the Columbia Basin to provide part-time employment for full-time high school and post-secondary students in the Basin during the school year.

"The School Works Program benefits Basin-based students by encouraging small businesses and organizations in the region to hire students during the school year," said Neil Muth, CBT president and CEO. "This new program will complement our existing Summer Works program creating valuable work experience and strengthening the Basin labour force."

CBT anticipates the Summer Works and School Works programs will create up to 900 student jobs over the next three years. Both programs will be administered by College of the Rockies with the first School Works application intake in December 1, 2011 and the next Summer Works intake in February, 2012.

"We are very excited about continuing our partnership with CBT," said Tracey Whiting, College of the Rockies Contract Training and Business Development manager. "Our role is to ensure employers easily understand the program and that they are supported throughout the entire process."

The Gordon Wilder Memorial Award is presented annually by Kootenay Rockies Tourism. It recognizes significant achievement in support of tourism in British Columbia's Kootenay Rockies region.The award is named after Gordon Wilder, who was the director of marketing for Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. He died during a flight on his private plane, on his way back to Fairmont from Calgary to attend a Kootenay Rockies AGM on October 21, 1988.

This 2011 recipient of the Gordon Wilder Memorial Award is Ainsworth Hot Springs, owned and operated by Norm and Joyce Mackie and family. The 43-room resort, famous for their soothing hot springs, employs 50 people and sees
140,000 visitors annually. The Mackies also won the BC Tourism Employer of the Year Award in 2006. The award was recently presented at the Kimberley AGM of Kootenay Rockies Tourism.