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Edition #2, Friday, October 10th, 2025
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- Training Update
- Onboarding this Winter
- A little note from the Schedulers
- Safety Ambassador
Standing Agenda - We want to hear from you
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Welcome Back WB Snow School!
We’re back! I couldn’t be more excited to kick off my second season as the Sr. Director of the Snow & Bike School with all of you. It’s an incredible feeling to reunite with one of the most passionate, talented, and diverse Snow Schools in North America. With over 1,500 instructors and 150+ leaders and support staff, we’re a powerhouse team that brings energy, expertise, and heart to Whistler Blackcomb every single day.
Even better, we’re thrilled to share that we are fully staffed for the season across our leadership, instructor, and support teams! This is a huge milestone and a testament to the strength of our community and the reputation we’ve built together. A huge kudos to all those involved in hiring our world class team, especially Brenda Peterson and Lucie Bishop! With a full team in place, we’re set up for success and ready to deliver an unforgettable experience for our guests and each other.
You’re the reason our Snow School is world-class. Together, we speak more than 25 languages and come from all corners of the globe, united by a passion for snow sports and a commitment to creating unforgettable moments and the experience of a lifetime. Whether it’s welcoming guests, supporting each other, or pushing ourselves to grow, we make magic happen on these mountains. Our training program is second to none, and it’s a reflection of our drive to stay sharp, evolve, and lead the way in snow sports innovation. This season, we’re doubling down on what makes us awesome — our people. You are the heart of what we do, and we’re here to make sure your employee experience is as exceptional as the one we deliver to our guests.
The most frequently asked question we received this summer was about the changes to our winter parking plan. We want to make sure you’re aware of some important updates to parking across WB which are designed to improve flow, access, and the overall experience for both our team and our guests. We know that any change to parking routines can take a little adjustment, and we appreciate your flexibility as we roll out these improvements. The good news? All WB parking remains completely free; that hasn’t changed. To help you stay informed and plan ahead, please visit the official Whistler Blackcomb website for all the latest parking information: click here. Parking information and daily/monthly/seasonal rates for RMOW owned lots 1-5 can be found by clicking here.
Thank you for your continued commitment to making Whistler Blackcomb the incredible place it is. As always, safety is our top priority. Please follow our policies & procedures, use good judgment, and above all... look out for one another. We’ve got a long, exciting season ahead, and we want everyone to thrive from start to finish. Moving forward we’re back on our regular newsletter cadence for the duration of the winter season!
On behalf of the entire leadership team, welcome back. Let’s make this season...the best season ever!
With Gratitude,
Donna, Bart, Brenda, Tracey and Kyle
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We have a new Website!
Wbsnowschool.ca is no longer your hub for all things Snow School.
The site is being built, so some pages and links are in progress, but take a look around and check out Harriet and Mariah's hard work 🙂.
Note: The site itself will not have a password, but to access certain pages you will need one which will be released in upcoming newsletters.
We have 2 new Training Supervisors!
We're very excited to share that Harriet Parnis will be taking this winter off to care for a new baby expected in late November! Best of luck to her and Charlie 🙂.
To hold down the fort and support you in all things training, we have Jamie Thompson (formerly Adults supervisor) and JS Forget (trainer extraordinaire) joining the team. They will be starting in November and we're so excited to have them.
And yes, we are very lucky to have Dan Raymond coming back to lead our snowboard training program this year.
What a team! Looking forward to a great year on snow together.
Dryland season is here!
It's not too late to get in shape for the winter! Here are some suggestions to get you going:
Local gyms have training programs going on now and you can get 1 on 1 sessions started with a trainer
Remember SkiRad? The Back in Action website still has this great program built for us to get ready for the winter.
Down Dog is a great at home app you can use for Yoga, HIIT training and meditation. Don't forget to ramp up your mental fitness as well as your physical fitness! https://www.downdogapp.com/
Let's get out there and get strong before the snow hits the valley!
See you out there,
Tracey
Tracey Fraser (she/hers)
Training Manager, Whistler Blackcomb Snow School
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ONBOARDING FOR THIS WINTER
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Hey everyone, we have seen that over 600 returning instructors have successfully completed preboarding for this upcoming winter! If you have not yet logged into EpicEmployee to complete your preboarding steps, please take a moment to complete. It will only take a few minutes, we promise! Managers will only be able to hire those that have completed these preboarding steps.
A couple of tips:
If you are currently an inactive employee, please select the alumni portal EpicEmployee log in. You will need to use your personal email (not your Vail Resorts log in). If you need to reset your password you can use the password reset self service. If you are not able to reset your password, please reach out to peopleconnect directly.
If you are currently an active employee working for another department, please log into EpicEmployee as an active employee with your @Vailresorts username. Forgotten passwords can be reset through http://mypassword.vailresorts.com/ or contacting IT support center (604-935-5500).
Once logged into EpicEmployee, you can view your preboarding in ‘My Requests’. If you have any questions or concerns about preboarding please contact your managers for help. Your managers will be setting up office hours to help guide you through it. We’re here to support you every step of the way.
If you received this newsletter and are no longer returning this winter to Whistler Blackcomb Snow School, please reach out to your manager.
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A LITTLE NOTE FROM THE SCHEDULERS
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Hi everyone!
As we kick off a new season, we’d like to extend a warm welcome back to all our returning pros. We’re so excited to see all of your familiar faces! An equally warm welcome to those joining us for the first time!
This season, our leadership team is back and ready to roll. They’ll be helping guide the season, support the teams, and keep everything running smoothly both on and off the snow.
Assistant Manager: MC Baron
Privates Lead: Paula Gombar
Privates Senior: Michael (Ginger) Loughlin
Group Lead: Lucy Turriff
Groups Senior: Laura Creighton
If you need to reach us regarding any of your scheduling needs, here’s how:
Schools, Development & Specialty Programs
Please note that our automatic replies are still on until mid-November as we’re ramping up for the season. We are checking and processing emails during this time - just at a slightly slower pace since our team is still small right now. Thanks for your patience and understanding!
We can’t wait to get this season started- see you on snow soon!
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SAFETY AMBASSADOR - SNOW SCHOOL
Hi Everyone - we are looking for 10 Ambassadors to drive our Safety Culture in our Snow School for the 2025.26 Winter season - if you are interested please let us know. The best way to express your interest is to email wbinstnews@vailresorts.com.
Department: Snow School
Reports To: Sr. Manager, Snow School
Location: Whistler Blackcomb
Employment Type: Seasonal / Part-Time / Full-Time (as applicable)
Position Summary
The Safety Ambassador plays a key role in cultivating a culture of care and safety within the Snow School at Whistler Blackcomb. This position serves as a proactive link between frontline staff and management, promoting safe work practices, reducing injury rates, and enhancing overall well-being. The Safety Ambassador leads by example, encourages open communication, and supports the continuous improvement of safety standards across all Snow School operations.
Key Responsibilities
Culture Building
- Promote a positive and proactive safety culture grounded in care, respect, and accountability.
- Encourage peer-to-peer support and responsibility for personal and team safety.
- Recognize and celebrate safe behaviors and improvements.
Communication & Engagement
- Act as a liaison between Snow School staff and management regarding safety concerns, suggestions, and feedback.
- Facilitate regular safety check-ins, toolbox talks, and informal conversations to keep safety top-of-mind.
- Share updates on safety initiatives, incident trends, and best practices.
Incident Prevention & Response
- Monitor work environments and practices to identify potential hazards and recommend corrective actions.
- Support staff in understanding and following safety protocols and procedures.
- Assist in incident investigations and follow-ups, ensuring learnings are shared and applied.
Training & Education
- Collaborate with leadership to deliver or support safety training sessions.
- Provide mentorship and guidance to new and returning staff on safe work habits.
- Help develop and distribute educational materials related to injury prevention and wellness.
Data & Reporting
- Track and report safety observations, concerns, and improvements.
- Contribute to reducing the Injury Rate (IR) by identifying trends and promoting targeted interventions.
Qualifications & Skills
- Passion for creating a safe and supportive work environment.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to lead by example and influence others positively.
- Familiarity with Snow School operations and safety protocols.
- Experience in a leadership, training, or safety-related role is an asset.
- Commitment to confidentiality, professionalism, and continuous learning.
- Minimum two years’ experience in our Snow School and currently a Full-Time employee.
- Available for all bi-weekly Safety Ambassador meetings. Communicating information from meetings to all staff.
Benefits of the Role
- Opportunity to make a meaningful impact on team well-being and operational excellence.
- Skill development in leadership, communication, and safety management.
- Recognition as a key contributor to the Snow School’s success and culture.
- Compensation for role (4 hrs/week)
Bartosz
Bartosz Barczynski | Sr. Manager - Adult Programs & Private Lessons
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