Prospect of working at Banff's ski slopes draws hundreds of job seekers

Hundreds of people hoping for a job at the slopes lined up at the Banff Ski Hiring Fair on Thursday.

About 800 people packed the annual fair, roughly 100 more than last year, organizers said.

Michel Dufresne with the local Job Resource Centre says approximately 315 jobs were up for grabs at more than a dozen resorts and hotels.

"Lift attendants, ski patrol, restaurant workers, housekeepers," he said.

"Ski resorts have housing for 75 per cent of the staff. Hotels, same thing."

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Trish Hardy with Sunshine Village says she has seen job-seekers from all over the world.

"We have everything from a second-year medical student to people from Poland with master's degrees, farm hands from New Zealand, English countryside boys that are looking for something different to do," she said.

Hardy said that last year there were lots of laid-off oilpatch workers at the fair, but there weren't as many this year.

She says Sunshine Village has about 50 to 60 full-time jobs availablebut admits only a handful include staff housing, which is often a problem for workers in Banff.

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