Whistler Village offers a haven for mostly young people to live a dream lifestyle: work that includes boarding and skiing all day, discounts at local stores, free lift passes and being surrounded by thousands of others in similar situations.
Living and working on Whistler Mountain is a dream come true for so many Canadians and international workers. The days are filled with patrolling the hills, talking to people from all over the world, going up and down the mountain and being surrounded by an atmosphere of like-minded adventurers.
Even the streets are catered to boarders and skiers, with places to “park” their equipment outside of almost every restaurant. The safe atmosphere remains and allows people to hang out worry-free while they re-fuel their bodies for the next run.
During the evening there seems to always be something happening in the village, from live music to year-round festivals. Even though most employees live outside of the village itself, they’re close enough to soak up the Whistler environment and still spend a few hours at home getting some much needed sleep.
The unique part about Whistler is the people who work there. Most customer service-based jobs consist of young people without a lot of experience and just working while they pursue another career.
But a lot of the employees in Whistler Village are professionals who are taking a year off or just spending time doing what they love before getting back to the grind of their professions. It’s not uncommon to meet an engineer, pilot, teacher and pro-boarder all in one gondola ride.
With such an ideal and pristine alpine village setting, it’s no wonder thousands of hopefuls apply each year to work on the mountain and thousands more visit the village. Only a 2-hour drive from Vancouver, the trip is easily done for a weekend or even a day or 2.
For those who don’t drive, Snowbus takes guests up to the village for a reasonable rate. Pick ups are from Richmond, Kerrisdale, Kitsilano, Downtown Vancouver, West Vancouver and Whistler Village Tax Loop.
