coronaApparently they just fired a bunch of employees over this.
I'm honestly not sure what to think about the whole Big White situation. The main problem I have is the comparison to what the tree planting industry did this spring/summer vs things now. Anyone in a tree planting camp in BC this spring/summer had to do two weeks hardcore social distancing with documented temp checks twice a day and was recommended to keep a daily journal involving possible exposure encounters. Once people reached camp they were not allowed to leave until the work season was finished. If planters were in a hotel show vs a camp there was hired security on site at all times to make sure the workers don't gather in groups/party/leave to go for a beer run/etc. We were considered an essential service and the worry was that a bunch of young people from across the country were going to travel to smaller communities and possibly spread the virus amongst the work camps and the communities they are in/around.
The parallels between treeplanting and ski hills are incredibly similar, yet it is looking like the ski industry in BC has nothing in place besides the same bullshit honor system that the rest of the province is expected to adhere to when it comes to following regulations. Should covid positive employees get fired over this outbreak? maybe, but management not getting punished at all is a bunch of bullshit. Everyone knows what ski hill culture is, and for management to just assume that their employees will behave is hilariously negligent.
Anyone know what is the situation at other ski hills with on hill (staff housing or not) accommodations in BC/Alberta is like? Sun Peaks, Whistler, Sunshine, Apex, Silver Star are all set up similarly to Big White and if this kind of thing happens again it does not look good for the rest of our season across the province.
Lets face it - while the actual act of skiing is one of the safest things you can do currently, literally everything in ski culture besides the actual skiing is extremely counter intuitive to social distancing.