It is obvious to me and apparently to the 6,000-plus people who have signed the “Whistler/Blackcomb put public safety first petition,” that loading vaccinated and unvaccinated strangers together in a tightly enclosed and poorly ventilated space, a Gondola, is a bad public health policy.
Presently, B.C.’s daily COVID-19 case counts are close to seven times higher than they were last year and with the more contagious Delta variant.
Mandates are proven to encourage vaccination among the population.
Although a normal gondola ride is anywhere from 10 minutes to 25 minutes, there has often been occasions each ski season where I have been in an enclosed Gondola for 45 minutes or more, either due to mechanical issues or slow moving start and stop rides due to high winds.
Please, Dr. Bonnie Henry [B.C.’s public health officer] and Vail Resorts [owner of Whistler Blackcomb], help protect all skiers, riders, the little ski scamps, employees, guests and the greater community by implementing a vaccine mandate to access all ski lifts for those over 12 years old who are eligible to be vaccinated.
It will not only help to stop the spread of the virus, but will be a much more pleasurable experience for all of Whistler Blackcomb’s customers. Having to produce a vaccination certificate every time we want to access on-mountain amenities will be an unnecessary hassle for guests and for the employees who will be enforcing the entry-access protocols.
Austrian ski resorts, Lake Louise, Sunshine and Norquay have mandated a vaccine certificate or a COVID-19 testing requirement to access their ski lifts for the 2021-2022-ski season.
If Vail Resorts’ goal is truly to “keep our guests, employees and communities safe and to keep our mountains open for a long, successful ski and ride season” then a vaccine mandate seems to be a constructive and positive step towards achieving this goal for its “valued guests.”
Do the right thing; implement a vaccine mandate to access all ski lifts.
Esther Gorman // Whistler
