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Things work differently in Canada

Canadian ski industry hasn’t pushed government on climate change, yet

By Bob Barnett

While the National Ski Areas Association may be testifying before United States Senate committees about climate change, the ski industry in Canada works a little differently.

That doesn’t mean people in the industry in this country aren’t concerned about climate change. Several Canadian ski areas, including Whistler-Blackcomb, have instituted programs to limit greenhouse gas emissions, reduce energy consumption and limit their carbon footprint.

But speaking with one voice to the Canadian government about climate change is something that perhaps only the automobile industry and the oil and gas industry have done to date.

“The scene is a little different in the U.S. than in Canada,” said Doug Forseth, senior vice president of operations for Whistler-Blackcomb.

“Canada doesn’t have the same umbrella organization (NSAA). Because of that, we aren’t seeing quite the same effort with Ottawa as in Washington.”

The NSAA’s Michael Berry testified before a U.S. Senate committee in May. The NSAA has yet to take a formal position on climate change, but says government action is necessary.

And Auden Schendler, the Aspen Skiing Co.’s executive director for community and environmental responsibility, says the next step “is to use the whole industry as a lobbying force to drive large scale, legislative change. This isn't about making your resort more energy efficient. It’s about using the whole industry as a club to beat our legislators into action.”

In Canada, at this point, the ski industry is less a club and more like a collection of sticks. But a few of them are pointed.

The Canada West Ski Areas Association, which represents ski areas in the western provinces and which Forseth chairs, has discussed climate change extensively. Forseth is not sure what the ski area associations in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime provinces have done but he believes ski area operators should take on a bigger role in pushing the federal government to act on climate change.

“I think maybe we’re not on top of that as much as we should be. It’s something we should be doing,” said Forseth.

The Canada West Ski Areas Association board will be meeting this month and Forseth said he will make sure that climate change is on the agenda.

The Canadian Ski Council also meets later this month for its annual Canadian Snow Industry Symposium & Tradeshow, at Blue Mountain, in Ontario. The CSC is more of a marketing arm for the ski industry but within its three-day conference there is a meeting of ski area operators, and Forseth plans on making sure climate change, and what ski areas should be doing about it on the political level, is on that agenda for discussion.

“We need to get the operators association involved,” Forseth said.

The ski industry in Canada has always worked with governments on issues that impact it directly, such as safety regulations and development guidelines, but hasn’t often reached outside its own sphere of interest.

“When we had (former Prime Minister Pierre) Trudeau skiing here it was easier,” Forseth said of getting the federal government’s attention.

The Canada West Ski Areas Association, for instance, has much more influence on provincial politics than federal politics. About 60 per cent of Canada West association members are in British Columbia, where the provincial government has made climate change a top priority. Indeed, this week Premier Gordon Campbell said he was going to the Western Premier’s conference in Iqaluit with action on climate change at the top of his agenda.

“We’re pretty well positioned with where the premier’s thinking, and the ski industry is a big player in the provincial economy,” said Forseth.

There is considerably less talk among elected officials in Alberta about climate change, but Forseth still sees the ski industry playing a role in spurring governments to action.

“We are in a good position to bring attention to the issue,” he said. “If our season is shortened or there’s less snow than normal, it has an impact on a lot of businesses.

“But we also have a fairly high profile for the size of the industry.”

Whistler-Blackcomb has taken a number of steps over the years to reduce its impact on climate change and the environment. They have included conducting energy and waste audits, switching to more fuel-efficient vehicles, designing and building ski runs in more ecologically sensitive ways, protecting and restoring fish and wildlife habitat, retrofitting buildings, and establishing carpooling programs for employees. Whistler-Blackcomb is also looking at alternative sources of energy, including a run-of-river hydro project on Fitzsimmons Creek and wind turbines.

“We try not to let (marketing) be the driving reason for doing these things,” Forseth said. “We’ve been criticized for not doing more of the Aspen approach, beating our chest about it — not that Aspen hasn’t done some good things. But we make our efforts for the environment’s sake.

“We prefer to be a little more conservative about what we say and more action-oriented.”

But that action may extend to the political level in the future.



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