Selkirk College Ski Program Receives Classroom Tools from Sector
By Bob Hall
Future leaders in the outdoor recreation industry attending Selkirk College’s Ski Resort Operations & Management (SROAM) Program have received a learning boost from the world’s leading haul rope manufacturer.
Headquartered in Switzerland, Fatzer specializes in steel wire rope innovation and production for a variety of industries from mining and fishing to road bridges and ski lifts. This summer, the company sent a steel box full of haul rope samples that is now being used to help learners at Selkirk College.
“It’s important to have this kind of support from the industry,” says SROAM Instructor Ross White. “Our students will graduate into an environment that is ever-changing and to have global leading companies like Fatzer providing these classroom tools helps tremendously.”
White is a local ski industry veteran who has been teaching at Selkirk College since 2006. The former manager of outdoor operations at Whitewater Ski Resort, White mentors students in a variety of different facets including teaching the Ski Lift Maintenance course.
Prior to the Fatzer donation of leading-edge haul rope technology, White was using sections of the former Summit Chair at Whitewater that was not current with what graduating students will see at today’s resorts.
“Our learners need to see physical objects to be able to relate to what we are teaching,” says White, who is also a Red Seal millwright. “Visual aids and teaching tools help get the message home and students get it a lot quicker.”
The Selkirk College SROAM Program is heading into its 40th year of providing the education, skills and training required for graduates to succeed in all aspects of the ski industry from snowmaking and terrain park operations to guest services and marketing to ski patrol and general management. It is now the only program of its kind in Canada and draws students from around the world who come to study on Selkirk College’s Tenth Street Campus in Nelson.
The program receives ongoing support from the industry in a variety of ways including an advisory board that meets with faculty and students on an annual basis. Alumni from the program can be found in key positions across Canada and the world.
Learn more about the Ski Resort Operations & Management Program at selkirk.ca/ski.
