SLNC becomes the first Living Wage Ski Area Employer in Canada

| Wendy Shannon

For immediate release: 11 June 2021

Sovereign Lake Nordic Club, in Vernon BC, is the first ski area in Canada to signify its commitment to ending working poverty, by paying all its staff and contracted workers a Living Wage

The living wage is the hourly amount a family needs to cover basic expenses. The calculation is based on a two-parent family with two children – the most common family unit in BC – with each parent working full-time. The Living Wage for Kamloops is $15.92 an hour.

“Sovereign Lake Nordic Club is honoured to be recognized as a Living Wage Employer. In placing our employees’ health and financial stability front and centre, we help to build long-term sustainable employment opportunities for our community, while reducing training costs in this traditional high staff turnover industry. With an 80% annual return rate of our employees, it helps maintain a friendly and familiar atmosphere for our members and guests. We want to ensure that as an employer we can foster inclusivity and diversity in the workplace. By meeting and exceeding these minimum benchmarks for a living wage, we are creating a strong team more akin to a family than just a job” Troy Hudson, Sovereign Lake Nordic Club.

 

“We’re delighted that Sovereign Lake Nordic Club has come on board as a Living Wage Employer. Paying a Living Wage is good for the employer, the employee and the local community. We invite other ski areas and local employers to join the Living Wage movement,” said Anastasia French, Living Wage for Families Campaign Organizer.

 

Certifying as a Living Wage Employer is a voluntary commitment employers make to invest in their communities and local economies. There are nearly 250 Living Wage Employers in BC, with over 25,000 employees who don’t need to worry about how they will afford rent, food, and other essentials for their family because they are guaranteed to earn a Living Wage.

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Notes

  1. The Living Wage for Families Campaign annually calculates the Living Wage for communities across British Columbia. They certify employers that pay a living wage to their staff and contractors, and advocate for complementary government policies that would help families make ends meet. Their goal is for every working British Columbian to make a living wage.