Let’s work together to be the reason to keep the season.

COVID-19 cases are throughout BC and has been showing up in ski resort towns. Our communities are important. We don’t want to see locals in ICU or lose the ski season. We must all do our part to keep everyone healthy and safe. Need to know how?  Scroll below for all the details and how to find support.    #SkiBCStrong

This is Bill

Bill is COVID-19 Positive.

Bill knows he needs to self-isolate for 14 days.

Bill does not go outside or to the grocery store. He has friends or calls for support to bring him groceries and other items.

Bill knows this is only for a short period and will protect others from getting COVID-19.

Bill knows he can apply for federal support to help cover some of his expenses while not being able to work.

Bill is smart and respectful of the community.

Be like Bill.

How to talk to your household about following health orders

Housemates and family members can have different levels of comfort and understanding with COVID and the restrictions.  Take the time to sit down together and talk about the importance of respecting each other and the importance of following and understanding local health orders.

Here are some articles to help the conversation, note, most of these are from outside of BC so be sure to know the local BC COVID Restrictions & Orders:

  • Roommate Discussion Guide by Indiana University
  • How to Talk to Your Family about COVID-19 Misinformation by CBC
  • Being a Good Roommate During Coronavirus by NY Times
  • How to Talk to Family about their Risky COVID-19 Behaviour by Huffington Post
  • How Can I Ask My Friends to Wear Masks? by JH School of Health

What are the current rules by government?

In effort to keep everyone from getting COVID or transmitting it others and those more vulnerable, the BC Government has specific restrictions and legally enforceable orders in place.  Everyone is expected to follow the orders, similar to wearing a seat belt in a vehicle or not driving under the influence. Local and provincial enforcement is increasing.

VIEW All BC Restrictions & Orders

Key Restrictions & Orders:

  • Do not hang out with anyone else outside your household. If you are living solo you can safely visit with only 1-2 other people. Those 1-2 people can’t change.
  • No parties, no gatherings of any size outside your household.
  • Stay local. Play local.  Travel should be for essential reasons only.
  • Do not leave your home if you are self-isolating or in quarantine.  There is help for anyone is this situation.
  • Masks are mandatory in all public indoor spaces. Stay 6 feet away from others in public.

Info & Support Programs

Ski Well. Be Well. is an initiative by the ski industry and supported by Canadas West Ski Areas Association to create safety guidelines and supporting information for a safe ski season for both staff and guests. Read more.

If you’re feeling unwell or think you’ve been in close contact with someone who is call 811 for advice.  Do not go to work without also talking to your employer.

Up to $1,000 income while you’re isolating. The Canadian Recovery Sickness Benefit gives income support to individuals who can’t work because they’re sick or self-isolating due to COVID-19.

Local testing for COVID-19 can be found online or call 811. 

BC Resident & Business Support & Resources are available, view details or contact your local Chamber of Commerce or local municipality.

BC Food Bank provides locals and families with access to food, meals and more when in need.  Find your local Food Bank.

BC Crisis Line volunteers are available to listen, help problem solve, and help make connections to community resources. To reach visit the BC Crisis website or call 1-800-784-2433.

When & How to Self-Isolate

When you self-isolate, stay home and keep away from others to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

When do you have to self-isolate?

  • If you have COVID-19
  • If you have symptoms of COVID-19 – What are the symptoms
    • Take a Self-Assessment Test Online
  • If you have been told to self-isolate due to being in close contact with a person with COVID-19
  • If you live in the same household as someone that has COVID-19
  • Immediately upon returning from international travel, potentially from other provinces as well

How long do you have to self-isolate?

How do you self-isolate?

Limiting Community Spread – Contact Tracing

Contact tracing is an important tool to more quickly prevent the virus from spreading in the community.

If you are a contact of a confirmed case (meaning you’ve been around someone that tested positive), a member of the public health team will contact you to let you know you may have been exposed.  If you have symptoms, you need to get tested.

If you do not have symptoms but have been in close contact (what does close contact mean?), you will be asked to self-isolate so that if you develop COVID-19, you won’t spread it to others in the community. Either way you should let others you have been in close contact with know of your situation so they can make safe decisions too.

Learn More from BC Centre for Disease Control

Get outside for your health and sanity!

Nothing’s better for your well-being than getting outside!

Isn’t this the main reason we’re all living in a resort community?

Visit your local community, resort and tourism websites for the variety of outdoor activities to do safely.

Need gear? Support local shops and rent equipment.

Want to learn to ski, snowboard, cross-country ski, book a guided tour or take an avy course?  Local resorts and operators have a variety options with their COVID Safety Plans in place. 

Play Safe this Winter!

SkiBC Strong is an initiative by Canada’s West Ski Areas Association

Data has indicated that many of the recent and current COVID-19 cases in BC are a result of local social gatherings going against the current PHO order and the challenges of following, or being able to follow, the orders when living in housing where multiple people are sharing living quarters together.  Some of these cases are in ski resort communities.

To assist in raising awareness within local ski resort communities of the current health orders, how to follow them and additional supporting information CWSAA partnered with Tourism Fernie’s recent FernieStrong initiative to bring to a provincial level.