“Throughout the pandemic, Grouse Mountain has exceeded provincial health requirements to ensure the safety and well-being of our guests and team members. We believe implementing this policy over the winter season will provide the strongest protection against COVID-19 to those who visit and work at the mountain.”– Michael Cameron, President of Grouse Mountain Resort
Grouse Mountain Resort in British Columbia is about to trigger some folks. According to North Shore News, the mountain announced that all guests above the age of twelve and employees will be required to vaccinate, face masks will still be required indoors, and visitors will have to submit a vaccine passport to ride the lifts. A major factor in this is that Grouse has a very unique setup. Two indoor trams (one of which barely operates and will soon be replaced) service the base area, and you have to go on the lift to get to the actual terrain. There is no mid-station base parking area, and you can’t ski down to the base area, meaning you have to go down on the tram as well(unless you want to backcountry ski through some thick glades). Here is how guests will submit their vaccine passports:
Season pass holders and ski school students can submit “their B.C. vaccine passport digitally along with a copy of government photo ID (for those 19 and older), which will allow a one-time vaccine verification process good for the entire ski season. People who want to present those documents in person can also do that before Nov. 15.
After the Nov. 15 deadline, passholders will be required to show their proof of vaccination on their first visit to the ski hill. Individual ticket holders will be required to show proof of vaccination during each visit before boarding the Skyride.”
This is not likely a situation that will happen below the border this year, due to the divisiveness of the topic, along with the lack of staffing many resorts will face this season. It’s a less divisive issue in Canada, but British Columbia seems to be the only province going all-in on the vaccine passport. In British Columbia, Whistler Blackcomb will only require the passports for when guests eat in cafeterias, and Cypress and Seymour ski areas are still pondering whether to mandate them.
Image Credits: Grouse Mountain Resort
