BCBusiness

December 2019 - January 2020 Best Cities for Work in B.C.

With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.

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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2020 BCBUSINESS 47 $234 Day pass (peak season) at Aspen Skiing Co.'s four Colorado mountains $129 Day pass (peak season) at Big White Ski Resort, Kelowna $115 Day pass (winter season) at Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops $89 Day pass (includes night skiing) at Cypress Mountain, West Vancouver $72 Day pass (includes night skiing) at Grouse Mountain, North Vancouver $69 Day pass (includes night skiing) at Mount Seymour, North Vancouver ALL PRICES IN CANADIAN DOLL ARS during the decade after the Great Reces- sion. (Since then, Vail has melted a bit, but at US$236.04 as of October 25, it was still rated a strong buy by eight analysts, including the Motley Fool Internet stock pundits.) Back in June, Katz exercised a US$39 option on 142,000 shares and promptly sold 75,000 at US$235 apiece. He isn't going anywhere, however; at press time, he still held 285,000 shares. There's more to being a good com- munity partner than offering a great deal for your most loyal customers. Soon after Vail's B.C. acquisition, Katz and his wife, Elena, personally donated more than US$2 million through their Katz Amster- dam Charitable Trust to support mental health services at the company's resorts, including some $300,000 to Whistler Blackcomb. Vail prides itself on a strong leadership culture that could provide opportunities for young Canadians wish- ing to expand their careers in the U.S. The company also remains committed to off- setting its carbon emissions completely— an effort it calls the Epic Promise—by 2030. Seeking to smooth relations with more- occasional skiers, Vail has introduced the somewhat-complex Epic for Everyone pro- gram for the 2020 season. Skiers can save money and time by purchasing single-day tickets online that offer direct-to-lift access (no ticket window lineups!). In return, Vail gets your e-mail address and demographic information. Up in Whistler, many locals are pleased that the company won't push ahead with the Renaissance project, a plan to replace valuable parking space with a giant artificial surfing and aquatic park. Recently departed COO Sonntag is pretty happy with the way it's all turned out. "I knew I would need to kind of be up for some unexpected challenges," he says. "I think we were very public in acknowl- edging our mistakes, and looking back on last year, we largely corrected them. On a personal level, it was amazing to be in a place that's so beautiful, pursuing what I love to do. I probably thought I'd be up here a bit longer. " ■

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