Women of Whitewater
We’d like to take this time to recognize all the women, girls, non-binary and two-spirit people, who work and play here on the mountain. From avalanche forecasting to ski instructing, our ladies are out there smashing gender stereotypes and breaking trail for the next generation of shredders. In honour of all that they do to keep our chairs spinning, we’ve taken the time to speak with some of the women of Whitewater about our community.
Meet our Lead Hand - Outdoor Guest Services Samantha Sproule!
Years at whitewater: 2
How did you get your start in the ski industry: My dad taught me how to ski in Ottawa when I was 4 years old, and I always knew I wanted to enjoy every minute of Canada’s beautiful winters. He moved to Banff when he was young, and after he passed three years ago I started planning my journey west. Now I’m a very happy shoveler/ticket scanner/parking lot attendant and full-time skier and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Favorite run on the mountain: Trash
What drew you to whitewater: I’ve never seen my last name outside of my own family, and when I moved to Nelson I went for a snowy walk around Sproule Creek, and dropped off (the smallest) cliff on Sproulers and thought I was meant to be in this beautiful town.
Meet Lila Mckechnie : Lila has been skiing at Whitewater since 2009 and feels lucky to call these mountains home. She works in Outdoor Guest Services here at the hill; ticket scanning, shovelling, parking cars and, keeping the stoke high (you can usually find her in the lift line playing some rad tunes). Aside from being a passionate skier, Lila is a musician and will be moving to Montreal in the spring to pursue her career and music production full time on the east coast. You can catch Lila performing live at Whitewater on March 26th from 11:30 - 12:30pm in our on-the-snow patio.
Meet Laura Waterer aka Lorna
Job Title: Avalanche Forecaster/Summer Trail Crew/HR Assistant/Mama
Years at Whitewater: 9 years working, 26 years skiing
How did you get your start in the ski industry: The plan was for 1 year as Volunteer Ski Patrol at Whitewater before getting a real job. That was almost 10 years ago now.
What does a typical day at Whitewater look like: Up at the hill between 6 and 7 am, analyze weather and snow data, determine avalanche forecast, provide local area avalanche information for public, control work (ski cutting or explosive control), backcountry incident response or assist patrol team with first aid as needed, collect avalanche, snowpack and weather data in the field, add new knowledge gained to avalanche forecast for tomorrow. Home between 5:30 and 6pm. Hang out with my kid and partner, bedtime stories, get ready for the next day.
Favourite run on the mountain: The Cow's Face (favourite and least favourite, depending on the day).
What drew you to Whitewater: I grew up here and can't imagine being anywhere else.
What advice would you give to anyone hoping to get a job in this role or the ski industry: You don't need to fit a particular mould to achieve success in the industry. Don't compare yourself to whatever someone else is doing, just keep working at it in your own time. Diversity is strength and bringing your own greatness to whatever you do. #mumlife
