Why Nelson?
I - Hannes - am sitting in Innsbruck working on my Bachelor's thesis and already dreaming of the next stage in my life. It quickly becomes clear: it's going to be my first big trip during winter. Canada's endless nature, the guaranteed snow and countless ski films have lit my fire.
In the evening, I meet up with my colleague Florian for a beer - laptop open, browsing forums, making plans: Which place? How do we want to live?
Thanks to contacts from friends in Chile and Florian's Canadian experience five years ago, two options crystallize: Terrace or Nelson.
Terrace - far north, secluded, a family lift and endless touring possibilities. Nelson - a small hippy town with cafés, dance events, concerts and Whitewater as its local mountain. (Sam Kuch calls it his "home resort".) In the end, we don't just want to go powdering, but also have a social life - and maybe make a little movie. Decision made: Nelson.
Then the next question: apartment or camper? A friend finds a shared flat via Facebook, but we opt for the camper van option. More flexible, cheaper and perfect for road trips to Revelstoke or Kicking Horse. The basic plan was drawn up months before departure.
Preparing from home
The preparation for our Canadian adventure could be roughly divided into four sections: Visa, saving money, flight and gathering contacts.
Applying for a visa
For snow enthusiasts under 30, there is the working holiday visa. The application process is entirely done online, but you will need a lot of bureaucratic perseverance. I found Klara's article about her Japow trip and these instructions very helpful:
https://www.culture-xl.de/working-holiday-visum-kanada-in-7-einfachen-schritten/
Tip: Apply early! You have to hand in your fingerprints at a Canadian office (e.g. Berlin or Vienna), and the appointments fill up quickly.
How much money do you need?
The question of all questions: How much starting budget is realistic?
We planned to take €8,000 each with us. We wanted to bridge the first few months without having to work directly and concentrate fully on the sport and our film.
Included in our budget:
Season pass for Whitewater: approx. 1.000
Bought a motorhome so that we could live flexibly and go on road trips
We saved money in the traditional way with part-time jobs:
I was lucky enough to supervise the test events for K2 and work for a local ski manufacturer.
Florian was able to take the Oktoberfest in Munich with him - perfect timing at the end of September, shortly before his departure.
Of course, there are also plenty of classic jobs for skibums that you can secure in advance:
Liftie at a resort like Whitewater
Night Janitor at the resort - the perfect "powder job" because you have the day off
or Baldface Lodge (from dishwasher to all-round helper).
I write more about finding a job and financing on site in the corresponding section.
Finding the best flight
The cheapest and easiest connection to Canada is often with Westjet: Paris - Calgary or Vancouver. It's not uncommon to find offers of around €200 including baggage.
The TGV is also a super quick and relaxed way to get from Munich/Stuttgart to Paris.
I prefer to use Google Flights in incognito mode for my search. This gives you a good overview of different days and prices.
My own flight: booked 1 month in advance, €350 - if I had booked a flight 10 days later, it would only have been €200. Conclusion: Booking about 2 months in advance is enough to get a good offer.
Collecting contacts
Unbeatably important: Knowing local people. Friends of friends, family, acquaintances - every connection counts. We put out feelers months in advance and built up a small network of contacts in Vancouver, Revelstoke and Whistler. They all gave us tips that you won't find in any travel guide. Absolutely recommendable!
