Planning on skiing Big White this season?

[Pacific]

Jeez, glad to hear your friend was OK, that's scary.

Ya that's a terrible corner to cut, there have got to be a few thousand people out there at any given time in the winter... having an ambulance service for that many people is a no brainer.

No matter who should be funding it that's totally inappropriate. Can't imagine any other town in BC with thousands of people doesn't have a hospital or ambulance...

Uh...Big White is a ski hill....it's not a town.

Whether it's defined as a town I'm sure you got my point... no other place with thousands of people living and working there without a hospital within 45-60 minutes wouldn't have an ambulance.

I don't think having someone on ski patrol with their first aid rushing somebody to the hospital in their car is the same thing as a trained paramedic in an ambulance. And anyway - why? There are places with way less people than big white that have ambulances, I think Clinton has a full time ambulance station and there are like 500 people there. Big White's station was only open for a few months anyway.

[janalta]

Uh...Apperantly it's been a while since you've been up there.

Guess I missed the part where it was actually incorporated as a TOWN.

Yes, it is a large ski resort....but it is not it's own municipality with it's own ambulance and police services.
People on the mountain have the same access to ammenities as the permanent residents of Joe Rich.
They have trained first aid attendants on staff that are more than capable of caring for injured skiers until they can be transported to a hospital.
It is only 56 km from Kelowna....hardly way out in the boonies.

[johnhenry]

Most ski hills have very highly trained first aid attendants and great equipment including paddles.

If someone needs a ride off the hill for medical reasons, all sorts of vehicles can do the job of an ambulance until an ambulance is met on the road, or an air ambulance should it be warranted.

It's tough to get a gurney into an Escalade or an Excursion etc. Ambulances are designed to carry injured people.

[janalta]

Most ski hills have very highly trained first aid attendants and great equipment including paddles.

If someone needs a ride off the hill for medical reasons, all sorts of vehicles can do the job of an ambulance until an ambulance is met on the road, or an air ambulance should it be warranted.

Exactly.
And most ski resorts are a lot further from the nearest hospital as well.

[Joe Public]

Do none of you follow the politics in BC?

For a decade, the Liberal government has been cutting ambulance and hospital services across BC so that they can keep the corporate tax 2 points below the national average. It was part of Campbell's plan to transfer costs from business to taxpayers, but Clark has maintained the same position. It is also why BC has a record debt of $66b.

Under the Liberal plan, the ambulance which was removed by the government should be replaced by the corporation that runs Big White, but you won't see that happen, which is why the Liberals fiscal experiment is a failure.

[Noisy Boater]

I think BW is called a Village . Correct me if I am wrong. What is the difference btwn a Village Town or City and or incorperated or not ???

[grammafreddy]

If its incorporated, it has its own mayor and council and makes its own decisions independently. If not, then it is part of, and governed by, the Regional District - and in Big White's case, part of the Kootenay Boundary - not the Central Okanagan regional district.

I don't know why some places are called towns and some are called cities. Good question! Can't be size - because Greenwood is a city (the smallest in Canada). Big White is not a village although they may call it a village, it isn't incorporated.

[oneh2obabe]

I don't know why some places are called towns and some are called cities. Good question! Can't be size - because Greenwood is a city (the smallest in Canada). Big White is not a village although they may call it a village, it isn't incorporated.

In Canada, the granting of city status is handled by the individual provinces and territories. Therefore, city status definitions and criteria vary widely across the country. In British Columbia and Saskatchewan, towns can become cities after they reach a population of 5,000 people, but the threshold is 10,000 in Alberta, New Brunswick, and Ontario. In Manitoba, an urban municipality may not be named as a city unless its population meets or exceeds 7,500 people.

Greenwood (2011 population 708) was incorporated in 1897 and was formerly one of the principal cities of the Boundary Country smelting and mining district. It earned the "city" status and has retained that title despite the population implosion following the closure of the area's industries.

[janalta]

I think BW is called a Village . Correct me if I am wrong. What is the difference btwn a Village Town or City and or incorperated or not ???

In this case, the term village simply refers to the infastructure of condos, lodges, facilities on the mountain....it's not an actual village, as in a seperate political entity.
Many ski resorts call their facilities and buildings a 'village'

[grammafreddy]

Thanks, Babe. Look how much smarter I am now than I was five minutes ago! A day without learning something new is a day wasted.

[5VP]

It'll only be a matter of time before someone files a lawsuit over a death, serious injury or other catastrophic event or that could have been prevented with more timely ambulance service.

The "Golden Hour" rule of emergency service now seems to be more of a "Golden Hour or 2(ish)" suggestion designed to save minimal money. Many injuries that, at the outset, appear to be minor, can quickly turn into life or death situations if properly trained or advanced medical attention is not received in a timely manner.

Considering the sheer volume of humans being enticed by the owners of Big White to recreate in a risky sport it seems patently reckless of them to not have already anticipated this and/or already have an alternate plan of action in place.

Michael J has kids and family too. Is he comfortable with this?

Do the owners of Big White vote Liberal??

I wonder what their insurers have to say about this? Pretty huge indemnification issue here...


Ref. to over 100 loggers in the area...

I logged for many years in the Kootenays and was also a Level 3 first aid attendant. The company I worked for always had an equipped 4X4 ambulance (modified suburban) on or near the landing.

Sometimes getting an air ambulance in by radio contact or even satellite comms is not an option.

If you've been relying on the availability of the Big White ambulance service to come into the off-road bush you might want to discuss this with the whoever has contracted you (TOLKO??) cuz that system you're working under now seems kinda flimsy and dangerous.


This announcement is, sadly, more evidence of the BC liberal government's secret economic flim flammery and dabblings with emergency and other services and lack of respect and appreciation for those who provide these necessary services and for workers and the general public.

Profits before safety and good common sense??

[JJetson]

1 ambulance does not take care of all the transport needs from Big Web anyway. If you happen to be the 2nd injury that day that requires transport, or 3 or 4 you have to wait. There is room for Helicopters to land - perhaps that will be the preferred mode now that we can land on the hospital. Grew up skiing without ambulance on site at BW. No Big deal ! Ski within your limits and as mentioned earlier - they are more trained people on the slopes than in town to take care of injuries. In essence an on hill emergency ward !!!! Pray for snow !!!

[coffeeFreak]

Seems to me this isn't just a big white issue but a Kelowna and area one, as any any ambulance having to respond to an emergency on the hill is one less ambulance available below...

[janalta]

Sorry, but I agree with the decision...why should the province ( taxpayers) pay for an ambulance and EMTs to be on site 24/7 at a privately owned/operated ski resort?
The permanent residents in the area certainly aren't afforded the same convenience.

As for loggers....what do they do when it's not ski season ??

We skied at BW every day for many years...no ambulance service. Don't recall any deaths en route to the hospital.
If someone is that critically injured an air ambulance would be in order anyways....most skiing accidents are broken bones, concussions, torn ligaments....not injuries that can't be safely transported off the hill in vehicles.

[coffeeFreak]

I didn't realize the province was paying...I misunderstood it to mean Big White pulled a service they had previously provided. If that is the case, I agree janalta.