Most Bow Valley businesses rely on international employees to fill their staff roster. These folks tend to be enthusiastic and overall grateful for an opportunity to live and work in the Rocky Mountains. This is even more the case when your job includes speeding along snow-covered trails behind a team of sled dogs.
We caught up with Jereme Arsenault, President of Snowy Owl Dog Sled Tours, to talk about his business and his team. The company itself is pretty self-explanatory. Snowy Owl offers sled dog tours in the beautiful Canadian Rockies. When it comes to the experience itself, Jereme describes it as “the coolest thing ever. There’s truly nothing like it. It’s like driving a furry rocketship.” He told us that even after an entire lifetime of experiencing sled dog rides in the Bow Valley, “it’s a magical experience, even for me still.”
Jereme’s parents incorporated the company back in 1983. “When they incorporated it, it was the first of its kind in Western Canada. Now, we’re coming up on four decades of running tours here. They started with just six dogs in one truck, now we’ve got 168 dogs, and we employ between 20 and 30 people year round.” He continued to tell us that they see about 16,000 visitors a year.
Beyond the sled dog tours, Snowy Owl offers dog carting tours in the summer, kennel tours, and rafting via their sister company, White Wolf Rafting. Snowy Owl is the company behind many unforgettable Bow Valley experiences for visitors and locals alike. So, let’s learn about the team behind those memories.
“The dogs need to be looked after year-round, so we’ve always been a year-round employer.” While the company used to keep their winter sled dog guides around to help with operations and such throughout the off-season, there’s no longer an off-season. Snowy Owl is the only provider in Alberta to offer dog cart tours, and you’d be hard-pressed to find tours like theirs anywhere else in Canada. This means that “the dogs get to run year-round, and the staff get to work year-round,” said Jereme.
Snowy Owl employs many international employees who Jereme says “are way more enthusiastic” as they’re so thrilled to be experiencing something so cool and calling it work. “What we do is different from anything they could do back home. They’re usually really pumped about it,” he continued.
The best part about the enthusiasm these employees bring is that the customers feed off their excitement and passion. “If we’re not out running tours, we’re setting up tents in remote areas or doing trail work using snowshoes or driving snow machines. You get to be in the mountains the whole time, and it’s such a cool and crazy life,” Jereme reflected.
While Jereme is pleased to welcome international employees and share his unique business and lifestyle with them, he notes that the process can be tricky for both the individual and the company. If you’re looking for support in this area, it’s always a good idea to get in touch with an expert to ensure you’ve all the information you need.
Whether you’re visiting or you live in Canmore full time, a dog sled or dog cart tour is something you need to experience for yourself. Stay tuned for local’s appreciation discounts this winter, said Jereme, and be sure to add these tours to your winter bucket list for this year!
This story was made possible by our Community Partners Program. Thank you Foothills Immigration Inc. for helping to expand local news coverage in the Bow Valley. Learn more.
