A BIG 'Thank You' and See you soon
Hello everyone:
This last winter was a busy one for us at Skican, so much so that by the May long weekend I found myself staying put in my hometown of Guelph, Ontario, to chill while my teenage children headed north to an island in Georgian Bay. Basking in the lazy quiet of the weekend, I spent some time reflecting on what was truly a record-setting year at Skican.
It was a year of exploring new destinations, training new team members, building new partnerships, and having loads of fun. And to cap it all off, our team recently returned from a week in Banff, Alberta. Our partners at Banff Lake Louise Tourism and SkiBig3 hosted us for a spectacular end of season ski and adventure-filled experience. For years, friends in Banff have been saying that May is their favourite time of year to ski or board and now we know why. While many of the resorts in Western Canada close in the spring, May skiing in Banff is when the snow is plentiful, the temps are moderate, the sunshine on the après patios can’t be beat, and the crowds are nowhere to be seen. As a team we skied, we laughed, we held a strategic planning session, we biked, we hiked, we visited hotels, we danced to some hip hop, we tried out new restaurants (add to your Banff to-do list: the Key Lime Pie at the Bluebird Restaurant and the sunset at the top of the Banff Gondola), we had “chair lift check ins” with each other, and we celebrated a great year.
This season was my 9th at the helm of Skican. For the most part, we believe we have landed where we want to be. We have the right people on the “bus”, and we feel confident we are heading in the right direction. At the beginning of the 2023-24 season, we announced our commitment to Transformational Mountain Experiences. As a result, we ran Ski Escapes in Canada, the US, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Chile and Japan. We visited new destinations like Schweitzer, Idaho, Alyeska, Alaska and Asahidake, Japan. We hired a Finance Manager (best decision ever) and implemented a new Customer Relationship Management System (CRM). We reviewed every step of the mountain experience process, asking ourselves what is essential for ensuring value and ease, and delivering memories.
So, now, as we plan for the 2024-25 season we will double down again.
Our mantra moving forward is “An Inch Wide and a Mile Deep".
What does this mean for you?
Unlike other ski tour companies that offer boat cruises, biking, bus trips, and sun destinations, Skican has a laser focus on skiing and snowboarding mountain experiences (“an inch wide”). We believe this focus helps keep us agile, responsive and in tune with the ever evolving ski and travel industry. “A mile deep” refers to our commitment to understand every aspect of mountain travel, to provide the best experience possible and greater value from the moment you engage with our team to long after your return.
Sound good?
THANK YOU from all of us at Skican for your incredible trust and support and for another wonderful year. As always, we’d love to hear from you; drop us a line, send us your ideas, share your memories. And stay tuned for our most exciting line up ever of Ski Escapes.
Sincerely,
President, Skican
The Skican team in Banff & Lake Louise, Alberta May 2024
