Non-Stop Fun in Fernie
By: Angie Abdou
Photos: Dave Richards
March 25th, 2003
Forty Brits have given up their lives in England and moved to Canada to become ski instructors. NonStopSki, a program designed to allow Englanders the opportunity to do just that, is in its first year of operation in Fernie, under the management of Dave and Nicole Richards. The program is eleven weeks in duration and by the end participants will be fully qualified as ski or snowboard instructors. What makes someone living in a big city in England decide to up and move to the Canadian Rockies? "For us, it’s a dream job. Get paid to ski in the mountains all day? That sounds too good to be true," explains Jon Dyer, a member of the group who comes from London, England.
 Fernie, with its population of 4900, is a long stretch from London and Jon admits that originally it was a bit of a culture shock. "But a very nice one," he is quick to add. He says he didn’t really know what to expect but moving from a giant city where no one acknowledges anyone else’s existence to a tiny little town where strangers say "hello" on the street was a pleasant change.
Phil Tanner, another NonStop Skier, agrees and explains that the differences between Fernie and England are "huge. I love this place. I can’t stand where I come from. Culturally, they are so different. Everyone speaks to each other here. It’s cleaner. It’s more laid back. Hardly anyone smokes. It’s a good life in Fernie."
To pursue their Canadian dream, both Phil and Jon left good jobs—Phil as a prison guard and Jon as an Information Technology Specialist doing strategy for Universal Music throughout Europe and Asia. "Yes, it was a good job," explains Jon, "but something was missing. It’s just what makes you happy at the end of the day. A job like that doesn’t necessarily make you happy." The logical question, then, is whether this winter in Fernie has helped him find that happiness. Jon’s answer is simple and emphatic: "Yes! Definitely. Here the office is a playground."
Already all forty of the NonStopSki participants have earned their Level I Instructor’s certificate and are working toward their Level II. Both Jon and Phil plan on putting their certification to use in future jobs and both hope that Fernie will play a part in that future. "I want to buy a house here," says Phil enthusiastically. "There are five to six of us from the group thinking of going in together. We just look at where we came from –this place is so different. When I started the program, I thought I’d just go home and get a regular job. But now I’m looking to stay." Jon’s feelings are the same, "I’d like to come back and be a part of Fernie."
 Dave Richards suggests that this particular group should be called Non-Stop Party just as much as it is NonStopSki. Jon laughs and admits, "Yes, we party a fair amount. We’re looking for a balance. During the day, we work hard and it’s quite intense. We like to cut loose in the evening. Work hard; play hard. At the start, we partied more but since then we’ve calmed down. Still, we enjoy letting our hair down a couple times a week."
Everyone in NonStopSki particularly enjoys the diversity of the group’s members. The age range is from seventeen to forty-seven. There are kids straight out of school and married couples, people just filling the gap year between high school and university and people who have left well-established careers. "It’s been surprising," explains Phil. "People who I would’ve never spoken to, people who I never even would’ve found myself in the same room with at home, are the people I get on with best."
But the group is not all socializing and partying. They’ve accomplished some serious work while in Fernie. Most of them came from a background of having skied on a holiday here and there—a total of a few weeks in their whole lives. Now they have already put in forty full days while in Canada. "And the instruction is phenomenal," raves Jon. "The whole program is incredibly well organized. They very quickly put us in a position to understand the dangers we could face and how to deal with them." In addition to daily skiing, they’ve also done a Winter Survival trip, a Recreational Avalanche course, and a First Aid update.
When asked to comment on the most memorable part of his Fernie stay, Jon shakes his head. "It’s not just one aspect. It’s like I’ve chosen to do the right thing. In all respects. It’s like being in paradise."
For more information, see www.nonstopski.com
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