Dream Job Profile

Grant Statham

BanffLife: When (what year) did you first come to Banff / Bow Valley? 

1986

BL: How old are you?

35

BL: What made you decide to come to Banff?

The year before I moved here, my parents took us on a trip through the National Parks – I was already rock climbing at the time, and was totally in awe of this place.  Two weeks after finishing high school I came here to take a mountaineering course, and when I got home all I could do was live and breath climbing.  I think I was driving my mother nuts, so when my buddy moved here for the winter to ski, my Mom suggested I go along for the year. 

Its been the longest year I’ve ever experienced!

BL: Describe your first job in Banff and how you got it.

I worked as a waiter in the Eagles Nest restaurant at Sunshine Village.  My buddy worked on the hill, so I lived up there with him and got a job waiting tables.  I had the killer schedule – 5 night shifts, 2 off, 5 days day shifts, 2 off.  Life was good – 17 years old, lots of parties, lots of climbing and lots of skiing! 

BL: Describe your job/s now including your job title/s and position/s.  What things do you like best or think are the coolest about your job!

Right now I am working for Parks Canada as an Avalanche Risk Specialist, involved in a 2-year project trying to figure out new ways to warn people about avalanches.  In addition to being an Avalanche Forecaster, I work as a Mountain Guide and have spent the last 15 years guiding climbing and skiing all over Canada and the rest of the mountain ranges of the world.  I have my own small business called ALPINE SPECIALISTS, where I maintain a consistent group of clients who like to climb and ski.

The best parts of my job are two things.  First, the awesome people that I get to hang out with.  When you spend extended time with people, often cooped up in a tent or in stressful places – you form some pretty close friendships.  Over the years my clients have become my friends, and many are excellent climbers.  I often feel a bit guilty because these friends are paying me to take them on amazing mountain adventures – I manage to get over the guilt quickly though!

Next are the amazing places I get to spend my life in. Regularly standing on summits and looking at the sea of big peaks on the horizon, I never forget how lucky I am to be in yet another stunning location.  Especially around here – it’s cool toward the horizon and know you’ve stood on all the big peaks and when you get on top of those big mountains it’s the same thing looking toward the next horizon.

BL:  How did you get to where you are now from where you started in Banff?

When I was working as a waiter and trying to climb and ski on all my time off – I noticed a ski patroller at SSV (Sunshine Village Ski Area) one spring day and decided that was what I wanted to do.

 I applied next season, and much to my surprise I got a job (now I had to learn to ski!).  The same surprising thing happened in the summer, when I got a job teaching climbing at the Banff Cadet Camp.  Goes to show that it can’t hurt to ask!

A few years into the ski patrolling job I got an amazing opportunity to take over the avalanche control program from the park wardens, and turn it into a ski area program – so I became the first SSV avalanche forecaster.  In 1989 I took my ACMG (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides – see BanffLife.com Education and career sections for more information) Summer Guide’s course with a friend.  I took the course as a test to myself to see if I could pass – I never once thought about actually working as a guide.  Much to my surprise – I passed.