# Finding a place to live in banff canada



## Guest

that is friggen awesome


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## Snowjoe

Nice! I've done the last 2 seasons out there an am looking to get out of staff accom this season, this should be helpful. :thumbsup:


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## Guest

whats out there in the way of nightlife?


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## Guest

*Banff Night Life*

The night life in banff is pretty good. There are alot of pubs and bars that always have cheap drinks, usually on sunshine villages pay day!!

As for clubs we only have two. Hoodoos and Aurora. They are small but fun for a while. Once the season gets going it's usually bars and house parties!

Ben


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## kyle16

I was up there for a week last february and it was a great time. The places that my friend and I frequented was Bruno's and St. James Gate. They had a good crowd, nice a chill. Bruno's was definately the best place to go just to shoot the s*** with locals. There were a couple more right in that area that I do not remember the names of that were also a lot of fun. I would love to live up there for a couple years to just work and board.


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## PaoloSmythe

i'm looking for a week long accommod if anyone might advise..... cheers yo!


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## Guest

Canmore is a good option too. It is very close to Banff and Sunshine as well, and is growing quickly. Canmore is right outside the park - like on the park boundary. It is still expensive, but not quite as much as Banff. There are plenty of hotels, motels, timeshares, hostels, etc. 
I live in Canmore and it is also full of ski resort staff. 
Paolo - it would be easier to point you in the right direction for accomadation in Banff if you were a bit more specific as to what you are looking for... :dunno: how much do you want to spend? 
Before I moved to Canmore I always stayed at the Sunshine Inn - now called the Sunshine mountain lodge. It is inexpensive, and it is the only ski out hotel in Banff park. It is right in Sunshine Village, and you get first tracks every morning. If you are into nightlife, its not the place to be. Hotel is accesible only via gondola, which doesn't run at night. Also food at the hotel is crazy expensive, and the rooms dont have fridges.


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## Guest

trevorslovechil said:


> Find seasonal accommodation in banff canada, rooms for rent and employment
> 
> hope this helps!


link doesnt work? im coming to banff for the 09/10 season. any hints or tips for finding work/accom in roughly late november/early december?
cheers


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## shredder07

vans13 said:


> link doesnt work? im coming to banff for the 09/10 season. any hints or tips for finding work/accom in roughly late november/early december?
> cheers


i'm doing the same thing, fortunately, i got an interview for sunshine village, so hopefully that works out. check out these websites for job postings

Job Resource Centre - Job Information - Employment Opportunities and Resources in Canmore and Banff, Alberta Canada
Job Bank - Search
Banff Hostels | Banff Backpacker Hostel > Working Holiday Makers
Careers at The Banff Centre

hopefully these websites help you out.

if anyone has any tips for finding accommodation for 2 i would really appreciate it


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## Guest

shredder07 said:


> i'm doing the same thing, fortunately, i got an interview for sunshine village, so hopefully that works out. check out these websites for job postings
> 
> Job Resource Centre - Job Information - Employment Opportunities and Resources in Canmore and Banff, Alberta Canada
> Job Bank - Search
> Banff Hostels | Banff Backpacker Hostel > Working Holiday Makers
> Careers at The Banff Centre
> 
> hopefully these websites help you out.


thanks heaps theyre great!!


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## Guest

The 2 clubs I like is: Hoodoos and Aurora. They are small but fun for a while.


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## chupacabraman

There are 4 Hostel style accommodations in Banff:

YWCA cheapest weekly rate, can include breakfasts, just over the bridge 1 block from downtown
Banff Locals (the brown building on Marten street, 313 i think, across from the Job Resource Center) 2nd cheapest weekly rate in town, downtown, pretty basic and strict
Samesun Hostel marten street & banff avenue corner, 4 blocks from downtown, standard hostel style and services (pool table, hot tub, etc)... LOTS of australians
The HI (hosteling international) is up on tunnel mountain, still within the townsite but pretty far from downtown, 20+ minute walk, bus service, great services, bar etc, tones of cool events going on

Otherwise you can check bulletin boards for postings. The best ones are: 1. downstairs Below the Lux Cinema (corner of Wolf&Bear) 2. Internet Cafes (there are only two) 3. Coffee Shops. By far #1 is the best one though.

Word of mouth goes a long way. You'll have better success after arriving instead of trying to line something up in advance. Tell everyone you meet your situation and you'd be surprised how many know of places needs roomates (even temporarily) or will even offer you a couch to crash on for a week (don't abuse this!!!)

Remember, summer is Banff's busy season. (Summer = 3 million tourists / Winter = 1 million tourists)
October and November are the DEAD months, very quiet in town, nothing happening, not many jobs besides ski hills hiring. However, hotels and restaurant often have specials (50% off) during this time. So if you are looking for accomodation for 2-5 people, it may be cheaper to get a hotel room for a week rather than a hostel room. The hotels with the cheapest prices are:
- The Arrow Motel
- The Voyager
- Bumpers Inn
- Best Western Siding 29 (you can bargain with them to make a deal, trust me)

Hope that helps. If you need more info just ask I lived in Banff the past 7 years.


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## DiscoStu

chupacabraman said:


> Samesun Hostel <snip> ... LOTS of australians


hahah we're a plague 
they advertise like a motherbitch over here


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## shredder07

chupacabraman said:


> There are 4 Hostel style accommodations in Banff:
> 
> YWCA cheapest weekly rate, can include breakfasts, just over the bridge 1 block from downtown
> Banff Locals (the brown building on Marten street, 313 i think, across from the Job Resource Center) 2nd cheapest weekly rate in town, downtown, pretty basic and strict
> Samesun Hostel marten street & banff avenue corner, 4 blocks from downtown, standard hostel style and services (pool table, hot tub, etc)... LOTS of australians
> The HI (hosteling international) is up on tunnel mountain, still within the townsite but pretty far from downtown, 20+ minute walk, bus service, great services, bar etc, tones of cool events going on
> 
> Otherwise you can check bulletin boards for postings. The best ones are: 1. downstairs Below the Lux Cinema (corner of Wolf&Bear) 2. Internet Cafes (there are only two) 3. Coffee Shops. By far #1 is the best one though.
> 
> Word of mouth goes a long way. You'll have better success after arriving instead of trying to line something up in advance. Tell everyone you meet your situation and you'd be surprised how many know of places needs roomates (even temporarily) or will even offer you a couch to crash on for a week (don't abuse this!!!)
> 
> Remember, summer is Banff's busy season. (Summer = 3 million tourists / Winter = 1 million tourists)
> October and November are the DEAD months, very quiet in town, nothing happening, not many jobs besides ski hills hiring. However, hotels and restaurant often have specials (50% off) during this time. So if you are looking for accomodation for 2-5 people, it may be cheaper to get a hotel room for a week rather than a hostel room. The hotels with the cheapest prices are:
> - The Arrow Motel
> - The Voyager
> - Bumpers Inn
> - Best Western Siding 29 (you can bargain with them to make a deal, trust me)
> 
> Hope that helps. If you need more info just ask I lived in Banff the past 7 years.


thanks man. very helpful


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## Guest

chupacabraman said:


> Hope that helps. If you need more info just ask I lived in Banff the past 7 years.



Hey brah, is it easy ot find a place to live in march/April and work ? Im heading too SE Asia for a couple months and just got laid off , soo i would like to move up to Banff for spring/summer and maybe head to Revelstoke for next season.


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## Snowjoe

Nevergymless said:


> Hey brah, is it easy ot find a place to live in march/April and work ? Im heading too SE Asia for a couple months and just got laid off , soo i would like to move up to Banff for spring/summer and maybe head to Revelstoke for next season.


End of April start of May is your best bet, the hills shut and alot of us seasonal staff leave meaning theres loads more accom around. March is still in season so not too much in the way of room openings for longer stays.


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## chupacabraman

Snowjoe is right. In Banff summer is actually the busy season (3 million tourists vs 1 million over the winter).. so spring time is the time to go if you want to find housing and employment. Lots of seasonal employees are leaving, opening up housing and jobs. Plus employers are actively recreuiting for the summer rush. April-May (and even through June) are a no brainer.
Plus, since Sunshine Village is open until May.24 (and I mean OPEN, like 80% open with a 120+cm base on closing day), you can buy a spring pass for $275 and get a few weeks of riding in. And you know that the spring riding at Sunshine is generally their best conditions of the season, with April-May being more like mid-winter at many other resorts, you'll only have a couple of days where it's slushy. Spring pow dumps are the norm.


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## dneukirch

Some great info on this thread!! 

Ok so I dont know much about Canada/Banff, so bear with me. I'm interested in working on mountain near Banff, any tips on good ski resorts, I heard Lake Louise is good? Does a mountain such as Lake Louise have its own town to live/work in or do most people live at Banff and travel to the mountains for work / to ski each day? 

Thanks


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## Snowjoe

dneukirch said:


> Some great info on this thread!!
> 
> Ok so I dont know much about Canada/Banff, so bear with me. I'm interested in working on mountain near Banff, any tips on good ski resorts, I heard Lake Louise is good? Does a mountain such as Lake Louise have its own town to live/work in or do most people live at Banff and travel to the mountains for work / to ski each day?
> 
> Thanks


If you work at Lake Louise then there is staff accom in a little village near by but theres nothing to do there but drink really. But most of the lakes staff live there because its super cheap housing and banff can be expensive. Sunshine Village is closer to banff, there is staff accom on the hill but once the gondola closes down your trapped so alot of them live in banff.


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## dneukirch

Snowjoe said:


> If you work at Lake Louise then there is staff accom in a little village near by but theres nothing to do there but drink really. But most of the lakes staff live there because its super cheap housing and banff can be expensive. Sunshine Village is closer to banff, there is staff accom on the hill but once the gondola closes down your trapped so alot of them live in banff.


Thanks for the info man. 

So I'm guessing if you want to experience more than snowboard, work and drink, Banff is the better option for accommodation (but more expensive)? So how far is it from Banff to Sunshine Village and from Banff to Lake Louise? Are there ways of getting to either mountain without a car (wouldnt really want to fork out money for a car)? And while were talking about SV and LL, which do people think is better? 
thanks in advance!


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## Snowjoe

dneukirch said:


> Thanks for the info man.
> 
> So I'm guessing if you want to experience more than snowboard, work and drink, Banff is the better option for accommodation (but more expensive)? So how far is it from Banff to Sunshine Village and from Banff to Lake Louise? Are there ways of getting to either mountain without a car (wouldnt really want to fork out money for a car)? And while were talking about SV and LL, which do people think is better?
> thanks in advance!


Lake Louise is 60km from Banff and Sunshine is about 30km. They run buses to both daily and if you work at the hill you'll get a free bus pass so that isn't an issue. If you don't work for the hill then you'll want to buy a season bus pass as it's overall cheaper.

As far as the mountains go most people say Sunshine has better snow but Lake Louise has better terrain, I've done a season at both and I prefer Lake Louise to be honest, however if its the same as the last load of years if you work for one of them you get free passes to the other hill except during the blackouts in holiday periods.

If you wanna get a job at the hills though call them or email them ASAP, a lot of the jobs are filled already so your gonna wanna be quick.


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## dneukirch

Snowjoe said:


> Lake Louise is 60km from Banff and Sunshine is about 30km. They run buses to both daily and if you work at the hill you'll get a free bus pass so that isn't an issue. If you don't work for the hill then you'll want to buy a season bus pass as it's overall cheaper.
> 
> As far as the mountains go most people say Sunshine has better snow but Lake Louise has better terrain, I've done a season at both and I prefer Lake Louise to be honest, however if its the same as the last load of years if you work for one of them you get free passes to the other hill except during the blackouts in holiday periods.
> 
> If you wanna get a job at the hills though call them or email them ASAP, a lot of the jobs are filled already so your gonna wanna be quick.


Cheers for great info!

When you did both your seasons did you live at Banff and travel up each day for work? Or did you live and work in Banff and head up the mtns on days off?

The trip is actually planned for 10/11  getting info early I guess  Prior to landing in Canada I will be travelling 6 months Asia/Europe so I want to be organised. But interesting you say many jobs are already filled as its only mid Oct. Is end of Oct beginning Nov a pretty ok time to start job hunting or is that already cutting it fine?


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## Snowjoe

dneukirch said:


> Cheers for great info!
> 
> When you did both your seasons did you live at Banff and travel up each day for work? Or did you live and work in Banff and head up the mtns on days off?
> 
> The trip is actually planned for 10/11  getting info early I guess  Prior to landing in Canada I will be travelling 6 months Asia/Europe so I want to be organised. But interesting you say many jobs are already filled as its only mid Oct. Is end of Oct beginning Nov a pretty ok time to start job hunting or is that already cutting it fine?


Ah ok in that case you have plenty of time! First season I travelled from Banff, the last 2 seasons I lived in Lake Louise and this year I'll be back in Banff. One disadvantage of living in Banff, if you work at Lake Louise for example, is that the staff bus is at 6:45am. Ouch. Plus if your anything other than say an Instructor or Patroller your on minimum wage hence most people live in staff accomm, however if you live in banff theres opportunity to get a 2nd job at night or something, or if you can work as a server at the hill tips are good.

Applications for the next season often start coming in as soon as the season is done. I'm pretty sure we started interviewing our instructors in like August/September, so june/july is a good time to get applications in, pretty much once the season is done this year keep an eye on the websites of the hills for the vacancies to be shown and get on them quickly! If your happy to not work at the hill then you can leave it later, it's just obviously hill jobs are hot property for lots of people because of cheap housing and free passes.


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## dneukirch

Snowjoe said:


> Ah ok in that case you have plenty of time! First season I travelled from Banff, the last 2 seasons I lived in Lake Louise and this year I'll be back in Banff. One disadvantage of living in Banff, if you work at Lake Louise for example, is that the staff bus is at 6:45am. Ouch. Plus if your anything other than say an Instructor or Patroller your on minimum wage hence most people live in staff accomm, however if you live in banff theres opportunity to get a 2nd job at night or something, or if you can work as a server at the hill tips are good.
> 
> Applications for the next season often start coming in as soon as the season is done. I'm pretty sure we started interviewing our instructors in like August/September, so june/july is a good time to get applications in, pretty much once the season is done this year keep an eye on the websites of the hills for the vacancies to be shown and get on them quickly! If your happy to not work at the hill then you can leave it later, it's just obviously hill jobs are hot property for lots of people because of cheap housing and free passes.


Cool, thanks for all your help!


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## Snowjoe

No problem, something to bear in mind, if you end up with a job at Lake Louise and can't find a place in Banff or are short on cash for Banff, employees of any business in Lake Louise village are entitled by law to staff housing I'm pretty sure, which will mean you'll have to share a room with someone but if your really stuck its only about 6 or 7 bucks a night and beats having no house right?


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## dneukirch

Snowjoe said:


> No problem, something to bear in mind, if you end up with a job at Lake Louise and can't find a place in Banff or are short on cash for Banff, employees of any business in Lake Louise village are entitled by law to staff housing I'm pretty sure, which will mean you'll have to share a room with someone but if your really stuck its only about 6 or 7 bucks a night and beats having no house right?


Ah ok, thats good to know.

I will be travelling with my girlfriend so I'm sorta in two minds about staff accommodation. I mean it will be the cheapest and closest to the mountain/work, but I'm imagining no privacy and the possiblity of us being crammed in a room with a only a single bed, or even worse, having to share a room with other people...


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## Snowjoe

dneukirch said:


> Ah ok, thats good to know.
> 
> I will be travelling with my girlfriend so I'm sorta in two minds about staff accommodation. I mean it will be the cheapest and closest to the mountain/work, but I'm imagining no privacy and the possiblity of us being crammed in a room with a only a single bed, or even worse, having to share a room with other people...


You can request to be in the same room. The Lake Louise staff accom is basically all 2 person rooms, and you can request to be a couple there, I spent all last season there in the same room as my girlfriend so that shouldn't be a problem if they know in advance.


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## dneukirch

Snowjoe said:


> You can request to be in the same room. The Lake Louise staff accom is basically all 2 person rooms, and you can request to be a couple there, I spent all last season there in the same room as my girlfriend so that shouldn't be a problem if they know in advance.


Thats great news! Lake Louise sounds like a goer then


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## Guest

If you want to live in a large city, Montreal would be your best bet. If you prefer something smaller, but bigger than rural, any of the capital cities in Atlantic Canada should suit you.


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## chupacabraman

Etlis said:


> If you want to live in a large city, Montreal would be your best bet. If you prefer something smaller, but bigger than rural, any of the capital cities in Atlantic Canada should suit you.


LOL, I think that's a little bit far of a drive to Sunshine or Louise... well, only 4000+ kms hah


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## DiscoStu

Etlis said:


> If you want to live in a large city, Montreal would be your best bet. If you prefer something smaller, but bigger than rural, any of the capital cities in Atlantic Canada should suit you.


hahah 

a) Why would anyone choose the East coast over the West for snowboarding i.e why the hell would you go to Tremblant vs Whistler/interior BC and b) the thread is months old


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## dneukirch

Haha, true.
Maybe not the best advice, but he was only trying to help


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