News: Sunshine Village Ski Resort Fires Back At Dismissed Ski Patrollers

Banff area ski resort Sunshine Village has fired and charged several of its' employees, including various supervisors and patrollers, of safety lapses, theft and other controversial charges; the controversy has spun a "he said, she said" argument between the resort itself and employees as both sides strive to uncover the truth behind the firings . Sunshine Villages' accusations of Mountain and Risk Manager Chris Chevalier inclue the following:

“Failing to engage in proper risk and safety management and, thereby, exposing Sunshine and its officers to potential statutory liability under federal and provincial statutes and regulations and to potential civil liability.
“Undermining and resisting efforts by senior management to remove alcohol from the workplace, including consumption of alcohol in Sunshine vehicles, and thereby creating safety and regulatory risks for Sunshine.
“Challenging Sunshine’s decision and efforts to remove alcohol from the workplace by allowing the display of the following sign on the fridge in the trail crew locker room: ‘20 years tradition gone WTF.’
“Resisting the removal of pictures that were denigrating to women from the workplace on the basis that removal of such pictures was a ‘loss of mountain culture.’
“Charging members of the skiing public for tensor bandages and other medical supplies and soliciting unauthorized payments from members of the skiing public at Sunshine or accepting payments from members of the skiing public at Sunshine and funneling the proceeds into undisclosed funds and bank accounts, which Ski Patrollers referred to as the “Patrollers’ Benevolent Fund”, all without the knowledge and approval of executive management.
“Soliciting gifts and/or benefits from suppliers.”
He was also accused of harassing women and giving season passes to non-employees. Rowan Harper gave a season pass to his girlfriend and others, Sunshine said, engaged in fraud, and was antagonistic.
Sunshine also filed a statement of defense regarding the Scurfield’s poaching incursion. Scurfield acknowledged skiing in the closed area and being caught by patroller Charlie Hitchman, but denied becoming aggressive or threatening the patroller with his job.
Hitchfield called to Scurfield and his two companions from above, Sunshine says, and ordered them to climb back up the hill. By the time they arrived, Chris Conroy was also waiting for them.
“When Conroy saw that the Defendant and his two friends were skiing on VIP passes…he stated ‘Oh, look what we have here, VIP passes’ and commenced a pattern of rude, condescending and aggressive conduct towards the Defendant [Scurfield] and his two companions…once Conway and ski patroller Hitchman learned that the Defendant was a member of the family that owned Sunshine they became aggressive with the Defendant and his two companions and engaged in abusive, aggressive, condescending, threatening and intimidating behaviour, including but not limited to the following (a) verbal abuse; (b) calling in reinforcement Ski Patrol members as a means of physical intimidation; (c) without lawful authority, refusing to return their driver’s licenses after being requested to do so and despite having been offered replacement photo identification; (d) without lawful authority, refusing to return the VIP guest passes after being requested to do so; yelling at them to “shut up” when they asked for the return of their driver’s licenses; threatening that they would be kicked off the mountain and that Sunshine would charge them with trespassing; and without lawful authority, arresting or, alternatively, confining them.”

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