Working in Valemount

"Desperately Seeking in Valemount": Tradespeople

There are worse things than being stuck in Valemount

Yes, it's true that the investment opportunities in Valemount are tough to beat. There's a need for housing and land is still reasonably priced. However, western Canada (i.e., British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan) – fueled by a skyrocketing resource-based economy – is in bit of a crisis when it comes to finding sufficient labour to carry out projects of any sort. The construction field in particular is stretched beyond its means. If you want to build in Valemount, you can certainly hire local talent, but remember that this is a very small community. If you have a certain time frame by which you must achieve completion, you will almost definitely need to solicit outside help.

On the bright side, the governments of British Columbia and Alberta have made it easier to share resources with the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA).

Transportation Costs

Valemount's relative isolation – an advantage that will help it maintain its "slow paced mountain town" appeal in the long term – creates a transportation challenge. Whether it be transporting materials or labour from elsewhere, an additional cost must be borne by any project that requires external product and resources.

In particular, temporary housing would be required for workers since one cannot really commute to the village on a daily basis from any major centre. Fortunately, the area is serviced by some excellent hotel and motel establishments, some of which may be able to make arrangements for longer term stays.

Village Setting; Village Pace

This is by no means an indictment or a complaint, just a simple statement of fact that can pose a challenge to those accustomed to the big city pace: Valemount is a village. You'll have to get to know the "village people" (as this writer has affectionately come to refer to the nice municipal folk who work in the basement of the Valemount Visitor Centre) and work with them to achieve your goals. Dealing with the area's growth is new to them as well, but they seem to be in favour of supporting ideas that will sell Valemount to outside investors. It's just that if you're coming in to do business here, be prepared to jump through a different set of hoops and take it slowly. Best to put aside that stressful concept of "it's got to be done yesterday".

Also, as a small village with a base population of about twelve hundred permanent residents, some business services are simply not available locally (which – to put a positive spin on it – means that an opportunity exists) and will have to be sourced from surrounding areas, usually McBride or Prince George. On the other hand, the locals are supportive and friendly and will readily lend a helping hand with whatever will make Valemount a better place to live.