Come for the lifestyle, stay for life

Success is attainable in the slower pace of the Kootenays

A love of the great outdoors and an appreciation for all four seasons is important for anyone who wants to create a successful business in the Kootenays. — Tanya Laing Gahr photo

Rory Sinclair believes that the Kootenay region is the land of opportunity for anyone, but it’s important to come for the lifestyle first and the career second.

“It’s an adjustment to live out here,” said Sinclair, the manager of the Hoodoo Lounge & Grill in Fairmont Hot Springs, “and once you find that adjustment, you embrace it and you don’t want to go anywhere else.”

Sinclair is Kootenay born and bred but left the region to go to school. During summer breaks, he would work as a lifeguard at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort.

“I finished my schooling (in Victoria) and ran straight back to the mountains,” he said.

Sinclair’s studies were a good fit for the lifestyle—he obtained a degree in leisure and recreation management—but it was the connections with people he met that really drove his career. He believes that’s true for most places in the region—though being willing to step beyond the role suggested by one’s job title is often necessary. Sinclair’s own business card describes him as the Hoodoo’s manager/dishwasher.

“Out here, titles don’t really mean anything,” he said. “You had better be prepared to do it all and success will follow.”

Sinclair said he’ll often field questions from his restaurant’s customers about relocating to the area—and he has witnessed many of those same people making the leap. His own business partner in the Hoodoos Mountain Resort & RV Park, Scott Powell, took a summer job in the area for the golf opportunities but had no plans on staying past September.

“Now, he wouldn’t live anyplace else,” said Sinclair.

Living on Kootenay time

Sinclair said that he knows of some companies that have brought employees from larger centres based on their professional qualifications, and more often than not, those new employees have a hard time making the adjustment. Sinclair thinks those who thrive in the region are the ones who are ready to slow the pace and enjoy the view.

This is particularly true of businesses in the tourism industry, he said. There is the rush of summer and winter peak times that generate a lot of income but can leave a company with very little time for anything but customer service. The slower months, though, bring peace and time for planning—a chance to catch one’s breath and enjoy the great outdoors.

“You mature with the lifestyle out here,” said Sinclair, “and you learn about all the different kinds of recreation out here and you grow with it.”