Why Fairmont
A Small Family Hill, With Hot Pools At The Bottom.
Fairmont Hot Springs sits in the Columbia Valley, between the Rockies and the Purcells. The hill is small and friendly, with runs from green to black and a kids terrain park. At the bottom are Canada's largest natural mineral hot springs, open all year.
Size
305m
Of vertical
About 1,000 feet, from a triple chair
Terrain
14
Runs, green to black
Plus a kids terrain park
Distance
35 min
From Panorama
Where you live, train and free ski
Getting there
3 hrs
From Calgary
The airport you fly into
Hill figures from Fairmont Hot Springs Resort and Kootenay Rockies tourism, rounded. Drive times are approximate. Checked October 2026.
01How it works
How A Fairmont Placement Works.
Fairmont isn't a course of its own. It's where some of our Panorama interns teach. You live, train and free ski at Panorama, and only your work shifts are at Fairmont Hot Springs.
Land in Calgary.
Your transfer to Panorama is included, as long as you arrive within the time window we send you.
Qualify at Panorama.
Level 1 comes first: 12 days of training, then 3 days of exams. Panorama is where you live, train and free ski for the whole of your course.
Teach at Fairmont Hot Springs.
Once you hold Level 1, your work shifts are at Fairmont. On the ski Standard internship that means full time, around 18 to 20 hours a week at about $20 CAD an hour. On either Hybrid it is part time.
Level 2, the same winter.
Your Level 2 training, modules and exams come later in the season. On the Mini Internship, the 18 days of Level 2 training are at Panorama or Fairmont.
WSC interns at Fairmont Hot Springs.
The Pros And Cons.
A Fairmont Hot Springs placement is brilliant for the right person, and not for everyone. Here's the honest picture.
Why Fairmont works
- Two mountains, one winterTeach at Fairmont, then free ski Panorama on your days off.
- A close-knit hillA small, friendly ski school, away from the big commercial resorts.
- The lessons that make you goodA family hill means lots of kids and first-timers, the lessons every new instructor needs to master.
- Hot pools at the bottomCanada's largest natural mineral hot springs, at the foot of the hill and open all year.
Worth knowing
- A small hill305m of vertical, against Panorama's 1,300m. Your big-mountain skiing happens at Panorama, on your days off.
- A commute to workYour shifts are about 35 minutes from where you live. Fairmont runs a shuttle to get you there and back.
02Your course
Courses That Can Place You At Fairmont.
Three Panorama courses can place you at Fairmont Hot Springs. The two internships run all winter, and the Mini Internship fits into 13 weeks.
Level 1 and 2, ski
Ski Instructor Internship, Panorama
Level 1 in your first 3 to 4 weeks, then a paid instructor job and Level 2. On the Standard or the Hybrid, some interns are placed at Fairmont Hot Springs.
- Starts
- 21 to 27 November 2026
- Length
- 19 to 23 weeks
- Options
- Standard or Hybrid
- You leave with
- CSIA Level 1 and 2
- Price
- From £6,950
Level 1 and 2, snowboard
Snowboard Instructor Internship, Panorama
The CASI version on the same mountain. The Hybrid is part time at Panorama or Fairmont Hot Springs, with 16 days of Level 2 and 9 days of off-piste and powder freeride training.
- Starts
- 21 to 27 November 2026
- Length
- 19 to 23 weeks
- Options
- Standard or Hybrid
- You leave with
- CASI Level 1 and 2
- Price
- From £6,950
Level 1 and 2, ski or snowboard
The Mini Internship, Panorama
Level 1, a real teaching job over Christmas, then 18 days of Level 2 training at Panorama or Fairmont Hot Springs, with modules and exams.
- Dates
- 25 November 2026 to 27 February 2027
- Length
- 13 weeks
- You leave with
- CSIA or CASI Level 1, plus Level 2 training and exams
- Price
- £8,900
On a UK passport
You Need A Working Holiday Visa.
Paid teaching in Canada needs an IEC Working Holiday visa. You don't need it before booking. Book your place, then we help you through the process 7 days a week, with our PDF guide alongside.
Want a bigger mountain for work as well? Compare our ski instructor courses, or all our snowboard instructor courses.
Still deciding where to go? Compare all our locations.
What Past Interns Say.
Read Before You Choose.
Free guides, written by us for people in exactly your position. Start with the internship guide, then the real cost of a season.
Ultimate Internship Guide
How an internship works, from Level 1 to your first paid lesson.
Read the guide ›
Internship Comparison Guide
Every internship side by side, so you can see which one fits.
Read the guide ›
The Real Cost Of A Canadian Season
The whole sum, from flights and insurance to food and kit.
Read the guide ›
Visa Pool Entry Guide, Part 1
When to get into the visa pool, and what to do first.
Read the guide ›
How To Book Our Courses And Internships
From first chat to first chairlift, step by step.
Read the guide ›
Skiing Ability Guide
Are you good enough yet? The standard, in plain words, with a way to check.
Read the guide ›
Snowboarding Ability Guide
The riding standard, in plain words, with a way to check.
Read the guide ›
What Nobody Tells You About A Season In Canada
The honest bits about a Canadian winter that nobody mentions.
Read the guide ›
What To Take
The packing list for a winter in the mountains.
Read the guide ›
