OUR TRADITION, OUR FUTURE Our Impact
Since the 1970s, our vision has been guided by our founder Mike’s friendship with the Simpcw First Nation and his respect for the mountains. We’re proud to carry this vision forward by working to understand and manage our environmental impacts, supporting our communities, and operating with integrity—just as Mike always believed we should.
Our Environmental Responsibility
We recognize the environmental impact we have each time our helicopters take skiers into the mountains. It’s an undeniable fact of our industry.
We also care deeply about these wild places. This is where our lives and passions intertwine. They have sustained people and wildlife for thousands of years. And they continue to provide both a livelihood for our families and life-changing adventure for our guests.
This is the inherent contradiction that we wrestle with as a business, and as individuals. Helicopter-based mountain recreation is inherently emissions-intensive, and there are practical limits to how much those emissions can be reduced with current technology. Our approach focuses on accurately measuring our operational emissions, implementing incremental efficiency improvements where feasible, and transparently disclosing the remaining impacts of our operations.
So, what exactly are we doing about it?
Measuring Our Emissions
In fiscal year 2024, we began comprehensive measurement of our greenhouse gas emissions following the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, consistent with our parent company Alterra's Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) commitment. Our FY2024 measured emissions totaled 1,522 tCO₂e for direct operations (Scope 1 and 2).
We are currently compiling our FY2025 inventory, which now includes comprehensive Scope 3 value chain emissions:
- Scope 1 (direct fuel combustion): 1,811 tCO₂e
- Scope 2 (purchased electricity): 21 tCO₂e
- Scope 3 (value chain emissions): 4,402 tCO₂e
- Total measured emissions: 6,235 tCO₂e
Scope 3 represents approximately 71% of our total measured footprint and includes purchased goods and services, capital goods, employee commuting, business travel, and waste operations. Our inventory does not yet include guest travel to and from our resort, which is expected to be significant and is an area for future assessment.
Taking Care Of The People
We hear from our guests, time and time again: “You have the best and friendliest staff ever!” We don’t take this for granted. Our mission is to be the best heli-ski place for our people to live, work, and play. We do this by truly caring about our staff and what they need to feel at home within the company and the community.
People Centered Initiatives
- Competitive compensation and benefits.
- A company culture where everyone can talk to anybody, and the leaders’ doors are always open.
- Company culture and policies that promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
- A focus on employee wellbeing with an Employee Assistance Program for all staff and their families. We also ensure that mental health is integrated into our First Aid Training and an integral part of our critical incident response, training and resources.
- Staff programs and events aimed at physical, mental, and social wellbeing, such as employee recognition, ski days and ski lessons, Christmas and New Year’s dinners and gifts, and boutique discounts. We also host staff yoga, HIIT, and dance classes, candlelit cross-country skiing, skating lessons, campfires, wellness bingo, and the Wiegele Winter Games. We encourage our staff to participate in social groups that match their interests, such as music, crafts, dog-walking, or pet-sitting. All intended to build a sense of community here in Blue River.
- Professional Growth Opportunities.
Without our people, all we have is a bunch of cabins in the woods.
SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY
We would not be where we are today without the support of the people of Blue River. Mike’s dream was to create a year-round, self-sustainable community of like-minded people who work, live, and play in the beautiful mountains surrounding Blue River.
Mike was always a coach and mentor, passionate about providing the kids in Blue River with opportunities they might not otherwise have. He was a strong advocate for grassroots programs that offered local kids special experiences and ignited their passion for active living and the outdoors.
We continue to make his vision a reality by supporting the local community in as many ways as possible. Some of our community initiatives:
- Providing free ski program to local kids on Saturdays.
- Donating annually to the Blue River School for gear and school trips.
- Maintaining the covered hockey rink for public use.
- Sponsoring the weekly team sports night at the local gym.
- Donating pickleball equipment for the use by the community of Blue River.
- Christmas Party for children of our staff and local children from the community.
- Sponsoring community events and organizations such as Blue River Community Association, Terry Fox Run, Spring Town Clean, Sled Blue River, Canada Day celebrations, and the annual Harvest Dinner.
PHILANTHROPHIC FOOTPRINT
In 1996, six friends, including Mike Wiegele and then-senior leader Andy Aufschnaiter, founded the Bruderschaft Friends Blue River Society. Inspired by the Bruderschaft St. Christoph in Austria, this non-profit organization aims to support individuals in critical short-term need within the mountain community. To date, the Society has provided over $250,000 in immediate financial assistance to those in need. Bruderschaft also supports community events, including the Aufschnaiter Memorial, a kids’ cross-country race that attracts children from all over the North Thompson Valley to Blue River. This fun day of racing is followed by a beloved spaghetti lunch, filling the main lodge with the joyful noise and laughter of kids.
Operating The Right Way
We pride ourselves on doing things the right way – the Wiegele way. Following the mandate of our founder, Mike Wiegele, all our decisions are grounded in ethics, integrity, and trust, with the multi-generational perspective of sustaining a healthy business for generations to come. And above all, we continue to heed Mike’s mandate to always stay humble and never stop listening and learning the ways of the mountains.
WIEGELE WORLD CULTURE
We strive to build the world’s best heli-skiing experience, offering the highest standard of service beyond each guest’s expectations. To do this, we hold ourselves to high standards based on trust, accountability, and integrity in all our business practices. It is the responsibility of every employee to build and maintain this high standard by supporting and actively participating in the process, which is formalized in our core policies, including the following:
- Code of Conduct
- Code of Ethics
- Violence and Harassment Policy
- Open Door Policy
- Whistleblower Protection
- Personal Information Protection Policy
- Confidentiality and Intellectual Property Protection
- Drug and Alcohol Policy
