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Inside the Industry » Fernie, British Columbia
From hobby to business
Every day is an adventure for snowmobile tour operator Mike Sosnowski
by Kirsten Armleder
A BEAUTIFUL BACKYARD: Years of experience snowmobiling in the mountains around Fernie have given Mike Sosnowski the skills needed to run a snowmobile tour company.
—Photo courtesy Mike Sosnowski
Name: Mike Sosnowski
Position/company: Owner of Prestige Snowmobile Tours in Fernie, B.C.
Services: We offer half-day (morning and afternoon), evening and full-day guided snowmobile tours. We also offer a guiding service for people with their own snowmobiles—with these tours we also make sure the clients are wearing avalanche equipment and know how to use it. Our guided tours are very popular with people from the prairies. All of our tours include either a hot dog roast or, on full day tours, a hot lunch on the trail. In the summer, we offer a backcountry safari in our seven-passenger safari truck.
Past lives: I was born and raised in Fernie and have always lived here. I started snowmobiling when I was 12; my father bought a used Ski-Doo and I was allowed to burn five gallons of gas a week—that’s a lot of riding on a 10-horsepower sled. That was also how I got my mechanical experience. On those old sleds, it was ride for an hour, fix for an hour. I spent most of my life in the forest industry as my father was a logging contractor.
How did you get started? I operated a medium-sized sawmill in Cowley, Alberta, for 15 years and in 1999 I sold my shares in that company and was looking for something new to do. A friend told me I should try snowmobile touring so here I am eight years later.
What’s your operation like? I have three full-time and two part-time employees and they are my greatest resource. I have a fleet of 16 snowmobiles and a BR400 groomer.
Describe an average day: A day with the clients: greet them with a smile, get them trained, get them snowmobiling, look after their needs, watch them get happy, then bring them back, shake their hand and wish them a great holiday.
How would you describe your relationship with your customers? Clients have to trust me and my staff. We are taking them into the backcountry on 10 feet of snow in an element that is very foreign to most of them. We have to make them feel comfortable; once they realize that we are professionals at what we do and their well-being is our priority (this happens as soon as they get their training rides at the shop), they start to have a great time and many have become friends that e-mail me or come back year in and year out.
Where are your clients from? Most of our clients are European but we have seen an increase in Canadian clients this year.
What do you like most about your job? I like the clients and the employees. If everyone goes home with a smile on their face, you have accomplished your day.
What is the community like? Fernie is a magical and friendly community. It has a lot of everything to offer: from spectacular scenery, great snowmobiling and skiing to great amenities. It has a long history of mining and forestry and more recently, has become a premier destination for tourists. This mix creates a very special place to visit or live.
What are the best places to ride? Some of the best snowmobiling is Coal Creek to the Wranglers Cabin then up the pipeline to the Notch.
What is your favourite area? I like the Hartley Lake area.
For more information about Prestige Snowmobile Tours, go to www.SnowmobileFernie.com.
