Jen Kerslake, Former Employee, 2002-2008
“Working at Kananaskis for six years was single-handedly the greatest experience of my life. I started working there when I was 18. Little did I know I’d meet a fellow grounds crew worker named Andy – he is now my husband and father to our two children!
I also met the best friends of my life there. You develop this incredible sense of family with the other staff, and there is no question that this strengthens the experience for golfers and visitors. It is part of the Kananaskis experience: every customer is treated as someone to be warmly welcomed into our home.
It was always wonderful to witness the experience of first-timers on the course. You’d watch people pull up to the valley and have this moment of pure awe: from the incredible landscapes, to the quality customer service they received from the second they arrived. They’d experience this moment of disbelief that something so pure and magical was hidden in our little mountain community. And as an employee, I was genuinely grateful to share that experience with them.
Although I’m living back in my hometown of Medicine Hat, I still try to make my way back out there, even if it’s for a day or a weekend, just to get that taste of the mountains and the community. Kananaskis will forever be home for me. I encourage everyone of every age who is looking for something different to go out there, especially as an employee. I can’t wait for my sons to play their first rounds on the course, and I’ll be encouraging them to work there as soon as they turn 18.
I couldn’t be more thrilled about the reopening of the course for our entire province. It’s such a beautiful escape, especially from the big city. If you have never been here before, your mind will be blown. It’s phenomenal. We are damn lucky as Albertans!”