cuisinier à la chaîne

warehouse worker

plumber

plombier

member services representative

Calgary Winter Club

A typical day of work would ideally start at 5:30 am when I first arrive to open the pool. Myself an other team member are responsible to remove the automated vacuums  from the pool, and do the pool chemistry to ensure we are able to open the pool in accordance with Alberta and facility laws. 

The early morning user groups range from triathlete groups, swim clubs, elderly hot tub goers, water aerobic enthusiasts and even product testers for speedo and timex. Each user group has a specific pool lay out that needs to be in place by strict deadlines throughout the morning. 

I also keep track, and encourage other team embers, to remember the specific details that each user group requests. This might be remembering what colour weight belt each elderly lady in water aerobics uses, so they don't have to walk to get it before class, pulling out the tin stair-ladders during swim clubs time, moving pace clocks without being specifically asked, and turning off the radio for our hearing damaged members. Getting to know people and establishing good communication bases is a large and often overlooked part of my typical day at work.

The upper management of the Calgary Winter Club is excellent, and here is why. The generous staff in action program allows staff members who work 15 hours or so a week, to use the facilities with very minor limitations as though they were members. This is a product of the excellent relationship that exists between Staff and the Members (of whom the entire board of directors is a part of). If the shareholders collectively decided that they would rather not have any staff members exercise in the facilities, they have the power to stop it from happening. The shareholders are members, and if the members have good relationships with the staff that they interact with, they are more likely to continue to be okay with sharing the facilities. At the top of the process is management hiring great people who reflect the values of CWC.

I work with a diverse group of people both members and non members. Each person brings a unique quality in their approach to excellent customer service. They are all great people that make work easier for each other with their support, reliability, and consistency. The whole group has really grown since I was first hired and its awesome to see the younger team members developing great work ethics.

In my own experience, the hardest part of the job is advancement. It is very difficult to advance in pay and position and seemingly easy to lose it. Another hard part of the job is to stay motivated to provide excellent service when the number of hours you work within a week is constantly shifting and not alway a guarantee. Hours are assigned based on seniority based on date hired. Since you only need to work 1 shift every so often to keep your job, some people have been working here off and on for very long stints of time. So occasionally there wont be any hours for a person who was working 30 hours the previous week because someone with superior seniority will come back from studying abroad and soak up all the hours they can. 

You can avoid this whole seniority ordeal if you are in a payed position, but as of now there are only 3 of those (senior lifeguard) positions.

That being said, despite the sever lack of advancement opportunities in my department, the best part of the job is everything else. The Best part is being payed a reasonably high wage, The best part is being able to use the facilities when I am off work. The best part in interacting with so many successful people including Olympians and business moguls. The best part is seeing people i like to see every day! This job is awesome because the Calgary Winter Club is amazing.

A typical day at work:
Most days were spent either walking around and cleaning for eight hours or washing and folding towels. It was mostly independent work, though coworkers would help out during busy times. The summer months tended to be slow, but there were always annual deep-cleaning tasks to keep us busy.

What I learned:
I learned the importance of documenting all communication with management and supervisors — and to be mindful of what you share and with whom.

Management and workplace culture:
Unfortunately, management wasn’t very supportive. One was rarely around, and the other lacked basic people skills. Calling in sick was treated like a personal failure, and with no backup staff, it meant either doing double the work or having someone else work overtime. The overall workplace culture in housekeeping suffered because of this. That said, about 90% of the coworkers were great, friendly, hardworking people. Other departments and their managers were much easier to work with and were generally positive.

Hardest part of the job:
Dealing with management and supervisors. Complaints went unresolved, and even simple requests like booking time off months in advance were met with resistance.

Most enjoyable part of the job:
Definitely the coworkers and the perks, those were the best parts of the experience.

The Calgary Winter Club is a well-established recreational facility that offers a wide variety of amenities, including fitness programs, swimming, skating, and social events. The facilities are generally well maintained, and members often appreciate the breadth of activities available for both adults and children. It provides a strong sense of community, and many families find it a convenient place to stay active year-round. Staff at the front line are usually friendly and helpful, ensuring day-to-day experiences run smoothly. However, one consistent concern raised by some members is that management can at times come across as strict or somewhat unapproachable, which may affect the overall atmosphere. While rules and structure are important to keep such a large club running effectively, a more supportive management style could enhance member satisfaction. Overall, the club remains a valued space for recreation and community but could benefit from a softer leadership approach.

I loved my coworkers and getting to know the members. I am a social person and I enjoyed being around many people. This place is awesome for students who need some weekend work, or for a side gig, but it is hard to make a living here. 

You will NOT receive benefits until you are full time (30 hours). You will also not be given full time hours very easily. Be aware of false promises from management about promotions or other opportunities - because this happened a lot to me. Be aware of being underpaid and being overworked. 
Even some of the job postings I see here mention benefits but that won’t be true until you are full time. Always be careful of what you are promised. 

I loved this place. I was able to finished my Practical Nurse because of this place so I am forever grateful. With 7,500 members, mostly I know them by name and face. In this place, its like not working at all. I would rather say, I get paid to socialize. I loved all the people in this place. Everyone would wonder why I know lots of members because I got to converse to them sincerely. Management is the best.

I don't have a problem working with my co-workers and interacting with the members. It's my first job and it was fun at first. But my working hours are very short and I only get $16/hr which is strange because I have been working in the company for almost 5 years now. Even if I ask for additional hours on my shift  I barely get any.  The workplace is fun because of my coworkers, but the management is not really good. I find it stressful for the last two years.

For all the hard work, we have all done in childcare, the company pays very poorly. Minimum wage to the penny.
For a company that charges new customers so much to join the club, they should treat and pay their employees far more.
Most of the staff in child care were very nice and helpful. But some are extremely lazypeople, not doing their cleaning duties, leaving all the hard work and sanitizing on a few hard working individuals.

You are allowed to use the facility for free during quieter hours is a positive.

It is important to recognize that there are many departments within the Winter Club that are vastly different work environments from each other. Working in the gymnastics department is overall a great experience; a lot of the kids are wonderful, a lot of the parents are amazing, and the fellow employees are all fun people. That being said there are some members who are hard to deal with at times, as well as some problems between employees and management.

a day at work was more focus on providing high standard services
I learned doing the best service
The management is trying best to supervise the employees, and investigate some uneffective incidents
many of my co-workers are quite friendly
the hardest part of the job is trying to improve my service standard
the most enjoyable part of the job is being around with some very nice co-workers

A good place to have a job but not a career, the management was notorious for stepping out during some of the busiest times for thee club which would leave front line staff scrambling. But it had its moments of being a very relaxed job where you could go to work and chat with the membership. Good comradery between the departments and employees.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Cuisinier à la chaîne 2 salaries reported	$18.50 per hour
Warehouse worker 1 salary reported	$19.67 per hour
Plumber 1 salary reported	$30.10 per hour
Plombier 1 salary reported	$32.50 per hour
Member services representative 1 salary reported	$47,000 per year

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