IFMGA Mobility

Reciprocity and international mobility are foundational principles of the IFMGA and key benefits for IFMGA mountain guides. Through reciprocity, IFMGA member associations recognize each other’s training and certification standards as equivalent. This shared standard allows qualified mountain guides to work across IFMGA member countries without needing to recertify or repeat assessments.

Member mobility ensures that IFMGA guides can move freely between nations, contribute to the global guiding community, access diverse terrain, and support professionally guided mountain travel wherever they work. Together, reciprocity and mobility form the backbone of the international mountain guiding profession and reflect the trust, consistency, and high standards upheld by all IFMGA associations.

Access to Canada for Visiting IFMGA Mountain Guides

IFMGA Reciprocity

Only fully certified Mountain Guides and aspirant mountain guides who are active members in good standing of an IFMGA member association qualify for IFMGA reciprocal rights. Specialty guides (rock, alpine, and ski guides) do not meet the IFMGA requirements for reciprocity unless they qualify as aspirant mountain guides. Aspirant mountain guides will qualify for reciprocity if they have been trained, assessed, and certified to at least the apprentice level in the rock, alpine and ski disciplines. Aspirant Mountain Guides must come to Canada with a Mountain Guide who will supervise them, or they must work under the supervision of an ACMG Mountain Guide. Aspirant mountain guides must be identified when applying for Canadian permits and must provide proof of their status with a letter from the Technical Director or President of their association. Questions about reciprocity or supervision should be directed to the ACMG Technical Director at [email protected].

Mountain Guiding in Canada

Mountain guiding in Canada is regulated on all public lands. The Canadian public and government authorities take the protection of public lands and environmental stewardship very seriously. The profession of guiding in Canada is not protected by law and is not a legislated right granted to any mountain guide. To maintain access to the Canadian wilderness, mountain guides must practice a high standard of environmental stewardship, understand and follow restrictions and regulations (limits on group sizes, camping, fire-building, etc.), and act professionally and courteously. Any guide (Canadian or foreign) breaking a rule set by a land manager puts future access for all guides at risk.

The ACMG has consulted with Vermax Immigration Solutions concerning visitor work permits and exceptions for visiting IFMGA guides. You can find more information on visitor work permits and exceptions by visiting the Immigration and Citizenship Canada website.

IFMGA Visiting Guide ACMG Membership

IFMGA Visiting Guides are granted admission to the ACMG for no more than 60 days in a calendar year and are expected to abide by the ACMG Code of Conduct. The membership fee is $100. You will need to provide:

Copies of both sides of your IFMGA identification card with your name, photo, IFMGA and member association validation stickers clearly visible and up to date
Evidence of currently valid first aid certification. If you practice first aid skills as part of your yearly professional guide training, upload confirmation from your member association that you have completed your yearly first aid skills training.

Land Use Authorization

In Canada, commercial guiding on public lands (national parks, provincial parks, or provincial crown or public lands) requires permits or business licenses and Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance. In some national and provincial parks, additional fees and permits will apply for park entry, overnight stays in the backcountry, and the use of facilities or huts. Visiting IFMGA guides must be aware of these fees and ensure that all members of their party have paid them as required. Visiting IFMGA guides will need to know which jurisdictions they wish to work in. Without the proper permits and insurance, guiding on national and provincial parks and provincial crown or public lands in Canada is illegal.

ACMG Provincial Parks Permit Program

As an IFMGA Visiting Guide, you can participate in the ACMG Provincial Parks Permit Program, which provides work permits to guide the several Alberta and British Columbia provincial parks. In other areas, the ACMG may be able to provide advice to help the foreign guide obtain permits and business licenses from the appropriate agency. The term for the ACMG Provincial Parks Permits is April 1 – March 31. You will be required to report your use of the permits (details of your trips) to the ACMG at the end of the permit period. Instructions for reporting will be provided to you.

Refer to the information below for more details about each jurisdiction, and contact the ACMG at [email protected] for assistance.

ACMG Alberta Parks Permit

ACMG Alberta Parks Permit

The province of Alberta provincial parks system protects nearly 2.8 million hectares of land encompassing over 460 parks, recreation areas, reserves, and other designated areas. Contact Alberta Parks to submit permit applications or for more information.

The ACMG Alberta Parks permit allows commercial guiding in 22 provincial parks and protected areas:

Blue Rock Wildland Provincial Park
Bow Valley Provincial Park
Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park
Bragg Creek Provincial Park
Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park
Castle Provincial Park
Castle Wildland Provincial Park
Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park #1
Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park #2
Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park #3
Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park #4
Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park #5
Elbow Falls Provincial Recreation Area
Elbow-Sheep Wildland Park
Evan-Thomas Provincial Recreation Area
Little Elbow Provincial Recreation Area
Mist Creek Provincial Recreation Area
Old Baldy Pass Trail Provincial Recreation Area
Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
Rock Lake-Soloman Creek Wildland Park
Sheep River Provincial Park
Spray Valley Provincial Park

Purchasing the ACMG Alberta Parks permit includes authorization to use some Crown or Public Land areas. See the ACMG’s current AB Parks – Guiding or Instructing Outdoor Activity Permit to confirm protected areas and special conditions within the listed AB Parks.

First Aid Certification

ACMG Alberta Provincial Parks permit holders must hold a valid first aid certificate that:

Is from an ACMG accredited first aid course provider
Is for a first aid course that is appropriate for the member’s ACMG certification

Commercial General Liability (CGL) Insurance

To participate in the ACMG Provincial Parks Permit Program, you must have Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance. Your CGL insurance policy must provide coverage in the amount of not less than US$/€/￡2,000,000 inclusive per occurrence, insuring against liability for personal injury, bodily injury (including death) and property damage, including coverage for all accidents or occurrences. Your CGL insurance policy must include cross liability, liability assumed under contract, and a provision to provide 30 days advance notice to the ACMG of adverse material change or cancellation. If a claim has caused your CGL insurance policy to reach its aggregate limit, you will need to purchase additional coverage to maintain coverage in the amount of not less than US$/€/￡2,000,000 inclusive per occurrence during the permit period. You will need to provide a copy of your CGL insurance policy.

Certificate of Insurance naming the ACMG as an Additional Insured

Your insurer will need to provide a Certificate of Insurance naming the ACMG as an Additional Insured. The Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, Box 8341, Canmore, Alberta, Canada T1W 2V1, must be named as Additional Insured on a Certificate of Insurance under your CGL insurance policy using the following specific language:

“The Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and their directors, officers, employees, volunteers, guides, agents, independent contractors, representatives, successors, assigns and all those in law for whom they are responsible are added as Additional Insured’s, in respect only to the operations of the Named Insured. This Additional Insured status will be primary insurance over any other insurance available to the Additional Insured’s. Waiver of Subrogation is provided for all of the foregoing.”

Certificate of Insurance naming Alberta Forestry and Parks as a Certificate Holder

Your insurer will need to provide a Certificate of Insurance with Alberta Forestry and Parks listed as a Certificate Holder if you purchase an ACMG AB Parks permit. Alberta Forestry and Parks must be named as a Certificate Holder on a Certificate of Insurance under your CGL insurance policy, not as Additional Insured and must be addressed as follows:

Alberta Forestry and Parks
Floor 2, 800 Railway Avenue
Canmore, Alberta, Canada T1W 1A2

Release of Liability, Waiver of Claims, Assumption of Risks, and Indemnity Agreement (Waiver Agreement)

A Release of Liability, Waiver of Claims, Assumption of Risks, and Indemnity Agreement (Waiver Agreement) is a legally binding agreement that releases those named on your Waiver Agreement (Releasees) from liability for injuries and damage to other people or property, even in the case of negligence on the part of the Releasees. The use of Waiver Agreements is standard practice in the guiding industry in Canada. However, you will want to confirm with your liability insurance provider and legal counsel what waiver requirements are imposed under your policy and legal jurisdiction. The ACMG must be included as a Releasee on any Waiver Agreement.

Contact the ACMG at [email protected] if you have any questions.

ACMG Permit Application for IFMGA Visiting Guides

ACMG British Columbia Parks Permit

ACMG British Columbia Parks Permit

The province of British Columbia is endowed with an awe-inspiring array of spectacular terrain with over 1,000 provincial parks, conservancies, ecological reserves and protected areas. Contact BC Parks to submit permit applications or for more information.

The British Columbia provincial government has developed a land use authorization system to permit commercial adventure tourism operations on crown and public lands.

The ACMG British Columbia Parks permit allows commercial guiding in 26 provincial parks and protected areas:

Babine Mountains Park
Blackcomb Glacier Park
Bugaboo Park
Burnie Shea Park
Cathedral Park
E.C. Manning Park
Elk Lakes Park
Garibaldi Park
Hamber Park
Height of the Rockies Park
Joffre Lakes Park
Kokanee Glacier Park
Marble Canyon Park
Mount Assiniboine Park
Mount Edziza Park
Mount Robson Park
Murrin Park
Nlhaxten/Cerise Creek Conservancy
Shannon Falls Park
Stagleap Park
Skaha Bluffs Park
Stawamus Chief Park
Strathcona Park
Tantalus Park
Valhalla Park
West Arm Park

The Smoke Bluffs area in Squamish, B.C. is not part of this permit. A Squamish municipal business licence may be needed to work there. Contact District of Squamish at 604-815-5014.

Permitted guiding activities and guide client ratios vary depending on the BC provincial park and include alpine climbing, ice climbing, rock climbing, ski mountaineering, avalanche safety instruction, day hiking, snowshoeing, backpacking and trail running. Refer to Schedule A of the ACMG’s BC Park Use Permit for area maps and Schedule B and the Special Provisions section at the end of the permit for detailed information on permitted activities and guide to client ratios in each park. The Special Provisions on pages 52-62 of the permit must be reviewed and followed.

First Aid Certification

ACMG British Columbia Provincial Parks permit holders must hold a valid first aid certificate that:

Is from an ACMG accredited first aid course provider
Is for a first aid course that is appropriate for the member’s ACMG certification

Commercial General Liability (CGL) Insurance

Certificate of Insurance naming the ACMG as an Additional Insured

Certificate of Insurance issued to the Province of British Columbia

Your insurer will need to provide a Certificate of Insurance issued to the Province of British Columbia if you purchase an ACMG BC Parks permit. British Columbia Parks requires that this Certificate of Insurance be completed, keeping all the information in Part 1 of the form intact.

Release of Liability, Waiver of Claims, Assumption of Risks, and Indemnity Agreement (Waiver Agreement)

Contact the ACMG at [email protected] if you have any questions.

ACMG Permit Application for IFMGA Visiting Guides

ACMG Guidelines for Commercial Guiding on B.C. Crown Land

ACMG Guidelines for Commercial Guiding on B.C. Crown Land

As a result of the competitive needs, the British Columbia provincial government developed a system of land use authorization that would provide permission for commercial operations (forestry, mining, adventure tourism and others) to work in ways that minimized the potential conflicts. The British Columbia Adventure Land Use and Tourism (Commercial Recreation) Policy describes the different options available to operators to obtain Land Act authorization to access Crown land for commercial recreation.

Leases and Licences of Occupation

Tenure is the common term used to describe the forms of authorization (Leases and Licences of Occupation) that apply to a specific polygon of land. Leases are used when there is a requirement for significant development in what’s known as the Intensive Use area. These would apply to lodges and large base camp-type operations, and use of the area is exclusive to the holder of the lease. The Adventure Tourism Policy specifies that a lease is the recommended form of tenure for a base camp lodge. Licences of Occupation are the standard way that commercial recreation guiding businesses obtain non-exclusive authorization to access Crown land. These may include an Intensive Use area (base camp with limited infrastructure) or, more commonly, an Extensive Use area (the polygon of land surrounding the centre of operations or comprising the entire tenure). Licences of Occupation are non-exclusive, allowing entry for members of the public and other commercial operators. Land managers use a matrix to determine whether tenures can overlap without causing significant conflict among the various licensees. If there is an area of B.C. Crown Land that you like to use on a regular basis for adventure guiding, you should apply for a Licence of Occupation.

Incidental Use

Appendix 1 of the Adventure Tourism Policy describes ‘Incidental Use’ and outlines specific provisions that may allow commercial hiking, ski and alpine guiding activities on BC Crown Land without a tenure. Its purpose is to provide access to Crown Land on an occasional and dispersed basis without having to go through the in-depth process and cost of applying for and managing a tenure.

ACMG members are fortunate in that the association is named in the policy. The reason ACMG members have been granted this privilege is that the nature of their work means they often guide in a variety of different places for short periods of time with virtually no impact. ACMG members are able to pick and choose where they go on B.C. Crown Land as long as their activities meet a series of limiting criteria. Some of these are clearly laid out in the policy, some are greyer.

Guidelines for access under Incidental Use:

Incidental Use applies to independent ACMG members for occasional and dispersed adventure guiding activities.

There is no limit to the number of calendar days per year you can access BC Crown Land under Incidental Use; however, you may only remain in one area for a maximum of 14 consecutive days.
Education or training activities can be no more than 3 consecutive days in length and can occur with a maximum of 21 days total in a calendar year.
Group size is limited to 15 participants.
There is no fee and no required reporting.
You must notify existing tenure holders in writing at least 14 days in advance of your intention to guide in their tenure.
Although their permission is not required because their use of the area is not exclusive, you must ensure that your Incidental Use does not negatively impact their operations.
If there are substantive concerns raised with the provincial government related to an Incidental Use activity (e.g. unfair competition issues raised by the overlapping Tenure holder), the ACMG member may be directed to cease the Incidental Use activities and apply for a Licence of Occupation for an Extensive Use Area under the policy.
If the local land management district supervisors and compliance officers choose to manage Incidental Use in a specific manner (e.g. to proactively address First Nation or public recreational user concerns), the local land management office has the sole discretion to direct the ACMG member to cease the Incidental Use activities.
Motorized vehicles may only be used for access and egress. There use must not be a foundational part of the guiding activity or used as a regular mechanism to transport clients for the service offered (e.g. heli-assisted guiding or ski touring).
If motorized access is foundational to the activity, an application must be made for a License of Occupation for an Extensive Use Area under the policy.
Public recreation/tourism areas and trails should be avoided, including remote areas that contain a key recreation resource feature, such as a sand beach, waterfall, hotspring etc.
Environmentally sensitive wildlife habitat areas must be avoided, especially those with mountain caribou and mountain goats.

National Parks Guided Business Licence

National Parks Guided Business Licence

In September 2022, Parks Canada transitioned from the ACMG’s group National Parks Guided Business Licence (NPGBL) to individual NPGBLs. ACMG members are now required to apply for their own NPGBL. In response to this change the ACMG Access Committee formed a NPGBL Working Group to gather these resources to assist members in applying for their NPGBL. For the most current information and requirements in applying for a NPGBL contact:

Chelan Egilson

Guided Business Liaison, Mountain Parks

Parks Canada, Government of Canada

P.O. Box 10, Jasper AB T0E 1E0

[email protected] / Tel: 780-820-0665

https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/jasper/gestion-management/permis-permits/licence/guides

Contact Kluane National Park for information on guiding Mt. Logan or other areas in the park.

Contact Parks Canada for Information on guiding custodial groups within National Parks with clients under the age of 18 years.

Contact the Alpine Club of Canada for hut bookings within the National Parks.

Glacier National Park Rogers Pass Winter Restricted Area Permit

Glacier National Park Rogers Pass Winter Restricted Area Permit

In 2024, Glacier National Park simplified the permit process for guided groups. Guides can now obtain a blanket, season-long permit. However, they must submit a list of clients’ names for the day before each trip to comply with the new requirements. This change follows feedback from the guiding community to make the process more efficient. WRA guided group permit application packages are available here or by contacting Parks Canada at [email protected] or 250-837-7500.

Guides planning to enter a Glacier National Park in the Rogers Pass WRA with clients must:

Apply for a blanket Glacier National Park in the Rogers Pass WRA guided group permit covering their clients under their winter permit for the season, or;
Ensure that they, and all their clients, have a valid daily or annual winter permit.

Additional information on the Glacier National Park Rogers Pass WRA permit system can be found here.

All guides that are planning to operate in Glacier National Park in the Rogers Pass Winter Restricted Area (WRA) during the winter must also:

Hold a valid National Park Business License, and;
Display a valid national park pass, vehicle work permit, or commercial business pass while guiding clients. Guides visiting the park in their personal time can not use a vehicle work permit or commercial business pass and must display a valid national park pass in their vehicle.