Canada and Skiing
Canada has always been in love with winter sports. Did you know that its national sport is hockey? Sometimes, it seems that the entire National Hockey League is an exclusive property of Canada. Also, did you know that the Winter Olympics was done in Canada twice? It was held in Calgary, Alberta province in 1988 and in Vancouver, British Columbia province in 2010.
If you are thinking of a ski vacation, don't even hesitate to book accommodations in one of Canada's premier ski resorts. For example, Mont-Tremblant near Toronto in Quebec province is considered the best ski resort in Eastern Canada. How about Lake Louise, located in Banff National Park near Calgary, Alberta, is the largest ski resort in the country and has slopes for skiers of all skill levels? For those with more advanced skills, you might want to check out the Fernie Alpine Resort, located in British Columbia's Rocky Mountains and is about three hours from Canada's border with the US. There is Whistler Mountain, located north of Vancouver, provides slopes for snowboarders and skiers of ability levels. Blue Mountain near Toronto is the largest mountain resort in the entire Ontario province with around 34 trails across its 250+ acres.
Ski resort accommodations come in a wide variety, from family ski lodges, ski in/out type deals, and more luxurious arrangements. One rule of thumb you should not forget is the farther you are from the slopes, the cheaper the accommodations. To take advantage of this, you should also think about the walking distance or if there is ready transportation near where you are staying.
Before booking your accommodations, however, ask yourself: are you going alone on this ski trip, with other members of your family, or with a group of friends? Some ski resorts have amenities that are friendlier to young skiers and will help coordinate with a ski instructor. There are ski areas, which are smaller than resorts that can be more amenable to beginning skiers.
Also, if you have companions during your ski trip, you should also think about the skill level you all have? Most ski resorts in Canada may have slopes and other amenities for beginners and more advanced skiers. Some resorts, however, have more specialized facilities and this can really limit how much you can enjoy your trip.
You should keep in mind that ski resorts in Canada are at their busiest during the Christmas week and President's Week in the US. Not only are air fares higher during these holidays, the resorts are also at their most expensive. If possible do not book a ski resort on these weeks or any other holiday. Here, you can take advantage of deals from airlines and resorts for people that are meant especially for off-peak times. Can you go on vacation mid-week? Skiing in resorts from Tuesday to Thursday means fewer crowds and discounts in the chair lift fee. This can equal to big savings if your accommodations are on a package deal.
Now, are you overwhelmed with what you have to think about when planning a ski vacation? Canada Travel Guide will only be happy to help you so don't hesitate to contact us for any information on ski resorts in Canada.
Canada is the ideal destination for a ski vacation. During the winter season, no activities are more popular to Canadians and tourists than skiing and snowboarding.
First class ski resorts and ski hills can be found across Canada. Two of Canada premiere ski locations are Whistler in British Columbia and Banff in Alberta. Whistler and Banff are major ski facilities that attract millions of skiers every year to their ski runs.
Ski packages are available throughout Canada. Skiers can purchase packages that include lift tickets, accommodations, and transportation to and from local airports.
Apex Resort
Apex Ski Resort is located in the interior of British Columbia. It is situated 405km (240 miles) east of Vancouver and accessible by both air and ground. Apex Ski Resort provides skiers and snowboarders with 67 trails on 1,112 acres of terrain.
| Vertical Rise: | 605m - 2,000ft |
| Top Elevation: | 2,191m - 7,187ft |
| Base Elevation: | 1,575m - 5,197ft |
| Longest Run: | 5km - 3mi |
| Skiable Area: | 450h - 1,112a |
| Lifts: | 1 quad, 1 chair and 3 surface |
| Trails: | 67 |
| Terrain: | Beginner 16% Intermediate 47% Advanced 18% Expert 18% |
| Annual Snowfall: | 600cm - 20ft |
| Snowmaking: | 30% |
| Cross Country: | 52km |
| Snowboards: | Park and Pipe |
| Snow Conditions: | 250-492-292 ext. 2000 |
Big White
Ski Big White area located in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia's interior.
Blackcomb
Blackcomb Mountain is located a 1 ½ drive north of the city of Vancouver.
Blue Mountain
Blue Mountain is located 1 ½ hours north of Toronto. It is Ontario's largest mountain resort with 34 trials spread over 253 acres.
| Vertical Rise: | 219m - 720ft |
| Top Elevation: | 452m - 1482ft |
| Base Elevation: | 226m - 740ft |
| Longest Run: | 1219m - 4000ft |
| Skiable Area: | 102h - 253a |
| Lifts: | 3 high-speed six, 1 high-speed quad, 6 chairs, 3 surface |
| Trails: | 34 |
| Terrain: | Beginner 17% Intermediate 42% Advanced 41% |
| Annual Snowfall: | 279cm - 110in |
| Snowmaking: | 100% |
| Snowboards: | Park and Pipe |
| Snow Conditions: | 705-445-0231 |
Bromont
Bromont is located a 30 minute drive from Montreal. It is a skiers and snowboarders paradise with 45 trails on 34 acres.
Bromont is great for local skiing in Montreal. It has a wide variety of runs that are perfect for beginner and intermediate skiers.
| Vertical Rise: | 405m - 1329ft |
| Top Elevation: | 565m - 1854ft |
| Base Elevation: | 191mm - 62ft |
| Longest Run: | 2180m - 7152ft |
| Skiable Area: | 54h - 134a |
| Lifts: | 1 High speed Quad, 2 Chairs, 1 surface |
| Trails: | 45 |
| Terrain: | Beginner 32% Intermediate 20% Advanced 48% |
| Annual Snowfall: | 483cm - 190in |
| Snowmaking: | 90% |
| Snowboards: | Park and Pipe |
| Snow Conditions: | 866-276-6668 |
Canada Olympic Park
Canada Olympic Park is located 15 minutes from downtown Calgary.
Castle Mountain
Castle Mountain Resort is located 2 hours south of Calgary, Alberta. It is a ski resort geared for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities. Castle Mountain Resort has 59 trails spread over 1,400 acres of terrain. It receives an abundant amount of natural snow that makes its runs truly enjoyable.
| Hours of Operation: | 9:00am - 4:00pm |
| Vertical Rise: | 863m - 2833ft |
| Top Elevation: | 2273m - 7463ft |
| Base Elevation: | 1410m - 4630ft |
| Longest Run: | 5000m - 7920ft |
| Skiable Area: | 567h - 1,400a |
| Lifts: | 2 chairs, 3 surface |
| Trails: | 59 |
| Terrain: | Beginner 15% Intermediate 40% Advanced 35% Expert 10% |
| Annual Snowfall: | 594cm - 234in |
| Cross Country: | 50km |
| Snowboards: | Park |
| Snow Conditions: | 403-283-0456 |
Cypress Mountain
Cypress Mountain is located 25 minutes from downtown Vancouver. It provides 23 trails on 1482 acres of ski terrain.Cypress Mountain is a great facility for local skiing in Vancouver however it gets a little crowded on busy days.
| Hours of Operation: | Mon-Fri: 9am - 10:00pm Weekends/Holidays: 8:30am - 10:00pm |
| Vertical Rise: | 533m - 1750ft |
| Top Elevation: | 1448m - 4750ft |
| Base Elevation: | 914m - 3000ft |
| Longest Run: | 4023m - 2.5 miles |
| Skiable Area: | 600h - 1482a |
| Lifts: | 4 chairs, 1 surface |
| Trails: | 23 |
| Terrain: | Beginner 23% Intermediate 37% Advanced 40% |
| Annual Snowfall: | 381cm - 150in |
| Cross Country: | 16km |
| Snowboards: | Park and Pipe |
| Snow Conditions: | 604-419-7669 |
Fernie
Fernie Alpine Resort is situated in the British Columbia Rocky Mountains. It is located ½ hour drive from Alberta and 3 hours from the U.S. border.
Fernie Alpine Resort is a ski resort that provides 106 trails on 2500 acres of terrain. It is a challenging ski resort that is geared more towards intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders.
| Hours of Operation: | 9:00am - 4:00pm |
| Vertical Rise: | 857m - 2811ft |
| Top Elevation: | 1925m - 6316ft |
| Base Elevation: | 1068m - 3500ft |
| Longest Run: | 5.0 km - 3.01miles |
| Skiable Area: | 1014h - 2504a |
| Lifts: | 6 chairs, 4 surface |
| Trails: | 106 |
| Terrain: | Beginner 22% Intermediate 34% Advanced 44% |
| Annual Snowfall: | 889cm - 350in |
| Snowmaking: | 5% |
| Cross Country: | 15km |
| Snowboards: | Park and Pipe |
| Snow Conditions: | 250-423-3555 |
Hidden Valley
Hidden Valley Ski Area is located in southeastern Alberta, 20 minutes south of the Trans Canada Highway on Highway 41. It provides skiers and snowboarders with 9 trails on 22 acres of terrain.
| Vertical Rise: | 200m - 656ft |
| Top Elevation: | 1,400m - 4,594ft |
| Base Elevation: | 1,234m - 4,047ft |
| Longest Run: | 2,012m - 6,600ft |
| Skiable Area: | 9h - 22a |
| Lifts: | 1 chair and 3 surface |
| Trails: | 9 |
| Terrain: | Beginner 40% Intermediate 40% Advanced 20% |
| Annual Snowfall: | 213cm - 84in |
| Snowmaking: | 95% |
| Cross Country: | None |
| Snowboards: | Park |
| Snow Conditions: | 403-893-3961 |
Lake Louise
Lake Louise is Canada's largest ski area. It is located in the heart of Banff National Park, 2 hours drive west of the City of Calgary. Lake Louise Ski Resort has 113 trails spread over 4,200 acres of terrain. It also offers breathtaking views that all skiers should experience.
| Hours of Operation: | 9:00 am - 4:00 pm daily |
| Vertical Rise: | 991m - 3250ft |
| Top Elevation: | 2637m - 86504ft |
| Base Elevation: | 1646m - 5400ft |
| Longest Run: | 8km - 5m |
| Skiable Area: | 1,700h - 4,200a |
| Lifts: | 4 High-speed quads, 4 chairs, 3 surface |
| Trails: | 113 |
| Terrain: | Beginner 25% Intermediate 45% Advanced 30% |
| Annual Snowfall: | 366cm - 144in |
| Snowmaking: | 40% |
| Cross Country: | 80km |
| Snowboards: | Park and Pipe |
| Snow Conditions: | 403-244-6665 |
Marmot
Marmot Basin is located in beautiful Jasper National Park. It is situated 20 minutes from the town of Jasper and 4 hours from the City of Edmonton. Marmot Basin has 84 trails spread over 1,000 acres of terrain. Its' variety of terrain allows skiers and snowboarders of all abilities to challenge themselves.
| Hours of Operation: | 9:00 am - 4:00 pm daily |
| Vertical Rise: | 897m - 2944ft |
| Top Elevation: | 2601m - 8534ft |
| Base Elevation: | 1704m - 5590ft |
| Longest Run: | 1981m - 6500ft |
| Skiable Area: | 405h - 1,000a |
| Lifts: | 1 high-speed quad, 4 chairs, 2 surface |
| Trails: | 84 |
| Terrain: | Beginner 35% Intermediate 35% Advanced 15% Expert 15% |
| Annual Snowfall: | 406cm - 160in |
| Cross Country: | 100km |
| Snowboards: | Park and Pipe |
| Snow Conditions: | 780-488-5909 |
Mont Sainte Anne
Ski Mont Sainte Anne, the largest range of trails in eastern Canada. It has 56 downhill ski trails and 224 km of cross-country ski trails spread over 423 acres. Mont Sainte Anne ski area also has great night skiing.
| Vertical Rise: | 625m - 2,050ft |
| Top Elevation: | 800m - 2,625ft |
| Base Elevation: | 175m - 575ft |
| Longest Run: | 5,794m - 19,008ft |
| Skiable Area: | 173h - 423a |
| Lifts: | 1 gondola, 1 high-speed quad, 5 chairs, 6 surface |
| Trails: | 56 |
| Terrain: | Beginner 23% Intermediate 46% Advanced 18% Expert 13% |
| Annual Snowfall: | 406cm - 160in |
| Snowmaking: | 80% |
| Cross Country: | 224km |
| Snowboards: | Park and Pipes |
| Snow Conditions: | 800-463-1568 |
Mont Sutton
Ski Mont Sutton located in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. It is one of the largest ski and snowboard areas in Quebec. Ski Mont Sutton Sainte Anne 53 downhill and 35km of cross-country trails spread over 104 acres.
| Vertical Rise: | 460m - 1,500ft |
| Top Elevation: | 968m - 3,175ft |
| Base Elevation: | 427m - 1,400ft |
| Longest Run: | 3km - 1.8mi |
| Skiable Area: | 70h - 104a |
| Lifts: | 1 high-speed quad, 8 chairs |
| Trails: | 53 |
| Terrain: | Beginner 17% Intermediate 45% Advanced 21% Expert 17% |
| Annual Snowfall: | 470cm - 185in |
| Snowmaking: | 60% |
| Cross Country: | 35km |
| Snowboards: | Park and Pipes |
| Snow Conditions: | 450-866-7639 |
Mont Tremblant
Mont Tremblant is located a 1 ½ hour drive north of Montreal, Quebec. It is a skiers and snowboarders paradise with 94 trails on 625 acres.
| Vertical Rise: | 645m - 2116ft |
| Top Elevation: | 875m - 2871ft |
| Base Elevation: | 265m - 870ft |
| Longest Run: | 6km - 3.75 miles |
| Skiable Area: | 253h - 625a |
| Lifts: | 2 gondolas, 4 high-speed quad, 4 chairs, 2 surface |
| Trails: | 94 |
| Terrain: | Beginner 17% Intermediate 33% Expert 50% |
| Annual Snowfall: | 367cm - 144in |
| Snowmaking: | 73% |
| Cross Country: | 90km |
| Snowboards: | Park and Pipe |
| Snow Conditions: | 888-736-2526 |