Canada

The Canadians certainly know how to build great ski resorts! Australians have been flocking to Canada for snow holidays for years. There could be many reasons for this, but it could be that the friendly culture of Western Canada is very similar to that of Australia. Skiers and snowboarders on vacation are being challenged with the vertical, the steeps and the expanse of terrain, and for some, they don't want to also struggle with a foreign culture and language. However it's likely that the main attractions are the mega large resorts with great facilities and infrastructure, and the lively après and nightlife.

There are many resorts in British Columbia in western Canada. Examples include Whistler-Blackcomb near Vancouver, Silver Star and Big White near Kelowna in the Okanagan, and Kicking Horse further east. In the neighbouring province of Alberta there are also many resorts. Some examples include those around Banff - Sunshine, Norquay and Lake Louise - and Nakiska which is near Calgary. The major international airports to access these resorts are Vancouver and Calgary, and there are also smaller airports such as Kelowna. There are also resorts in Ontario and Quebec, but the word on the street is that these are adequate for the locals, but not worthy of an overseas visit when there’s so much on offer in the west.

There’s certainly more snowfall in the majority of Canadian resorts compared to Australia (that’s a no brainer), but it’s not as great as countries such as Japan. The general distribution of snowfall across Canada reflects the proximity of a region to moisture sources, with higher annual snowfall in coastal regions such as Whistler. The powder will generally be wetter near the coast, and the temperatures slightly warmer. So even though some resorts further east have lower annual snowfalls (e.g. Lake Louise), the powder is often drier, and the snow quality holds well due to the altitude and low temperatures. The frequency of powder days may be less for these in-land areas, but the base will be more than adequate. See the resort statistics page for comparison of annual snowfall at each resort.

There is also a region in the BC interior that has quantity and quality when it comes to snowfall. The powder triangle in the south-eastern corner of British Columbia is renowned for large quantities of light dry powder with a whopping 12-18 metres of snowfall annually on average. This area is home to many cat skiing and heli-ski operators who make the most of all this powder. There’s a bit of debate as to how far "the powder triangle" extends partly because some people use the term interchangeably with "the powder highway", but it includes the areas of Rossland (Big Red Cats, near Red Mountain resort), Nelson (near Whitewater ski resort) and Fernie, and possibly extends to Meadow Creek, Revelstoke (near Revelstoke ski resort), and Golden (near Kicking Horse). Cat skiing and heli-skiing is absolute heaven for powderhounds and is a highlight of any skiing holiday to Canada.

Heli and cat skiing offers vast terrain, but the Canadian resorts are also renowned for plenty of vertical and skiing terrain. You'll definitely need a pre-season fitness program to cope with the thigh-burning ultra-long runs. Canada is also famous for its steeps with many resorts providing hair-raising runs that are definitely worthy of their double black diamond status.

Canada can provide a quality snow holiday at reasonable prices, particularly when the Aussie dollar is holding well. Whilst lift tickets are not dirt cheap, they're certainly cheaper than Australia, and there are accommodation options to suit all budgets. Large resorts such as Whistler are relatively expensive, whilst smaller resorts such as Silver Star offer food and beverages at very reasonable prices. It’s possible to buy a hot lunch for under $6. Shopping for snow equipment and clothing is also pretty good, and it's possible to pick up some bargains, particularly late in the season.

For a detailed comparison of mountain statistics for many Canadian resorts, download our resort statistics comparison and Powderhounds resort rating documents.