British Columbia Canada Blog

It has been snowing a lot in British Columbia and ski lovers are really happy. 5 must try ski resorts of 2011 are:

1. Kicking Horse Mountain Resort - One reason to visit Kicking Horse Ski resort is that it is celebrating its 10th anniversary and the other is that it has a new terrain for advanced skiers which offer 17 challenging chutes.

2. Whitewater Ski Resort - We suggest visiting Whitewater Ski resort if you are an expert skier because it has 18 new runs this year. Thanks to the new Glory Ridge Chair.

3. Revelstoke Mountain Resort - Want to try backcountry, cat and heli-skiing as well as stay in a brand new luxurious lodge (Nelson Lodge.) Well, head for Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

4. Silver Star Ski Resort - You have been visiting Silver Star Ski Resort for years and see no reason to go back this year. Well, wait a second, how about trying new Ice Climbing tower or sharpen your skills by taking a course on technical sides of skiing and snowboarding.

5. Mount Washington Ski Resort on Vancouver Island: Last but not least, we suggest trying Mount Washington Ski Resort because Little Washington Peak has opened an additional 40 hectares of tree skiing terrain. Not to forget that backcountry excursions to the back side of Mount Washington and heliskiing adventures within the Vancouver Island ranges is also available this ski season.

Get ready for some fun and plan your next ski vacation with BC Travel Guide

Related Posts:

 10 Things you didn’t know about Whistler

Top 5 ski resorts in BC

After eight great years as the Copper Kettle Grille, chef Vince and his crew are ready to launch Santé Bar & Grille, Big White’s newest restaurant. During the severe cold snap in late November a pipe froze and flooded the dining room 36 hours prior to the planned Grand Opening.

 Thanks to the diligent efforts of the reconstruction team, the Lounge area will be reopening on December 17th 2010, followed by the dining room on December 23rd 2010, just in time for Christmas. Located slope-side in the White Crystal Inn, and just steps from the top of the Gondola, Santé specializes in eclectic Canadian cuisine. Choose a bottle from our affordable Okanagan Valley wine list, and let our servers pamper you. Bring your children and let them choose from our extensive kids menu.

If you are looking for a more mature, relaxed environment to enjoy a nightcap, come and visit Santé Bar (no minors please), also located in the White Crystal Inn. Sit by our stone fireplace and enjoy a signature martini or one of our specialty coffee drinks. Santé Grille is open for Breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. For reservations call 250-491-8122 or just come down after a great day of skiing.

Plan your next ski trip with BC Travel guide

Did you hear about new Whistler promotion for this holiday season (2010-2011)? well, if you book with Whistler Central reservations, you get the 5th night free…all season long. Check out the details below:

When you book a 5-night ski and stay package from $113* CAD
($107 USD) per person, per night - a discount equivalent to getting your 5th Night FREE - you’ll have some interesting choices to make.

Depending on when you book your Whistler Blackcomb ski vacation, you could save more by getting your 4th day of skiing free; have free breakfast and be one of the first to hit the fresh powder; or bring the whole family with you while the kids ski free. No matter what you choose to do, you’re in for a fantastic day. Book your lift and lodging package by January 31, 2011 and receive a BONUS offer.

Happy Skiing!

Whistler is definitely one of the most sought after vacation destinations in British Columbia but did you know that:

1. Whistler was once known as Alta Lake, which itself was originally named Summit Lake.

2. Whistler was a First Nation trading route between the Lil’wat Nations and the Squamish Nation.

3. Whistler officially opened for skiing in 1966 and it wanted to host 1968 winter olympics but it lost this honor to Grenoble, France.

4. Nester’s Market on Highway 99 north of the village on the way to Emerald Estates and other residential areas has the best seafood that you can get in the area.

5. Although Whistler has only 10,000 permanent residents, during peak season their are about 40,000 visitors at this resort.

6. It has more than 200 trails and 38 lifts with world’s most advanced high tech capabilities.

7. You do not need car to travel within Whistler. Whistler Village is pedestrian-only and a free shuttle  is available that operates in and around Whistler Village, along with the Upper Village, at regular intervals.

8. Whistler has the most ski-in/ski-out accommodations out of any other mountain resort in Canada and there are more that 5000 rooms to accommodate thousands of visitors that flock this BC resort.

9. Ever wondered, how did Whistler Mountain get its name? It got its name from Western Hoary Marmots who live among the rocks and made strident Whistling sounds. Before that it was called London mountain by British Surveyors. 

10. Top activities to do in Whistler besides snoboarding and skiing are: Rafting, Mountain biking, Fishing, Heli Hiking, Canoeing, Kayaking, Partying and Golfing.

 Related Posts:

Top 5 Whistler Pubs

Whistler Attractions
 

Apart from the Olympic Games, there will still be plenty going on in Whistler Blackcomb. Here’s a brief rundown of the events you can attend in Whistler this year.

March 1st – 8th 2010 Winter Pride 2010

March 1-8 are the official dates for GayWhistlers WinterPRIDE celebrating its 18th anniversary. This is going to be one anniversary party you will not want to miss come and experience Whistler just after the Olympics and take in the excitement of being on the world stage.

For more information, check out: Gay Whistler

March 13th – 21th 2010 Winter Paralympic Games

From March 12-21, 2010 Whistler plays host to some very talented and extraordinary athletes at the Paralympic Games. Come cheer on your favorite athlete as they go for Gold. The Paralympics are known to be more intimate than the Olympics and just as exciting!

April 9th – 11th 2010 The Whistler Cup

THE WHISTLER CUP is an international ski event organized by the Whistler Ski Club . Having completed its  17^th year, Whistler Cup has grown to become the largest and most important ski race in North America, and internationally, for athletes aged 11 – 14 years. It is held under the auspice of FIS, the international governing body for alpine skiing. With over 390 young athletes from 20 countries, Whistler Cup brings together children from many different cultures, from around the world.

April 16th-25th 2010: Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival 2010

Related Links:

Whistler City Guide

Top Whistler Pubs

Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival

Drive to Whistler, British Columbia

Yesterday, I was in front of the TV set way before the start of downhillskiing event with high hopes on 5 Canadian athletes participating in the event.  The weather was great and Whistler creekside looked fantastic. It surely was a wonderful day for:

Switzerland’s Didier Defago who took gold by clocking 1:54.31. Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal, last year’s overall World Cup winner, took silver with a time of 1:54.38 and American extrovert Bode Miller was third in 1:54.40. 

Alas! No medal for Canada in Men’s downhill skiing inspite of several predictions claiming that Manuel Osborne will do Canada proud. Manuel Osborne grew up racing for the Whistler Mountain Ski Club. His first World Cup podium came in November 2006 at the Bombardier Winterstart men’s downhill in Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. His first victory was at the Downhill of Kvitfjell in March 2009. He currently has three World Cup wins in 2009, recently winning the downhill in Val Gardena, Italy.

Well, all we can say to our downhill skiers is better luck next time.

Related articles:

Vancouver 2010: Medal predictions

Winter Olympics 2010: Men’s downhill skiing

Okanagan Athletes in Vancouver 2010
 

Do you know that the German and Swedish teams that trained at Silver Star Ski resort in British Columbia won 12 medals during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics? Many Olympic teams in the hopes of getting the same results are using the Okanagan  again to do their final pre-Games tune-ups on local cross-country ski trails.

Some of the participating athletes are from the nordic event teams of Norway, the Czech Republic, Russia and Switzerland. In all, eight Olympic teams totalling 100 competitors are training locally, injecting money into the economy and Olympic buzz into the region. One of the most popular venues is the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre in the North Okanagan. The Norwegian biathlon team has been training there and at nearby Silver Star Mountain Resort for the past two weeks.

The region has been a popular training ground for nordic competitors for years. Most teams are staying at Silver Star for 10 to 16 days, resulting in $125,000 in total revenue for the resort. So, next time you ski in BC consider yourself lucky because you might be using the same trails which helped train Olympic athletes.

Other Vancouver 2010 Posts:

Transportation During Olympics 2010

Opening Ceremony Olympics 2010

Meet Vancouver Olympics 2010 Athletes

The Olympics may be finished come April but the action never stops in Whistler. TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival will be held in Whistler from April 16-25th 2010.  The festival will be packed with competitions, concerts and mind-blowing excitement.

It makes sense to visit Whistler during this festival because besides enjoying everything that this wildly popular festival offers, you can also take advantage of  the slopes which will be less crowded, the snow will still be great and you can get amazing low season prices.

View the entire Ski and snowboard festival event schedule here: Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival 2010 

Walnut Beach Resort in Osoyoos is a great place for your winter weekend getaway. Skiing conditions at Mt. Baldy are excellent and the Malt Wine is ready along with the fireplaces in cozy Walnut Beach Resort rooms. 

All one bedroom and two bedroom suites have their own fireplaces and insuite washer and dryers. Oh and don’t forget the Wine Bar and Bistro on site. The pool and hot tubs are open and resort also offers sauna and steam room to warm up those tired muscles.

Walnut Beach Resort’s private beach has received a go ahead for a liquor license which will make you feel like you are in the tropics with beachside bar service. Plan a wedding at the resort and we promise, you won’t be disappointed.

So this ski season you’ve decided to stay close to home because the Flights from Japan to Whistler, Canada are very expensive. Well, not a bad decision considering that you can now enjoy Vancouver 2010 Olympics and delicious Whistler food near home at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture. Tourism British Columbia, Whistler tourism and Naeba Ski Resort, Japan have made it possible for Japanese ski lovers to enjoy flavors of Whistler in Japan by opening Whistler Café at Naeba Ski Resort, Japan.

The café will be operational only during the winter season and this year it will run from December 19^th 2009 to 28^th March 2010. The officials have just launched a ‘Go-Whistler Campaign’ to celebrate the grand opening of this café. The campaign includes several fun contests with about 100 different prizes including a trip to Whistler in Canada for a pair and Naeba Ski Lift tickets. Also, don’t be disappointed if you haven’t been able to get tickets for Olympics 2010 in Vancouver because during the Winter Olympic Games, you can enjoy the selected popular Olympic events with your friends and family at the café as public viewing of the games has been arranged.

The Whistler Café will serve Canadian casual food, beer, British Columbian wine and you will also be able to find brochures, magazines and books, related to Whistler. Oh and those who are visiting Naeba Ski resort, Japan from Canada- Whistler Café will not let you miss home.

To plan your next trip to British Columbia, Canada visit: BC Travel Guide