I love BC trivia, and I like to think that I know quite a few interested tidbits, however I seriously need to brush up on my BC ski resort history!
Did you know that the plaza at Whistler Blackcomb used to be the village dump? Did you know that Big White near Kelowna was found by a local pilot? It’s interesting to find out that our favourite ski resorts have histories that sometimes includes hardships and heroes, blunders and brilliant ideas. SeekersMedia has dug deep into the past of almost every mountain resort of the Rockies to the coast to discover just what it took to create your favourite trails and terrain.
Join in on the winter of discovery and visit some of the slopes listed below. Sign-up to win prizes from many of the resorts in the SnowSeekers Challenge.
Before it was Whistler Blackcomb it was rivalry
The slopes at Whistler were the first to open 50 years ago with perfect trails to bring smiling skiers to the base. Years later when Blackcomb cranked up the lifts they also cranked up the attitude, allowing rowdy boarders and partiers to ski the spidery trails. The competition was legendary. Find out how Whistler Backcomb finally managed to become Canada’s biggest alpine resort.
Pilot finds snow ghost nirvana
Back in the 1960s when google was goggles spelt wrong, two friends spent countless days searching the mountains beyond Kelowna for the perfect ski hill. Hiking, back-country skiing and eventually flying found the perfect slopes. Planning a 56 kilometre road from Kelowna was tough but as soon as the word got out about the epic snow blanketing never-ending glades, Big White was on the map. Discover how Big White Resort blazed new trails here.
Kicking Horse Mountain has been kick ass from the get go
Who would have thought that a cranky horse in 1858 could lead to naming rivers and resorts! The Kicking Horse story is legendary and so is the snow. Find out how the community run Whitetooth Mountain ski hill near Golden B.C. became Kicking Horse Mountain Resort – the powder-hound haven it is today.
Kimberley – or how to make a ski town out of a mining town
The stash of powder in the glades at Kimberley is not the stash the prospectors were looking for a century ago. Back then, it was seams of a mineral called Galena that had them trudging through the snow. They hit pay dirt but it didn’t last long. Find out how close they were to the motherlode and how the mining industry shaped the friendly Kimberley Alpine Resort.
The glades at Mount Timothy are calling you
Wouldn’t it be cool to stand at the top of a mountain with a role of flagging tape in your hand then head down the slope to mark the runs for a new ski resort? That’s what Bruce Johnson of Williams Lake did in 1987. He’s still skiing at Mount Timothy, 66 kilometres south of Williams Lake today. Did he pick the right lines? Find out what makes the glades of Mount Timothy Resort so special.
Murray Ridge has more than just the longest rope tow
Here’s an idea. Suggest to the local logging companies they can have the timber from a thickly forested mountainside for free. All they have to do is log the slope in long lines instead of blocks. You’ll even name the run after them. It worked for the volunteer-run ski resort only ten-minutes from Fort. St. James. Find out other secrets to the success of Murray Ridge.
Join the free SnowSeekers Challenge. Create your bucket list by January 17th and be entered to win a pair of round trip tickets to anywhere Pacific Coastal Airlines flies!
If you’re looking for a Christmas Day activity, aside from lounging in pyjamas as long as possible until the aroma of roasted turkey fills the house, there are actually quite a few local options this year:
What’s Open on Christmas Day in Vancouver
The Vancouver Aquarium is open (11:30am to 4:00pm) featuring their holiday line-up of activities on top of their permanent displays and exhibits. Watch Scuba Claus swim around (after his long night of travel), check out the Eel-ectric Lights show, and catch The Polar Express 4-D Experience.
The Robson Square ice rink in Downtown Vancouver will be open (12:00pm to 5:00pm) with free skating, and $4 rentals.
There’s still time to check out SOS Children’s Gingerbread Village at The Peak of Christmas on Grouse Mountain. Head up for a Christmas Day walk in the snow, skiing & snowboarding, ice skating, sliding, and the gingerbread houses inside the main lodge.
Cypress and Mount Seymour will also be open for downhill fun on Christmas Day.
Book a tee time! Vancouver Parks Golf courses – Fraserview, Langara, and McCleery – will be open on Christmas Day from 8:00am to 2:00pm.
Indoor ice skating can be enjoyed at several Vancouver Park Board rinks. There will be public skates on Christmas Day at Hillcrest, Britannia, Trout Lake and Kerrisdale arenas.
If you are out and about, plan to grab a Legendary Burger or Pirate Pak at the White Spot Christmas Luncheon for Charity. Now in its 14th year, staff at the Kingsway and Richmond Centre locations are donating their time and tips of Christmas Day for two deserving local causes.
The snow may not arrive in Downtown Vancouver this Christmas but when you snap a #ChairLiftSelfie by December 28th, you could win one of Tourism Whistler‘s instant prizes including a Whistler Blackcomb season’s pass!
This season marks the 50th anniversary of Whistler Blackcomb and to celebrate, Tourism Whistler is offering 50 instant prizes and a chance to win a Whistler season pass.
Snap a #ChairLiftSelfie at the Whistler-themed bus shelter which is next to Comor – Go Play Outside on West 4th near Burrard, and post it to Twitter or Instagram with the #ChairLiftSelfie hashtag for a chance to win a free Whistler season pass.
Win Whistler Blackcomb Lift Tickets
To celebrate the 50th anniversary, and to encourage your own #ChairLiftSelfie entries, I have two x single day lift tickets for Whistler Blackcomb to give away. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment with your fondest Whistler memory or if you’ve never been, name what you’d love to do in Whistler (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Be sure to grab your #ChairLiftSelfie before December 28th as well for a chance to win a season pass for Whistler Blackcomb. The bus shelter “chair lift” is next to Comor and in front of the Esso station on West 4th near Burrard. I will draw my winner of two single day lift tickets on Monday, December 28, 2015 at 12:00pm.
Update The winner is Shelley!
For the 14th consecutive year, staff at the Kingsway Vancouver and Richmond Centre White Spot locations will donate their time and tips on Christmas Day to support local charities.
The two restaurants hope to beat last year’s combined fundraising total of $16,000. Since the Christmas Day Luncheon’s inception, more than $160,000 has been generated for a good cause.
White Spot Christmas Day Luncheon for Charity
Where: Richmond Centre (1902 – 6551 No. 3 Rd, Richmond)
When: Christmas Day, December 25, 2015 from 11:00am to 3:00pm
Supporting: Benefiting Richmond Hospital Foundation
Where: Kingsway at Knight (1476 Kingsway, Vancouver)
When: Christmas Day, December 25, 2015 from 11:00am to 3:00pm
Supporting: Benefiting Variety – The Children’s Charity
Since the Christmas Day Luncheon’s inception, more than $160,000 has been generated for a good cause thanks to White Spot’s generous staff and patrons. Follow White Spot on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date on their latest menu offerings and promotions.
Attending Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker is like going to a massive, unforgettable Christmas party; there are children running around, adults dressed up in their finest, snacks and drinks for all, and a hugely amusing performance put on (mainly) by the kids.
This is the seventh year that Goh Ballet, known for its distinguished pre-professional program, has produced The Nutcracker, and the company has mastered the balance of making the ballet accessible to all by creating an incredibly textured performance of the classic to please all audience members, whether young or old, connoisseur or novice.
With a live performance by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, and with Frances Chung (as The Sugar Plum Fairy) and Carlos Quenedit (as the Prince) of the San Francisco Ballet, the performance satiated an aficionado’s need to see elegant and athletic movements made with great emotion.
The performance’s success stems from its collaboration with the community; not only did they enlist young dancers for their own school but they also had dancers from other schools, professional dancers, drag performers, choirs, and gymnastic clubs.
Choreographer Anna-Marie Holmes ability to constantly incorporate elements of surprise was not only a delight for audience members (like myself) who have seen this ballet, but also the youngest child in the audience who were watching the ballet for the first time. There was a little gingerbread that gets his arm eating off my a mouse; a little black sheep that has different steps than its white sheep counterparts; and an actual magician (Adonis Daukaev) doing magic tricks on stage.
All these elements came together so well to create such a dynamic and laugh-out loud performance that time flew by and, just like a wonderful Christmas celebration, when it ended, everyone was surprised (and a little sad) that the party and performance was over, yet comforted in the fact that there is always next year.
