Several slopes already boast plenty of snow
Daniel Austin gives us the rundown on ski resorts near Calgary
SUNSHINE It’s all systems go at Sunshine Village, as the Banff resort has been open for a couple weeks and has already been hit by 158 cm of snow. With temperatures generally not plummeting too low, that means Sunshine has solid early-season conditions and 11 of its 12 lifts open, as well as 80 of 138 runs. For anyone looking to take advantage of all Sunshine has on offer this season, the resort’s season passes are on sale and provide great value for a ski destination usually open until nearly the end of May. www.skibanff.com @SunshineVillage OLYMPIC PARK With four carpets and the Legacy Chairlift all open, the hill at WinSport has sprinted right into the winter ski and snowboard season. Next weekend, Canada Olympic Park will be playing host not just to local alpine enthusiasts, but also to some of the best winter sport athletes in the world. On Dec. 7 and 8, Calgary will host the Viessmann Luge World Cup and the Viessmann Relay World Cup, and there will be visits from Santa Claus, cookie decorating and more to get the crowds who come out to support Canada’s representatives into the holiday spirit. www.winsport.ca NORQUAY Mount Norquay has already been open for almost a month — although only one lift is operational — and as one of the mountains closest to Calgary, it’s always worth winter sports enthusiasts keeping an eye on what’s going on at the Banff resort. Norquay has always been one of the best resorts for families in Western Canada, even if only one or two of those family members is an avid skier or snowboarder. Their giant tube park is scheduled to open Dec. 8, weather permitting, while the Cliffhouse Bistro offers a top-of-the-world dining experience. There are a number of sightseeing options available, too. www.banffnorquay.com @MtNorquay NAKISKA Nakiska was one of the first ski and snowboard resorts to open in Canada this year, and it seems like they’re opening more terrain pretty much every weekend. Daily operations formally kick off on Friday. The resort’s slopes have already been blanketed by 109 cm, but skiers and snowboarders eager to do a little exploring should check out the RCR Rockies card, where they can get their first, fourth and seventh ski days free, as well as big discounts on all other visits. The card goes for only $109.95 and can be used at Nakiska, Kicking Horse, Fernie and Kimberley. www.skinakiska.com @SkiNakiska KICKING HORSE If you’re anything like us, you’re counting down the days until Dec. 7, when Kicking Horse Mountain Resort will turn on its gondola and we can finally get back on the mountain at the Golden, B.C., resort. That would be exciting at the best of times, but this year Kicking Horse has Canada’s biggest terrain expansion happening, as the opening of the Ozone South face and Middle Range will give skiers and snowboarders access to 660 acres of new mountain to rip down. www.kickinghorseresort.com @KickingHorseMtn PANORAMA Mark it on your calendar. On Dec. 7, Panorama is set to open. On top of all its usual goodness, the Invermere, B.C., resort has added a new cat to get skiers and snowboarders access to some seriously extreme terrain. The Monster X, as they’re calling it, gets guests access to four double-black diamond lines that promise to be blanketed by that sweet, fresh B.C. powder, and there’s an early-bird Black Friday sale that makes accessing all that terrain even more affordable. www.panoramaresort.com @panoramaresort FERNIE On Dec. 1, Fernie Alpine Resort will turn on its lifts and welcome winter guests back on the mountain. For anyone planning on travelling the world — and bringing their skis with them — this winter, you can still act fast and buy an Epic Pass, which gets you access to 65 resorts around the world, including Fernie. But you need to buy it by Dec. 2. www.skifernie.com @skifernie MARMOT BASIN They got a lot of snow in and around Jasper this fall, and that allowed Marmot Basin to kick its operations into gear in mid-November. After opening the massive new Tres Hombres area last year, the resort has been working to make the new terrain even better, with serious snow farming efforts going into the top of the mountain and improvements to the ski-out trail that should make a trip to Marmot even more exciting than it was last year. www.skimarmot.com @MarmotBasin REVELSTOKE Opening day at Revelstoke is set for Dec. 1, and Mother Nature has blessed the resort by dumping a heavy helping of powder on the mountain before it has even turned on its lifts. The last seven days alone saw 73 cm fall on Revelstoke’s slopes, and there’s already 341 cm of the fluffy white stuff blanketing its trails. www.revelstokemountainresort.com @revelstokemtn OPENING DATES Castle Mountain: Dec. 14 Whitefish: Dec. 6 Kimberley; Dec. 8