and Sunshine Village are this season all available on one Tri-Area lift ticket, which offers access to almost 8,000 acres of skiable terrain in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Banff National Park. Also new is a Tri-Area sightseeing pass for non-skiers to enjoy the same breathtaking scenery from the top of the mountains without having to hurtle back down on skis. Priced £25 the pass allows visitors to take the gondolas in Lake Louise, Sunshine Village and Mount Norquay (
www.skibig3.com). New this season, there will also be cat-skiing at Fortress Mountain – located just 90 minutes from Calgary; new lanes, lifts and improved slopes at Mt Norquay’s Tube Park; a new Big Air Bag Jump in Lake Louise, and a $25 million upgrade at Marmot Basin, Jasper. Mt Norquay’s Tube Park has doubled
the number of tubing lanes to give visitors more time to experience the thrill rides down the mountainside. The resort has also stepped up its appeal to beginner skiers and snowboarders with a new loading conveyor on its already improved Spirit Chair. This will provide easier access to more terrain and improve safety for all skiers by reducing the ‘stops and slows’ by more than 50%. Lake Louise has added a new Base
Area Play Zone. This includes a Big Air Bag Jump designed by professional snowboarders and stuntmen for expert skiers and snowboarders who want to push themselves to the limit. Positioned as the ultimate ‘big kids’ toy it will offer skiers the chance to practice their Double Rodeos and Triple Corks without stressing about the landings. Lake Louise has also opened a new
Tube Park at the base of its ski area. The second of its kind in the area, it will suit all ages and abilities. For beginners and kids, the Learning & Adventure Centre has been revamped with two new magic carpets for easy access up the slopes. And for those who want to follow in
the footsteps of royals Will and Kate during their visit to Canada last year, Inghams has introduced a two-day add-on excursion out to Skoki Lodge, chosen by the couple for their private rest and relaxation during the Canada tour. The excursion is made by snowshoe along an 11km trail up the Skoki Valley to the luxurious backcountry lodge. It provides a good
base for cross-country skiing with breathtaking views at the heart of Banff National Park. Skoki Lodge was the first lodge to be built specifically for ski- tourists in Canada, with the first guests arriving in 1931 (
www.skoki.com). Sunshine Village has improved its food and beverage facilities by adding a smoke house at the Mad Trapper’s Saloon and introducing a Vietnamese Pho café in the day lodge. A new European créperie will also be ready for this season.
Québec Québec’s leading resort Tremblant gives skiers the chance to combine Canadian hospitality with a French feel and offers a varied range of skiing. With 95 runs serviced by 14 lifts, the mountain includes 18 acres of ramps, rails and jumps. Free guided tours are available from December 11 every day, Tremblant (
www.tremblant.com) is regularly voted the number one ski resort in Eastern North America by US ski magazines and is managed by Intrawest – which also runs Whistler. Activities focus around a colourful Québecois-style pedestrianised village with lots of restaurants and a range of non-ski activities too. Pricing has become increasingly competitive here, a point confirmed by the fact that the resort is featured as Crystal Holidays’ best ski price in North America. Priced from £695pp the resort's added bonus for Brits is that it is just under seven hours' flying time from the UK. The holiday price includes flights from Heathrow to Montréal, transfers, seven nights’ B&B at The Country Inn & Suites in Mont Tremblant, departing January 23, 2013. The province has also seen growing
interest in its £190-million Le Massif development, which now allows visitors to head to Le Massif by train for skiing. The new Hotel La Ferme has opened on the train’s route, new runs have been added and new ski lifts connect from the platform edge uphill to resort lifts. Activities include heli-skiing, downhill and cross country skiing. The Chic Choc Mountains in the central Gaspé Peninsula of Québec, offer opportunities for serious back-country skiers. This is a remote, no-lifts/no roads skiing area which skiers access via the new Chic Chics Mountain Lodge, an auberge set in the heart of the Matane
Nature Reserve. The area offers two peaks of around 1000 metres, with easy to tough off-piste descents at Mont Matawees and Mont Collins. Visitors to Montréal can also get the inside story on skiing, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on Mount Royal with a half-day tour and see the neighbourhoods with a local guide. (
www.fitzandfollwell.co/snow)
Tourism Talk ZUBER SAMEJA
North America Product Manager, Inghams “Canada is clearly back
on track, after the necessary market re-positioning that followed the withdrawal of charters flying out of the UK last winter. Bookings are significantly up year on year, thanks to great snow last winter and the wide range of early- booking savings and added-value offers in place this winter. Canada continues to outperform the USA, which is also up year on year, albeit at lower volumes. "Canada offers an exceptionally high-
quality product, backed by some of the friendliest service skiers will receive anywhere, so it is no surprise to see it doing so well again. It is a testament to the pulling power of the big resorts, that even after record- breaking snowfalls in Europe last winter,
bookings to Canada and the USA continue to forge forwards, with repeat bookings very much a key part of their success.”
www.sellinglonghaul.com • September 2012 41
Where To Book It CANADIAN AFFAIR
www.canadianaffair.com
020 7616 9999 or 0141 248 6777 Seven nights in Banff is priced from £659pp including flights, transfers and seven nights at the Inns of Banff. The operator also has a range of incentives such as free ski days, ski rental and kids deals; and 40% off hotel rates. Offers are valid until December 15.
INGHAMS
www.inghams.co.uk 01483 791111 Offers all-inclusive value at the Great Divide Lodge, Lake Louise. One week prices from £1,324pp, includes return flights to Calgary, transfers, lift-pass, six days equipment hire, meals and refreshments. Plus there is £50 cash back per couple on bookings made by September 30 on many properties, and £300 per couple off brochure prices for all holidays to Country Inn and Ermitage du Lac Hotel in Tremblant, breakfast included.
RON FEHLING
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