More Canadian ski resorts are opening this weekend thanks to continuing snow in all regions. Here’s news on openings at Sun Peaks, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Sauveur, Lake Louise, Norquay and Sunshine.

Sun Peaks
BC’s Sun Peaks Resort opens for the winter season on Saturday November 17th. The first ski resort to open in the Interior of the province, Sun Peaks has an alpine base of 60 centimeters with the forecast calling for more snow through the week.

Mont-Sainte-Anne
Mont-Sainte-Anne opens this Saturday at 8h30. First in the region to open, the resort was blessed with more than 50cm of snow in the past weeks!

Among the first trails to open are La Paradeuse, La Mélanie Turgeon and La Quanik. The north side of the mountain was covered with a thick white blanket in the past days. If tomorrow’s predicted cold front and snowfall come true, the resort could open up to 15 trails! Also, the team is working hard at making snow to offer the biggest playground as soon as possible!

Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, and Norquay
Sunshine Village opened their slopes earlier this week and kicked off the official start to the tri-area ski season in Banff National Park. With Sunshine’s official open, all three resorts are ready for the season. Lake Louise Mountain Resort opened to the public November 10th. Ski Norquay opened for two weekends on November 3rd and November 10th, before beginning private race training for the remainder of the month.

Sunshine opened with a base of 68cm topped by 34cm of fresh power over the past four days. The eight passenger high-speed Gondola, Mount Standish Express High Speed Quad Chair, Strawberry Triple Chair, Wawa Quad Chair, Jackrabbit Quad Chair, Wolverine Express Quad Chair and two magic carpets are all operating with over 50 runs available.

Lake Louise Mountain Resort opened Glacier Express Quad Chair with the Wiwaxy run and beginner terrain at the base of the resort last weekend. The resort enjoyed over 38cm of snow this week and with more winter weather in the forecast, Mother Nature is predicting a positive outlook for additional terrain openings in the near future. Ski Norquay completes the tri-area and was the first resort in Canada to open their slopes the first week of November. The resort is now hosting pre-scheduled national race training until December 7th.

Banff National Park’s tri-area resorts offer one of the most consistently lengthy ski seasons in the world from early November until late May. Ski Banff-Lake Louise-Sunshine is offering fifth night and day free specials to guests booking packages by November 30th. Visit www.skibig3.com for more information.

Mont St. Sauveur
Mont Saint-Sauveur, the only centre open in Québec, has had a satisfactory first week of operations; the early opening of the centre is already showing a positive impact on the region’s economy. Impatient for the launching of the season, skiers and snowboarders were present, ready for their first run down the mountain.

«The attendance of the past weekend and the enthusiasm proves that skiing and snowboarding is still as popular as ever. Contrary to last year, when the industry had a disappointing beginning, this year’s early start to the ski season has perked up the interest of snow enthusiasts; an increased number of people are purchasing season passes this year. » says Louis-Philippe Hébert, president and chief of operations at (MSSI) Mont Saint-Sauveur International.

The industry’s spokes people feel the same way. Alexis Boyer-Lafontaine, director of public affairs at l’Association des stations du Québec (ASSQ), believes that the news is positive for Québec’s ski centers. « The Québec ski industry is proud to see that centers are prepared to open their doors this early in the season. . . It proves that snowmaking systems are efficient during this lack of snowfall», says the director.

After a six month wait, Saint-Sauveur’s business owners were eagerly awaiting the announcement of the early opening date of Mont Saint-Sauveur. «Numbers go up once the ski center opens its doors. During the opening weekend, the increase in clientele was evident. » said Pascal Pagé, owner of La Belle Province restaurant.

It is a known fact that the ski industry plays a huge role in the economy of the Laurentians. The Vallée de Saint Sauveur’s ski centers alone create more than 3000 jobs.