Ski the Thompson Okanagan Press Release

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association is encouraging Canadians and Americans to plan a visit to a Thompson Okanagan ski resorts to experience the wonders of winter by sharing a roundup of information with media.

Hatch Comms on behalf of TOTA, shared a press release with Canadian and American media on February 7, 2024, that included a list of ski resorts and information related to their winter offerings and pass programs to raise awareness about the current snowy winter conditions. TOTA's social media continues to share winter themed posts on ThompsonOkanagan.com and social media.

The press release is designed to raise awareness of ski resorts in the Thompson Okanagan, inspiring them to plan a trip, with the target audiences in BC, Alberta, and Washington. Information included downhill ski information, unique indoor and outdoor experiences, pass programs, upcoming events, and travel times from the closest airports.

Release:

The Thompson Okanagan is home to world class skiing and snowboarding along with a variety of other snow activities at eight mountain resorts with some reporting bases close to 160cm. The region’s well-known winter conditions and diverse terrain promises snow sport lovers the best time ever. Adventures include skiing, snowboarding, tubing, skating, fat biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and more. Snow pursuits aside, visitors can enjoy all kinds of mountain, recreation, culinary and cultural activities, festivals and events in the months ahead.

Affordable alpine adventures await thanks to the region’s numerous global reciprocal pass programs and wallet-friendly day passes. The Indy Pass grants two days access at each of the following mountains: Apex Mountain Resort, Baldy Mountain Resort, and Big White Ski Resort, Manning Park, along with 180+ resorts spanning three continents. Sun Peaks Resort is included in the IKON Pass, giving skiers and riders access to 50+ destinations worldwide. SilverStar is home to MY1PASS, an inclusive ticket that provides access to seven activities: downhill skiing, cross country skiing (XC), night skiing, tubing, snowshoeing, skating and fat biking. Family-owned resort Harper Mountain’s day passes are under $70 per day. 

Continue to follow mountain conditions and updates by visiting the resort websites and social media along with OnTheSnow.com.

Explore the Slopes 

Apex Mountain Resort

Nestled in the heart of the Okanagan Valley at an impressive 7,200 feet above sea level, Apex is an awesome destination for every skill level from novice to intermediate to advanced. Some say, Apex’s post-ski experiences are the best part with its popular Gunbarrel Saloon earning the title of Best Apres Ski Bar by Ski Canada for ten consecutive years. The resort also boasts an enchanting kilometre-long Adventure Skating Loop through the forest, as well as nordic skiing, snowshoeing and tubing. 

Upcoming events: Western Day, Brewski, and Retro Day.  

Baldy Mountain Resort

Elevate winter expeditions at British Columbia’s third-highest elevation ski resort. Located where the Nk’mip Desert meets the inland rainforest of the West Kootenays, Baldy Mountain Resort was a dream turned reality for its committed winter enthusiasts in 1968. The South Okanagan locale offers 35 runs with 600 acres of skiable terrain and an additional 240 acres dedicated to exhilarating gladed tree skiing. Off the slopes, Baldy offers 13 kilometres of snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, disc golf, and tubing. 

Upcoming events: KR Academy Snowboard Camp, 16th Annual Winemakers Cup, and Slackcountry Cup. 

Big White Ski Resort

An icon in the Thompson Okanagan skyline, the resort resides in British Columbia's famed powder belt. Encompassing a vast ski area of 7,355 acres of diverse terrain with 119 designated trails and vertical drop of 2,550 feet, the second-largest lift system in BC keeps skiers moving. The slopes at Big White Ski Resort cater to every skill level - from beginner to extreme and everything in between. The ski hill has been ranked 10th on The Times UK’s list of “best ski resorts for beginners,” boasts Western Canada’s largest night area and Canada’s largest ski-in, ski-out village. Big White is more than just alpine thrills with its access to Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, dog sledding, snowmobiling, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and Canada's highest elevation skating rink in Happy Valley.

Upcoming events: Saturday Fireworks, Jr Chef Challenge, TELUS Kelowna Cup, Family Day Weekend, and AltiTunes Music Festival. 

Harper Mountain

A winter wonderland awaits at this South Thompson ski hill. Celebrating 50 years, the traditional ski area offers 16 runs with 1,400 vertical feet of elevation across 400 acres of terrain all adorned by champagne powder. The resort also offers 16 kilometres of dog-friendly snowshoe trails, a 3 kilometre nordic loop, and tubing. 

Pro-tip: try the poutine and Gluhwein in the cozy Log Day Lodge.   

Manning Park

Adventure starts in the heart of the Cascade Mountains. Winter enthusiasts will enjoy the fresh mountain air and all kinds of exciting activities surrounded by majestic peaks. The laid back resort offers more than 346 acres of skiable terrain, 64 kilometres of nordic terrain, 300 kilometres of snowshoe trails, tubing and ice skating.

Upcoming events: Guided Snowshoe Tours: S'mores, Wine & Cheese, and Fondue. 

SilverStar 

The Monashee Mountain resort’s bottomless champagne powder is a hit with snow lovers. Its 3,282 acres of skiable terrain over 4 distinct mountain faces, features 132 runs with a 760m vertical drop. There’s a reason Canadian ski pioneers, Olympians, and world champions across the globe call Silver Star home. In addition to all the downhill fun it also has the most expansive cross-country trail network in North America with 105km of nordic trails that connect the peak of SilverStar Mountain Resort to Sovereign Lake’s subalpine. What else? Mini snowmobiles, ice skating, fat baking, snowshoeing, tubing and lots of fun and delicious apres.

Upcoming events: SEISMIC Spring Festival, and Sovereign2SilverStar Ski Marathon. 

Sun Peaks

Canada’s 2nd largest ski area spans 4,270 acres of winter paradise featuring an  impressive 882 metres of skiable vertical descent and - wait for it - 2,000 annual hours of sunshine. Winter warriors enjoy its 3 skiable peaks, 139 trails, 19 glades, the record-setting 8 kilometre run, and 13 lifts.. Beyond the slopes, Sun Peaks is known for its charming alpine village, diverse dining offerings and fun activities like yoga, axe throwing, horse-drawn sleigh rides and more than 34 kilometres of Nordic trails for snowmobiling, fat biking and snowshoeing.

Upcoming events: Sun Peaks Demo Days, Peak Pride, Elleboard All Girls Snowboard Camp, Sip, Savour & Ski Culinary Festival, Easter Extravaganza, and Slush Cup. 

Phoenix Mountain

A not-for-profit, community-run ski area carved into the hills of Southern British Columbia, Phoenix Mountain is a haven for snow sport lovers offering 800 feet of vertical. The iconic T-bar  gives riders a breathtaking bird’s eye view of the winter wonderland on the 6-minute ride up to access its 17 official downhill runs.

All mountain villages are all accessible within under an hour from the nearest city and under two hours from the nearest airports: Penticton Airport (YYF), Kelowna International Airport (YLW) and Kamloops Airport (YKA). 

Big White Ski Resort VP Michael J. Ballingall Honoured with Bill Mackey Award for Outstanding Ski Industry Employee from Far West Ski Association

Big White Ski Resort Senior Vice President, Michael J. Ballingall, is the latest recipient of the Far West Ski Association’s Bill Mackey Award for Outstanding Ski Industry Employee.

“What an honour it is to receive this prestigious award,” said Ballingall. “The fact that our very own Jim Loyd won it in 2002, then Katie Balkwell in 2016 made my receiving of this award a hat trick for Big White Ski Resort. It bodes well that our philosophy of strong partnerships and looking after the customer has resonated through our organization for 59 years.”

Big White Ski Resort and Aspen Snowmass are the only two resorts in North America to have received this award three times.

The Far West Ski Association, founded in 1930, held its 89th Annual Convention and Meeting June 9 to 12 in Portland, Oregon. FWSA represented 150 ski clubs throughout North America.

The Bill Mackey Award is given for outstanding service to the skiing public by a ski industry or ski area employee. The award may be received more than once but not in consecutive years. Recipients must be full-time employee in the ski industry or related industry and cannot be a FWSA board member, trustee, or appointed chairperson.

Big White Ski Resort Raises Over $8K For Local Ukraine Charity

Thanks to a new colour combo of the famous Big White Ski Resort pompom snowball toque, and the generous donation of an on-mountain business, an $8,302 donation was presented to the Kelowna Stands With Ukraine Association on Friday, May 6.

"While Ukraine may be far from the Okanagan, we know the tragic events of the past couple months have been felt acutely by our Ukrainian community here," said Michael J. Ballingall, Senior Vice President at Big White Ski Resort Ltd. "We want to give a huge thank you to our local community and the larger Big White family for making this happen."

At the beginning of April, the retail team at Big White Ski Resort launched a fundraising initiative for Ukraine with all proceeds from new blue and yellow toque going to the local group. The resort set a goal of raising $10,000 for Kelowna Stands With Ukraine, and expects more toque purchases and donations to come in to reach that amount.

The resort is currently sold out online of the L/XL size toque. S/M and Kids sizes are still available.

Support Ukraine →

Men’s Journal Lists Best Ski Resorts in Canada to Visit This Season, Including Sun Peaks , Big White, and SilverStar

Sun Peaks , Big White, and SilverStar

Men's Journal published a list of the best ski resorts in Canada and listed three Thompson Okanagan destinations: Sun Peaks Resort at #2, Big White Ski Resort at #3, and SilverStar Mountain Resort as #4.

Excerpts from the article:

2. Sun Peaks Resort

"Tucked deep in interior B.C., Sun Peaks Resort will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this winter. It’s Canada’s second-largest ski area, with 4,270 acres of skiable terrain, two alpine bowls, 138 runs, and 13 lifts. New activities here this season include Sun Peaks Backcountry Tours and avalanche training courses—plus public skating at a new Sun Peaks Centre featuring an NHL-sized ice rink."

3. Big White Ski Resort

"This family-friendly destination boasts Canada’s largest ski-in/ski-out resort village. With an annual average snowfall of 25 feet, this mountain is covered in dry, Okanagan Champagne Powder. There are 119 designated runs, 16 lifts, and 2,765 acres of skiable terrain. All lift tickets of three days or more include a flex day off—and online lift tickets are 25% off."

4. Silverstar Mountain Resort

"Silverstar boasts great powder, a festive mid-mountain ski village with ski-in/ski-out access, and Canada’s first all-inclusive lift ticket. There are four distinct mountain faces with 3,282 skiable acres. The mountain offers 132 runs, 12 lifts, and, on its backside, more 1,900 acres of black and double black diamond runs. Nordic skiers can head to the 60 miles of trails. The nearby Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre has a 2.5-mile lit track for night skiing, lift access to upper trails, and two certified biathlon ranges."

Big White Ski Resort Apologizes for Comments Regarding Travel on Highway 3

Originally published by Big White Ski Resort on November 30, 2021.

“Big White Ski Resort Ltd would like to send out sincere apologies to those affected, triggered or concerned by our comments made to the media earlier this week. Our intention was never to diminish the devastation of flooding throughout the province of British Columbia, but to give some certainty to the travelling public, families and the tourism industry during the upcoming holiday season.

“I have watched the flooding, and the crisis which has unfolded, closely, and share in the grief of those affected. The comments I made regarding travel on highway 3 come from my position on various tourism boards throughout British Columbia, with the effects on Big White Ski Resort as an example. I deeply apologize, and recognize fully how my comments could be misconstrued as insensitive. Like you, our number one priority is to ensure everyone is safe during these exceptional and heart-breaking weather patterns. We know many people look forward to the holiday season, whether they are taking a ski holiday or are visiting friends or family in the interior or on the coast. Again, I am deeply sorry and we are thinking of those affected and those on the frontline during these storms.””

- Michael J. Ballingall, Senior Vice President, Big White Ski Resort Ltd.

Big White Ski Resort Ltd will not be providing further comment at this time to allow space for those affected by the current storms.

The Best Ski Resorts in the U.S. & Canada: 2021 Readers' Choice Awards | Condé Nast Traveler

Once again, one of the most prestigious travel magazines in the world has awarded Big White Ski Resort as the best in British Columbia, rating #12 in North America and Whistler #15.

The Condé Nast article says its rankings, "reflect the kinds of places you longed to visit when you couldn’t travel and the ones you returned to first once you could. These ski resorts were picked by the readers as the best in North America for their trails, lifts, and après-ski spots." According to the article, "all listings featured in this story were independently selected by our readers."

Big White Ski Resort is described as Canada’s largest full ski-in/ski-out village located just 45 minutes from Kelowna International Airport, and features all the amenities skiers are looking for.

The number 1 resort voted by readers went to Deer Valley, Utah.

Big White Top 5 Ski Resorts in Canada: Readers' Choice Awards 2021 | Condé Nast Traveler

Big White Ski Resort has been voted the best ski resort in the province and the second best ski resort in Canada by readers of a major US Travel Magazine, Condé Nast Traveler.

“As one of the few Canadian family-owned and -operated resorts in Canada, this award speaks volumes to the commitment our team has to providing a stellar resort experience,” said Peter Plimmer, Big White president and CEO, in a news release.

Alberta’s Lake Louise was voted number one and Whistler-Blackcomb took the number three spot on the list.

Condé Nast Traveler has a print readership of five million a month – not to mention 16 million unique users on its digital platforms. For 34 years, the magazine has released its “Readers’ Choice Awards,” surveying hundreds of thousands of readers from across the world on their favourite hotels, spas, cities, and, of course, resorts.

Big White Offers Free Scenic Chairlift Rides for Front Line & Essential Service Workers

In celebration of Labour Day and British Columbia’s front line workers and first responders, Big White Ski Resort is offering a complimentary scenic chairlift ride ticket and 50% off MOO-Lix ice cream at The Globe Café & Tapas Bar in the village all weekend (from Thursday, September 2 to Monday, September 6).

Frontline workers and first responders include:

1. Any staff member that works for Interior Health or a private health care provider

2. Any staff member that is a first responder – such as firefighter, police, ambulance, bylaw, forest protection, or conservation officer

3. Front line workers including pharmacy, grocery, delivery, hotel/motel, restaurant, community support, teachers, and/or childcare providers

4. Essential workers listed here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/family-and-social-supports/covid-19/list_of_essential_services.pdf

Workers can take the day off and simply present an ID or paystub at the ticket window in the Big White Village Centre Mall.

Everyone is welcomed to take part and enjoy Big White’s summer activities, which conclude for the season this weekend while they prepare for the winter season, beginning in November.

Big White Ski Resort Hosts Donation Drive for International Women's Day

In celebration of International Women's Day, Big White Ski Resort Ltd is hosting a week-long donation drive for the Kelowna Women's Shelter. The resort has set-up drop-off bins at the Concierge Desk in the Village Centre Mall for donations of gently used clothing, household items, non-perishable food, and/or gift cards for collection and distribution. Donations will be accepted until Sunday, March 14. 

The drive was spearheaded by Ashley Vander Laan, Food and Beverage Manager at Big White Ski Resort.

"I was fortunate to grow up with amazing and strong women in my life who shaped me into my weird and wonderful self," she says. "I have continued to grow and be inspired by some of the most outstanding women I’ve met here at Big White; from the amazing women in various leadership roles to entrepreneurs and amazing moms, friends, and sisters that form this wonderfully supportive community at Big White.

"I wanted to share some of what makes us so wonderful and to give back to our community, that’s when I reached out to Esther at the Kelowna Women’s Shelter, and the initiative was born!"

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The Kelowna Women’s Shelter provides free food, shelter, counselling, support and preventive education to women and their children who have experienced partner violence. To donate directly, head to kelownawomensshelter.ca

This year's International Women's Day theme is "Choose to Challenge." To learn more, head to internationalwomensday.com. 

Big White Ski Resort has also asked its team members and community to send in a photo of themselves and their company/department for a video. You can watch the video here. here

Big White’s $10-Million Staff Housing Project Huge Draw For Potential Employees

Source: Big White Ski Resort

Year after year, the epic snow conditions, ski-in, ski-out convenience and the Village lifestyle attract potential employees to Big White – and now, there’s another draw: brand-new, fully furnished staff accommodation in Black Forest.

Construction on the over $10-million project began in summer 2017, with the first of the four buildings completed in time for staff to move in for the 2018/2019 season.

“For us to now be able to highlight attractive, new and well-appointed accommodations puts us in a very competitive hiring position vis a vis other resorts in BC,” says Bill Slaney, Human Resources & Employee Experience Advisor at Big White Ski Resort. “This plays an important role in attracting staff, as the first question staff generally ask is whether staff accommodation is available.”

The four new buildings at Black Forest can accommodate 192 staff members – and include a fitness centre, with aerobics and weights rooms, available for all staff to access.

Each building contains five four-bedroom units, with a common area and kitchen, as well as four studios with washrooms and cooking facilities. “The units are fully equipped, and have been furnished with quality and durability in mind from a highly regarded home furnishings dealer – Marshalls,” Slaney says.

Tayler Penford works at the Big White Ski & Board School as an attendant at the Tot Town and Kid Centre, and moved into one of the new studio suites with her partner two months ago. “The new rooms are gorgeous, and we even have our own brand new Smart TV, and a dishwasher! I’ve been way too excited about the dishwasher,” Tayler says.

She adds that the buildings are just a five-minute walk to the gondola, and she can board right to her front door. Plus, because the buildings are accessed with a passcode entry, she doesn’t have to worry about losing her keys on the slopes!

“These apartments were clearly built with the lifestyle of the staff on the mountain in mind, and it shows in the details,” Tayler says.

Prior to the addition of the staff housing, 98 per cent of accommodation on the mountain was owned by private citizens, with only about 2 per cent owned by Big White Ski Resort Ltd. The new accommodation will combat the shortage of long-term rentals available from private owners, as many have transitioned to renting their property on a night-to-night basis.

This new accommodation is the beginning of a new subdivision in the Black Forest area – giving guests and residents easy ski-in, ski-out access to the Black Forest Express Quad and Lara’s Gondola in Happy Valley.