What do you think skiers and riders? Comment below and let’s get this conversation going…

Happy Christmas everyone and hope Santa brings you a nice new set of skis or snowboard!

The Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) is the single harmonized value-added tax that will replace the GST and PST in British Columbia on July 1, 2010. The HST will apply at a rate of 12 per cent to those goods and services that are subject to GST. In other words, the PST will be eliminated and a 7 per cent provincial rate will be added to the 5 per cent GST. This 12 per cent combined tax will be called the HST.

Which of your featured ski resorts are affected?

All ski resorts in British Columbia (BC), Western Canada, will be affected by this new HST. Out of our featured ski resorts, these include Fernie, Kimberley, Kicking Horse, Panorama and Whistler Blackcomb.

Will my ski holiday in British Columbia cost me more?

In short, yes. The main impact is on the lift passes which will now be subject to 12% tax (instead of 5%) at all the ski resort in British Columbia. A full list of ski resorts in BC can be viewed HERE.

How can I avoid this tax?

If you book and pay in full by the end of this month, April 2010, then you will not have to pay the additional 7% tax for next season. May 1 2010 onwards, you will have to pay the additional tax.

If you want to avoid the tax completely after May 1 2010, take your ski holiday in Alberta where goods and services are only subject to 5% GST. Out of our featured ski resorts, these include Banff Norquay, Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Jasper Marmot Basin and Nakiska. I suspect suppliers in British Columbia may lower rates or at the very least keep rates the same as last winter to keep competitive with suppliers in Alberta.

Booking in advance will save you money as there are some great early-bird ski deals available. Ski Holidays Canada for example have free ski days, hotel nights and kids ski and rent for free at select ski resorts as early-booking incentives.

Say adios to the 2009/2010 Winter Season with cervezas in the Beer Gardens all afternoon and rock out to the Juno Nominated band TEN SECOND EPIC. CJAY 92 will be hosting the day and giving out awesome Kokanee Prizing! Bring your friends for one last run for the year.

Nakiska is set to close on Sunday, April 11, 2010. However, they have recently announced a “bonus weekend” on Saturday, April 17, 2010 :

BONUS WEEKEND & Bermuda Shorts Day (BSD) Hangover Party

Banff dog sled tours , Lake Louise dog sled tours , Canmore dog sled tours and Panorama dog sled tours are great tours to fit in around your skiing time.

With the convenience of tours departing from or near the main ski areas, you can easily integrate a dog sled tour into your ski holiday in Canada.

The dog sled tours all have timings so that you don’t have to take a full day off skiing or you can add another tour such as snowshoeing or snowmobiling to maximise your precious ski holiday time in one place.

Getting to the dog sled tour meeting point has never been easier with increased transfers for winter 2008.

For more information on
dog sled tours, visit rocky-peak Holidays and click on the dog sled tours link at the bottom of the page. The great thing about booking with rocky-peak Holidays is that you pay no booking fees!

An NHL Ice Hockey Tour from Banff to Calgary to see the Calgary Flames is one tour out of Banff not to be missed! Ice Hockey is a real Canadian passion! The Banff Ice Hockey Tour departure times, mean that you can ski during the day and go to the hockey game at night!

Not a sports fan? Not a problem! The whole game is an awesome experience of pure entertainment with pumping music to get you in the mood and an incredible atmosphere. This is real fun for all the family! You really don’t have to be a sports fan to enjoy a NHL Ice Hockey game!

If you want to learn more about the game rules of hockey, let the onboard hockey guide tell you as much as you need to know! From Banff, the time to the famed Saddledome in Calgary is about 1.5 hours away. Enough time to quiz the guide! Most games start at 8pm, so usually the departure time is about 4pm from Banff.

The Calgary Flames never disappoint! When they score, you can feel the heat of the flames from the fire which shoots up in the centre of the arena. Keep an eye out for the maskot who bangs his drum and gets the crowds going!

Support the Flames in the Calgary Saddledome and enjoy every action-packed moment! If you are not an ice hockey fan, after this tour you will certainly want to go back for more!

For more information or to book, visit rocky-peak Holidays.

GO FLAMES GO!