The tea house was first built in the early 50s and is a big part of Banff Norquay’s history, “reborn”. You can now ride up the North American Chair to enjoy  picture perfect perspective of the town of Banff.

TEA HOUSE CHAIR LIFT RATES

SNOW TUBING RATES

Family pass 2 adults 2 children** of the same family 
2hrs 58$ +tax
Full Day 74$ +tax
Add on kids 12$+tax (combined with a family package)
**Children must be 42″ in height and 4 years or older to use the tube park.

HOURS OF OPERATION*

*Please note: Hours subject to change based on snow conditions.

GST (tax) is currently 5%.

You can visit Banff Norquay’s website direct for more information: banffnorquay.com

Banff Norquay resort statistics

Cheers to Banff Norquay!

The meteorite is en route and Bruce Willis’ gang of pro-drillers are not proving up to the task. We have 24 hours to live and I have some decisions to make. Suffice it to say, my final meal will be steak with every known variety of potato (chipped, mashed, roasted, dauphinoised etc) washed down by gallons of fantastic, robust red wine, but we’ll get to that later. Where will I go? What will I do?

And so we’re off to Banff…

Given the impending death and destruction that is coming tomorrow, I am very much in the “get-up-early-camp” and so The Sunshine Mountain Lodge, which is Banff’s only ski-in/ ski-out hotel, is the ideal place to take a hearty lumberjack-style breakfast. First track’s breakfast allows diners to eat and head out for…yes…first tracks before the punters arrive! We’ll plump for the traditional Canadian breakfast of pancakes, crispy bacon, maple syrup and icing sugar! Isn’t it just wonderful that the restaurant staff and lifties are happy to work and not spend the hours before Armageddon in the bosom of their families? Such is the industrious nature of Banffers!

I did my ski instructor course at Sunshine Village in 01/02 and, to this day, it remains my favourite ski resort – I like to think of it as the back garden of Banff, my spiritual home! To start the day, we’ll grab a chair and do some carving down some of Sunshine’s wide-open pistes. Continental Divide is always a good place to start to get the leg muscles pumping! After that, we’ll hit Mount Standish a few times with runs down black areas; Headwall, Garbage Chutes and Dirty Little Corner – short pitches but super-steep and pretty intense. Before breaking for lunch, we have time to explore Wawa bowl, dropping the cornice (lip!) into Paris Bowl and back through the always-icy Waterfall and a beautiful run through the trees on Shaken Not Stirred!

Now for lunch, taken in Chimney Corner which offers awe-inspiring views over the jagged peaks of Sunshine Village. It is a view that never gets boring! Sticking with the old Canadian favourites, I’ll be dining on Poutine: a wonderful dish of crispy fries topped by cheese curds and a chicken based sauce washed down by some Canadian Dry!

After lunch, we don our transceivers, pack up probes & shovels and we’re off up to Delirium Dive which plays host to, without doubt, the most insane in-bounds terrain in Canada, if not the world. We hit line after line of steep pitch with cliff drops, narrow chutes, wide-open bowls and a ton of fantastic natural hits. The whole area is covered in the lightest, fluffiest powder snow that provides us with endless face-shots as we whoop and holler our way down!

With tired legs, we ski down the final run and end up at Trapper’s Bar. As we move onto the terrace with an après-ski beer, the sun starts beaming and the temperature gauge on the mercury moves up to 25C. What a stroke of luck!

Not wishing to waste too much time, we head back downtown for a soak in Banff’s famous hot springs. There is nothing like lolling around in deliciously hot water to shake off the aches and pains of a tough day on the slopes.

For dinner at Saltlik (arguably the best steak-house in the world!), I will be joined by Billy Connelly, Smithy from Gavin & Stacey, George Best (I know!) and my best-mate-from-home, Jamie. Eva Longoria Parker will play the part of my love interest. She will sit at my side and gaze longingly at me all night. As indicated earlier, I shall be having at least one steak, but probably two, with a blue-cheese sauce and served with fries, roast potatoes, a little mash potato and a large dish of dauphinoise potatoes. The wine will be French, very old and expensive!

After dinner, we’ll party the night away in Hoodoos and Auroras before Eva and I repair to the Presidential Suite at the Banff Springs Hotel for a night that I will never forget.

The perfect day to see in the Armageddon…!

April 17 – 2010 : ATB Financial Snow Day

Take a “Snow Day” with ATB Financial! Show your ATB credit card or debit card at Guest services on April 17, 2010 and receive a full day lift ticket for just $50+GST! In addition, the first 300 ATB customers will receive a free BBQ hamburger voucher with the purchase of each discount lift ticket, and all ATB customers can enter into a draw to win a 2010/11 family season pass!

Location: The Lake Louise Ski Area

Time: All Day!

April 17, 18 – 2010: CJAY 92 Celebrity BBQ Weekend

CJAY 92 celebrities will be rocking out Temple Beach will flipping burgers at Temple Beach on the backside of the ski area.

Location: Temple Beach at Temple Lodge

Time: 11am – 2pm

April 16, 17, 18 – 2010: The Lake Louise Reunion Party – 1st Annual

The Lake Louise Ski Area would like to thank everyone who has worked in Lake Louise by holding a special weekend long celebration!

The event kicks off on Friday April 16th with the Summit Cup event (optional), and an evening Torchlight Dinner & Ski party (optional). On Saturday April 17th prepare yourself for a huge Reunion Party that includes live music, dancing, appetizer buffet, cash bar, and more! Enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast on Sunday April 18th (included in your reunion ticket price)! Experience the best skiing that Lake Louise has to offer at heavily reduced rates (up to 3 days)!

April 17 – 2010: Cardboard Box Downhill Derby

Get creative with cardboard for the annual Cardboard Box Downhill Derby! Put your carpentry skills to the test by building a sled using only cardboard, string, tape, and glue. Teams can be made up of 1-4 people.

Location: Easy Street

Time: 11:30pm – 1:30pm Registration (tent beside Kokanee Kabin)

2:00pm Race Start

Awards immediately following the race!

Cost: FREE

April 17 – 2010: 1-5-9 Style Session

Arts Vs Crafts and Rude Boys present the 1-5-9 Style Sessions hosted in the Lake Louise Ski Area’s terrain park. Pick your heat: 180′s, 540′s or 900′s. There will be $3000 in cash prizes awarded to the competitors who execute the 1, 5, or 9 with the best style and control. Rude Boys is also bringing truck loads of product prizing. Sorry skiers, this is a snowboarder?s only event.

Location: Showtime Terrain Park

Time: 9:00am registration beside the Kokanee Kabin

Cost: $20

April 17, 18 – 2010: Spring Music Session – The Dudes

The Dudes formed in 1996 using their energetic live sound to grasp the hearts of Calgarians, the town that they call home, and is now winning the hearts of all Canadians. Influenced by artists like The Flaming Lips and Weezer, they have now played festivals as large at The Virgin Fest in Calgary and the JunoFest in Vancouver.

Kokanee Beer Gardens

Time: 2:30pm-3:30pm & 4:00pm-5:00pm

Cost: FREE

Lake Louise Ski Resort has undergone some very positive changes since it’s change in ownership in November 2008. The ski and board park is back this season, which is as fantastic as ever. They have also brought back the popular (formally know as) Torchlight descent. The new name for this event is the “Downhill at Dusk” with some slight changes made.

The next big event to happen at the Lake is the Cardboard Box Downhill Derby – be sure to check it out!

More details:

1) Downhill at Dusk: The Ultimate Après Ski Party!

Enjoy an après ski party, which includes appetizers, an escorted ski down a freshly groomed run, a full buffet dinner, and live entertainment!! What a way to cap off a wonderful day on the slopes of Lake Louise ski resort!

The fun starts right after skiing and runs through until late, with optional bus services back to your Lake Louise and Banff Hotels.

Sign up with rocky-peak Ski Holidays now for a unique mountain experience!

Downhill at Dusk Dates:

Tonight!! Not too late to get the booking in!
Friday February 13th, 2009
Friday February 20th, 2009
Friday February 27th, 2009

Friday March 6th, 2009
Friday March 13th, 2009
Friday March 20th, 2009
Friday March 27th, 2009

2) February 14, 2009: Cardboard Box Downhill Derby

Bring out the family and get creative!! It’s time for the annual Cardboard Box Downhill Derby at Lake Louise Ski Resort.

Using only cardboard, string, tape, and glue, prove your cardboard carpentry by building the fastest sled in town! Prizes will be given for top three times and three Best Designs!

Individuals or teams of no more than 4 people are encouraged to participate!

For more information, or to book your Ski Holiday in Canada, contact rocky-peak Ski Holidays!

BANFF, Alberta, Canada

Mt. Norquay and Lake Louise Ski Area will be the first two ski resorts to open in Canada! Both openings on Saturday 8th November will see lifts start at 9am, benefitting from the recent snowfall on Canada’s Protected Playground, Banff National Park.

The high speed Glacier Express Quad Chair and the Wiwaxy run at Lake Louise, and the Cascade Lift and Speculation run at Mt. Norquay will be open for skiers and riders to hit the earliest snow in Canada. The three resorts of Banff-Lake Louise; Mt. Norquay, Lake Louise Ski Area and Sunshine Village, enjoyed another 11cms of snow in the last 48 hours. With more winter weather in the forecast, there will be extra terrain opening soon, and Sunshine Village is scheduled to open on 14th November.

“We’re very excited to have our world’s finest resorts opening! In Banff National Park we’re lucky to have such great snow and the teams at Mt. Norquay, Lake Louise and Sunshine Village have been working hard to ensure the mountains are ready”, said Dan Markham of Ski Banff-Lake Louise-Sunshine. “Being the first resorts to open in Canada, we hope the world will join us in shaking off the summer rust and kicking off a great season.”

Mt. Norquay’s opening, earlier than predicted, will enable skiers and riders to hit the snow for weekends only while staff prepare the resort for full opening on 5th December. Both resorts are offering discounted lift tickets to help skiers and riders get the first runs for less. Please see the rates below.

The dependable snow conditions from mid November to May are why Lake Louise hosts the first Men’s and Women’s World Cup races of the year – the only Canadian stop on the World Cup circuit. This years Men’s races will be held on 29th to 30th November, and the Women’s on 5th to 7th December. The International Ski Federation (FIS) last month recommended Lake Louise to host the races until at least 2011, showing confidence in the resort’s performance on the world stage.

Lake Louise is Canada’s largest single ski area with 4,200 acres of skiable terrain and over 3,000 feet of vertical. With unparalleled skiing and riding in an unsurpassed setting, Lake Louise’s beautiful terrain is both vast and varied. Its unique layout of beginner, intermediate and advanced runs down from every chair means groups of all abilities can ski or ride together and, combined with challenging and remote bowls, chutes and glades, Lake Louise is a favourite for snow-lovers across the world.

Family-friendly Mt. Norquay offers outstanding conditions to beginners, intermediate and advanced skiers and riders. Since its opening in 1926, Norquay is the local’s gem. Offering the only night skiing in Banff-Lake Louise, including a fully lit terrain park (starting January 2009), Mt. Norquay is just minutes from the Town of Banff.

More information on Sunshine Village’s opening will come soon. Subscribe to this Canada Ski blog to see the update!

?Early Season Lift Ticket Prices:
Mt Norquay
$20 for adults, $10 for 6-12 year olds, free for 5 year olds and under.

Lake Louise Ski Area
Full day – $38.00 for adults, $26.40 for seniors and youth, $12.50 for children.
Half day – $30.75 for adults, $21.00 for seniors and youth, $10.00 for children.

About Ski Banff-Lake Louise-Sunshine

Ski Banff–Lake Louise–Sunshine is Canada’s largest ski destination, a joint venture of three of the world’s finest ski resorts; Mt. Norquay, Lake Louise Mountain Resort and Sunshine Village. Available on one tri-area lift ticket, these three resorts offer almost 8,000 acres of skiable terrain and one of the longest ski seasons in North America, from mid November to late May, all in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Canada’s Protected Playground, Banff National Park.

Source: SkiBig3

For ski holidays in Canada, be sure to contact rocky-peak Ski Holidays for the best deals and personalised service! Their ski specials include kid’s ski free at select ski resorts and get from the airport sooner with their efficient scheduled airport transfer services from Calgary International YYC and Vancouver YVR.