(Library picture of Mt Norquay)
Canada'a 2013-14 ski season got underway today (Friday, 1st November) with Mt Norquay ski area in Alberta opening a week earlier than expected. A second Canadian ski area, Nakiska, will open tomorrow (Saturday, November 2nd). Norquay had been snowmaking and received 17cm of fresh snowfall this week too.
Mt. Norquay is the closest ski area to Banff, one of three resorts near the famous Canadian ski town, all of which benefitted from a snowstorm earlier this week (www.SkiBig3.com).
"We've enjoyed a beautiful fall, but the minute the snow started to fall last Sunday, we knew it was time to shift our focus on bringing winter fun back to all families for the season," said Mt. Norquay GM, Andre Quenneville.
Opening days at the Lake Louise Ski Resort and Sunshine Village will quickly follow on November 8th, with Sunshine Village hosting a sneak-a-peak day on November 7th with their annual 'Ski before we Open' event. Stay tuned for updates.
Fellow Alberta ski area Nakiska Ski Area will open for the season tomorrow ( Saturday November 2nd) and for another winter will continue to be one of the first ski resorts to open in Canada.
"Being less than an hour away from Calgary and such a great place for all to ski and snowboard, Nakiska is the most convenient and easy to get to mountain ski area for Calgarians," said Matt Mosteller, VP of Sales and Marketing at Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, "being one of the first in Canada to open, this weekend at Nakiska shouldn't be missed," he continued.
South of the border Copper Mountain and Keystone in Colorado have also opened today.