Not everyone is unhappy about the recent snow the Okanagan Valley has received.
Big White Ski Resort tells Castanet they are opening a week earlier than scheduled thanks to Mother Nature.
“We’ve always had the policy to open as soon as runs permit, and we’re confident that we’ll be able to offer up a good selection of green runs in just over a week,” says Michael J. Ballingall, resort senior vice president.
“After a couple of hard years in the tourism world, and having to close early multiple years in a row, we are very excited to give our passholders, locals and residents of British Columbia, a chance to hit the slopes as soon as it’s safe to do so.”
Big White has announced plans to open at 8:45 a.m. on Nov. 17 – seven days before scheduled. The move would make Big White the ski hill in the province to open for skiers and snowboarders this season.
Big White is also offering eager snow bunnies 50% off ticket window prices.
Ballingall estimates that 114 cm has fallen at the resort so far this year, bringing the village snow base to 62 cm.
Lara’s Gondola, the Plaza Chair and the Ridge Rocket Express Chair will all be open on Nov. 17, servicing runs from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Gondola will close at 5 p.m.
Tickets must be purchased online, with a special promo code available at BigWhite.com, to receive the 50% discount, and will remain discounted until a second detached quad chair begins spinning.
This is the earliest Big White Resort has opened since the 2015-2016 season. The early opening will beat Sun Peaks' Nov. 19 opening day, typically the region's first, by two days.
