Skiing in Canada should be on everyone's wish list and Banff makes a great base from which to explore three contrasting local ski hills. So, here’s the lowdown on this three-in-one resort. 

From the Big White piste map to the best ski hire and après ski bars in Big White, here is the lowdown on a destination tagged Canada's favourite family resort. 

From the Fernie piste map to the best ski schools, ski hire shops and après ski bars in Fernie, here’s the lowdown on this epic Canadian Rockies resort. 

From the Jasper piste map to the best ski hire and après ski bars in Jasper, here is the lowdown on a resort that hardly ever sees a lift queue.

Kicking Horse kicks ass! From the Kicking Horse piste map to the best ski hire and après ski bars, here is the lowdown on one of the best ski resorts in Canada for powder hounds. 

Kimberley ski resort is a full service ski-in resort located 2.5km (1.5 miles) - or a five minute drive - from the 'Bavarian' town of Kimberley with its additional amenities. The ski area has improved dramatically in the past few years with modern lifts, a big terrain expansion (more than 50%) and the creation of a base village. The original town of Kimberley is a now vibrant former mining-town with a rather surreal feel to it, thanks to the strong onus on Bavarian Germany in some of the bars, restaurants and shops. The crowning glory is Canada's largest Cuckoo clock. The ski resort is jointly owned (with about half a dozen other ski areas) by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies group, the relative proximity of Fernie and Kimberley (90 minutes drive apart) in the south East corner of British Columbia, has led to several UK tour operators offering the two as a joint package (rapidly expanding Intrawest resort Panorama and Big Mountain, south of the border in Montana, are all in the vicinity too, if you have transport).

Lake Louise is one of the leading tourist destinations in the Canadian Rockies, as famous for its spectacular scenery as it is for its snow quality. From the piste map to the ski schools, here's our guide to this ski gem.

Nestled in the Rocky Mountains of Canada, Marmot Basin is one of Alberta's 6 major downhill resorts. Flanked by the mountains of British Columbia to the west, the prairies of Saskatchewan to the east and the State of Montana to the south, Alberta is the fourth largest province in Canada with a population of 3 million. Its larger in size than most US states and is 3 times larger than the UK. Known throughout the world for its excellent skiing facilities, deep dry powder, miles and miles of runs and bright sunny days, Alberta is a skiers' paradise. Marmot Basin is known as "The Big Friendly" and it lives up to its reputation for being a family-friendly resort with an easy, laid back atmosphere and some of the best glade skiing the Rockies have to offer. In common with many ski resorts, Marmot Basin's first wintersports enthusiasts practised cross-country and the resort was named by Joe Weiss who acted as a guide for cross-country skiers from Whistler's Creek via Caribou Ridge. During WW2 British soldiers carried out alpine training here but it was'nt until the 1950's that the first road was built to connect the highway with Marmot Basin. By 1961 Marmot's first rope tow, constructed from the remains of an old army truck, was installed on Paradise run and developments seemed to take off with the resort gaining a licence to operate and more facilities being added yearly. Marmot Basin's nearest town is Jasper, in the heart of the Jasper National Park. Established in 1907, its the largest and wildest of Canada's mountain parks and contains a superb backcountry trail system as well as 10,878 acres of mountain wilderness and the Columbia Icefields, one of the only icefields in the world accessible by road. Internationally renowned for wildlife viewing, it is home to some of North America's rarest animals, including healthy populations of grizzly bears, moose, caribou and wolves. Jasper is one of many communities which can trace it's history back to David Thompson's explorations. In January 1811 he made an epic winter crossing of the Athabasca Pass, the first recorded trip by a European through the Jasper area. This expedition established the fur trade route, subsequently used for decades as the most practical passage overland to the Pacific. The first ever sighting by a white man of a Bigfoot, or "Sasquatch" as they are known locally, was in Jasper. Bigfoot are to the Rockies what the Yeti are to the Himalayas with several mentions of them in Native American folklore. On his travels in this area David Thompson was recorded to have found some strange footprints, fourteen inches long and 8 inches wide, with 4 toes!

Québec has three main skiing areas; the Laurentians, the Eastern townships and the Greater Québec area which is where Mont-Sainte-Anne is located along with nearby Stoneham Mountain Resort. Both are only 30 minutes from downtown Québec. The average snowfall is 400cm/160in and from mid-November to late April each year the entire surrounding area turns into a vast winter wonderland for all sorts of outdoor activities. Mont-Sainte-Anne's development as a ski resort began in 1943 when a group of pioneer skiers began the initial steps. The exceptional situation of the mountain, overlooking the majestic St Lawrence River and just 40km/25 miles from historic old Québec City marked it as a major attraction point for skiers as well as visitors. These local pioneers undertook, on their own, the development of an alpine skiing trail on the mountain and, in April 1944, the first skiers took to the slopes. Hosting the Canadian Downhill Championship in 1947 marked the beginning of major competitions at the mountain. The access to the summit was not easy at the time and racers as well as officials climbed on foot packing down the snow on the way up. No question of a "rerun" as the journey up took about 3 hours! Some 200 skiers took part in this Canadian Championships and some of the winners have since become legends of the Canadian skiing history; Pierre Jalbert, Rhoda and Rhona Wurtele, Hector Sutherland, Lucille Wheeler. For almost 20 years Mont Sainte Anne became a sleeping beauty, awakening only once or twice a year to play host to a downhill race. In 1963 the town of Beaupré, in co-operation with the Provincial Government, set up the Commission du Parc du St Mont Anne to begin the development of the mountain and the surrounding area. These combined efforts resulted in the official opening of Park du Mont St Anne as a modern ski resort in 1966. The area opened with 10 trails and four lifts, including the only gondola in Eastern Canada. A 90km network of cross-country trails was added to the increasingly popular alpine centre for the presentation of the Junior World Nordic Championships in 1972, thus creating a major cross-country centre complementing the alpine facilities. At the end of the 1970's, these facilities included 27 alpine trails on two faces and 14 lifts with an hourly capacity of 10,750 skiers. The resort plays host to many international competitions from downhill skiing to mountain biking and snowmobiling. Indeed, Québec is the home of the snowmobile and its inventor Joseph Armand Bombardier was a local of the city. The snowmobile, or Ski-Doo as it was originally known, is an essential means of winter travel for many in this area as well as a funmobile par excellence. Big snowmobile events and major competitions attract the best amateurs and professionals in North America as well as thousands of spectators. The winter of 1982/83 was the shortest on record for the resort and disastrous for all Eastern Canadian and US resorts due to lack of snow. At this point it was decided to invest a massive $13 million on a state-of- the-art computerised snow-making system covering 80% of the skiing terrain. This move put Mont St Anne firmly in the major league easily competing with top American ski areas due to its exceptional location and especially long ski season. This investment and commitment to snowmaking has continued through subsequent decades with nearly 300 new guns added in the 2004-5 season which use much less energy than coinventional guns.

Snuggling just on the Quebec side of the US/Canadian border, anyone arriving from the south will feel they've landed in a different world when the first roll in to the village of Sutton. Located in the heart of the unspoilt Eastern Townships region of the predominantly French speaking Canadian province of Quebec, Sutton has the immediate charm that so many ski resorts claim, yet sadly so few actually deliver. Guests from Europe who maybe familiar with French ski areas will perhaps find something here that's too often missing in the Alps. Friendly locals, a relaxed atmosphere, good French food and fair prices are all, remarkably, rarely seen in top French resorts - yet Sutton has all in abundance. The scenery is spectacular too, with some of the most impressive mountains in Quebec, part of the Appalachian chain and some of the most varied terrain in between. Vineyards, mountain lakes, woodland (70% deciduous compared to predominantly coniferous elsewhere in Quebec), fields and a wide variety of traditional architecture reflecting the numerous cultural influences on the area. The resort's history is one of the classic tales of ski holiday pioneers, with guests arriving by train and walking up the nearby hills to ski down. According to the local museum one of the biggest problems then was having your sandwiches freeze as you enjoyed the slopes. What is now Mont Sutton ski resort, a few kilometres up the hill from the village centre, began on December 17th, 1960, when the Boulanger family opened the first lift. Harold Boulanger, his son Réal and family friend François Lévesque, a lawyer, were the main players in Mont Sutton's development, seeing the ski resort as a perfect winter alternative to their busy summer dairy business. The Boulanger family have retained ownership and management ever since. Indeed the heritage and the strength of family values shine through in Sutton. The village grew up in the eighteenth century with a mixture of British Loyalist, American and Irish immigrant inhabitants before the dominant French culture began to shape the area in the latter 19th century. It's clear that through the twentieth century many of the locals more or less 'grew up on skis' and its still common to see grandparents on the slopes teaching their grandchildren to ski. This attitude, combined with Sutton's community rather than 'tourist resort' feel, make it a unique ski destination.

From the Tremblant piste map to the best ski schools, ski hire shops and après ski bars, here’s the lowdown on Quebec's best ski resort. 

With the longest vertical in North America, Revelstoke celebrates winter like few other places. From the Revelstoke piste map to the best ski hire and après ski bars, here is the lowdown on one of the best ski resorts in Canada for powder lovers. 

Located near Vernon, British Columbia in the Okanagan Valley, Silver Star Mountain Resort is a place where Victorian heritage and genuine friendliness are as honoured as the values of a time gone by. Silver Star combines a friendly atmosphere with skiing and snowboarding on 3,065, blanketed by 23 feet (700cm) of the world's best powder snow. The village theme is inspired by a typical nineteenth century British Columbian mining town era with Victorian architecture. Brightly coloured storefronts provide a unique ambience to the Resort. Silver Star has doesn't bother much with snow making because its totally unnecessary - getting over 23 feet annually of the World-famous natural, dry, Okanagan powder snow. Apart from its reputation for family friendliness and a perfect mix of long rolling groomed cruisers on the Vance Creek and the steep and deeps in Putnam Creek, there is in another, Silver Star is also a world renowned early-season cross-country trail network, particularly popular with Canadian and US Nordic and biathlon teams. Silver Star has an enviable natural snowfall record, averaging around six metres (18 feet), providing an average snowpack of 250cm (eight feet). The resort benefits from the unique microclimate of the Okanagan Valley, The comfortable daytime temperatures average -3 C (27 F) which is cold enough to keep the snow light and fluffy, yet perfect for skiing. The abundant natural snow has enabled the resort to open in mid-November. The resort' history dates back to the late 1950's / early 1960's when a day lodge was built and organised skiing began thanks to the construction of two short rope tows. More investors were found and the first real lift was installed - a 5,000 foot (1,600m) long Poma tow which gave skiers lit-served access to the summit of Silver Star mountain for the first time. Throughout the 1960's two aerial double chairlifts were installed. In the 1980's the first hotels were built and quad chairlifts were installed. 1991 saw the opening of Putnam Creek, best known for powder-filled fall line runs. Silver Star Mountain Resort was purchased in 2002 by the Schumann family, owners of nearby Big White Ski Resort. Since the purchase in 2002, Silver Star Mountain Resort has installed two new lifts, including the Comet Express, Canada's largest six passenger chairlift.

Stoneham Mountain Resort is the closest of three ski areas local to Quebec City, only 20 minutes from the city centre. It is the ski hill that many Quebec locals call home. Along with Mont-Sainte-Anne, it participates in a joint lift ticket so it is easy to stay in central Quebec and enjoy the shopping, nightlife and facilities of the historic city then head out for your day on the slopes. Alternatively you can do it the other way round and stay close to the slopes and enjoy the après-ski scene there, then head in to the city whenever you like. Apart from a reputation for a happy, lively après-ski scene; Stoneham has built notoriety as a snowboarding centre and for operating the largest network for night skiing in Canada, with 16 trails illuminated covering nearly 10 miles (16km) of piste. The 2004 season was a memorable one in Stoneham's history. The resort celebrated 40 years of existence and one of the highlights of the celebrations was, without a doubt, the naming of the resort's 32 trails. Visitors were asked to contribute by sharing their favourite memories of Stoneham, and over 700 suggestions were received. Among those to remember is trail #1, which was named after Walter Moisan, the founder of the resort in 1964. Other trails were named after the resort's pioneers and figures representing Stoneham's local heritage. Subsequently the resort has spent $6m on a new snowmaking system which helps the resort to open early and sustain operations through the winter.