Banff National Park is wide open for the Ski Season!

Banff, Alberta (December 2, 2014) – December is here and it's time to dust off those skis and snowboards powder hounds, because the wait is finally over! With up to 95cms of the white stuff having fallen in the last week, the three ski resorts of the Banff National Park are open and ready for the one of the longest seasons in North America.

Lake Louise Ski Resort
It's been an early season of celebration for Lake Louise Ski Resort, which won the prestigious accolade of Canada's Best Ski Resort at The World Ski Awards last week, while Proprietor Charlie Locke was recognized for his Outstanding Contribution to Ski Tourism for the Americas. Lake Louise is again playing host to the World Cup Alpine season-opener speed events, which began this Saturday with the men's downhill races and continue through to December 7, 2014. With a helping hand from Old Man Winter, early snow conditions at Lake Louise are excellent and all lifts are now turning. Paradise Bowl and Whitehorn 1 are ready for exploring and for on-hill refreshment, Whitehorn Lodge Bistro is fully open and Temple Lodge is running with limited services.

 http://www.skilouise.com/ |Facebook.com/SkiLouise|@SkiLouise

Sunshine Village Ski and Snowboard Resort

A mid-November blanket of snow allowed Sunshine Village Ski and Snowboard Resort to open its doors to guests on Friday, November 14, 2014 with a current base of over 1 metre. All lifts except Goat's Eye are now open with a total of 66 runs ready for shredding. Full ski school programs and all on-mountain rentals, dining and retail venues are also available, and Banff's only ski-in, ski-out hotel, the Sunshine Mountain Lodge, is open for easy access to fresh tracks. For pointers on the best terrain to enjoy early in the season, visit Sunshine's website for some insider tips.

Skibanff.com |Facebook.com/SunshineVillageResort |@SunshineVillage

Mount Norquay

The team at Mt Norquay worked tirelessly through November to get the resort ready for winter and Mt Norquay opened its doors for its 89th ski season this Saturday, with five lifts including North American Chair and 90% of the terrain now ready for action. The renowned ski school is fully operational giving guests who are looking to try skiing for the first time the opportunity to take advantage of Norquay's beginner terrain. For more frozen family fun, Alberta's largest winter Tube Park will be opening this coming weekend.

Winter.banffnorquay.com | Facebook.com/mtnorquay | @MtNorquay  

As the snow continues to fall, all three resorts will be continuing to open terrain, so keep an eye on their websites and social channels for the latest updates.

Winterstart Festival

Banff National Park is currently kicking off winter with the 2014 Winterstart Festival, which runs until December 21, 2014, marking the official start of winter at the World's Finest National Park. This year the Winterstart Festival is significantly revamped with a strong festival feel and four full weekends of breathtaking outdoor activities, unique culinary delights, magical family events such as the Santa Claus Parade of Lights and more. Follow @Banff_Squirrel on Twitter, Banff Lake Louise Tourism on Facebook, and @Banff_LakeLouise on Instagram using #MyBanff to learn more.

Media Contacts:

Banff Lake Louise Tourism Media Team

Kymberley Hill or Helena Cox

KHill@BanffLakeLouise.com   +1 403-762-0290

HCox@BanffLakeLouise.com   +1 403-762-0276