POWder Card – New Flexible Multi-Day Ticket + Partnership with Protect Our Winters

Big White Ski Resort Ltd is excited to introduce a new, flexible lift ticket program, the POWder Card, and alongside it, our partnership with Protect Our Winters Canada!

The Big White POWder Card launches Friday, January 6, and offers two multi-day options: the 5-day flex card with a 20% discount on weekend ticket window pricing, and the 3-day flex card with a 15% discount on weekend ticket window pricing. What does this mean for you? You can save and ski or ride any day you choose, including during peak season and on powder days! The POWder Card, is a brand-new offering that pays homage to our partnership with Protect Our Winters Canada (POW). POW is a multi-faceted community of athletes, brands and outdoor enthusiasts dedicated to advocating for policy solutions to climate change, and we are ecstatic to be one of four Canadian resorts, and the only resort in our region, to be involved in its Resort Program.

“Our partnership with POW is the first major step in our commitment to a sustainable future as a ski resort business,” says Andrew Daly, Sales Director and leader in Big White Ski Resort’s sustainability initiatives. “Bringing back a flexible multi-day ticket is exciting in its own right, but by pairing it with POW’s climate advocacy and tangible influence, we know we can continue to take measurable steps towards affecting climate action.”

The POWder Card is available online at the Big White e-store. Currently, our ticketing program provides 25% off lift tickets when booked online at least two days in advance – and the lift ticket purchased must be used on that specific day. Our POWder Card will allow you to make a morning-of decision and ski or ride from $119 a day, with no black-out periods.

As part of our partnership with POW Canada, we are working to implement sustainable initiatives in all departments and facets of the resort. Over the next few weeks we will be compiling and sharing data from these departments, and in the future, setting up more programs to ensure we are prioritizing, advocating and promoting POW’s mission and vision.

“We’re stoked to welcome Big White to the POW Canada community. Big White is one of Canada’s most recognisable resorts and their commitment to sustainability, both in their operations and through this partnership with POW shows exceptional leadership," Ali Wines, Executive Director, Protect Our Winters Canada. "The outdoor community in our country is massive, and when major operators like Big White step up, sharing their commitment to our planet with the thousands of guests that enjoy the resort each year, it makes an incredible contribution to our collective call to protect the natural spaces we care about, and of which we are so proud. Welcome to the movement, Big White!”

Big White Ski Resort will also be donating $10 per employee who signs up for a POW membership, which is completely free, to the POW mission for climate action. With nearly 30,000 members, POW can effectively lobby for change at a national level.

The following list, while not comprehensive, are examples of initiatives Big White has already put in place to lessen its environmental impact and promote a more sustainable future.

• The majority of our chairlifts are electric, with power supplied by FortisBC, meaning 80 per cent to 100 per cent of the power used is from hydro and not from fossil fuels.
• We will be adding two electric vehicle charging stations to the new Central Reservations building once open.
• As the resort is totally ski-in, ski-out, and the fact we offer free parking, 90% of our staff walk to work, and once our guests arrive, there’s no need to start their car again until it’s time to go home.
• Our Food and Beverage department is committed to sourcing ingredients and menu items from our local farmers, suppliers, breweries and vineyards.
• Season Passes are reusable and reloadable for up to 4 years, reducing use of plastic for new cards. Day Lift tickets are reusable and reloadable all season long, reducing use of paper and plastic for new cards, and our new online contactless ticket system eliminates paper receipts.
• Our retail department has eliminated the use of plastic bags in all of its stores, with the option to purchase a reusable and recyclable Big White tote. The retail department also works closely with brands that are cognizant of their effect on the environment. All of our outerwear brands have their own unique stories of the steps they are taking to make product from recycled materials, whether it be recycled fabrics or plastic bottles!.
• We are in the process of building a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility which will produce some of the cleanest effluent available, allowing us the future possibility to use this effluent to irrigate mountain bike trails and snowmaking (when needed).
• We’ve initiated a “Be Water Wise” program to encourage guests, staff and residents to limit their water use where possible.
• Big White Central Reservations has transitioned all doors under its management to using LED lighting. Central Reservations has also adopted the Throw in the Towel program, where we ask guests to put the towel in the tub if they want us to change it, rather than replacing the towel every day. We also only change the linen every third day, reducing water consumption in the laundry rooms. Plus, once the towels and linens get too old to keep using, we turn them into rags.
• Any unused shampoos and liquid soaps get put in larger bottles and donated to women’s shelters in Kelowna. We also donate any lost and found items after 30 days of not being claimed.
• All cleaning products used in our restaurants, day lodges, and in housekeeping are environmentally friendly. Big White’s food and beverage department also purchases 100% recycled, third-party certified Tork paper products instead of virgin fibre.
• We’ve introduced QR codes across the resort to limit paper products.
• Ski Patrol cleans and recycles all garbage found under all our lifts. We continue to do so during the summer when the snow melts.
• More to come!