Big White Summer Blog

Big White Ski Resort’s Executive Chef Rob Walker has been named one of six Okanagan-area chefs to compete in next fall’s “Canada’s Great Kitchen Party” culinary competition – for the second time in three years. Formerly called the Gold Medal Plates, Chef Walker competed in the 2016 semi-finals in Victoria, where he was up against nine other BC-based chefs to secure a spot in the finals.

Through bluebird skies and powder days, just like that, another fantastic season of skiing and riding has come to an end. All of us at Big White Ski Resort want to send out a huge thank you to those of you who chose to ski and board, drink and eat, stay and play at Canada’s Favourite Family Resort over the past five months. As we prepare for a sun-soaked summer full of hiking and biking, we want to take this opportunity to reflect on the 2018/2019 season. 

When you visit Big White Ski Resort, you’ll interact with a lot of the resort’s employees – from ticket officers to Ski & Board School instructors to restaurant servers and more. Each one has a name tag that includes their hometown and country – and this year, you can find 27 different countries on those name tags.

We know it can be overwhelming tackling a new language when you’re travelling. Luckily for the English speakers that visit Big White Ski Resort, this isn’t much of a hurdle – but, like everywhere else, Canadians have a unique way of speaking that, at times, can cause quite the kerfuffle (problem). So, for all you keeners (brown-nosers) out there looking to make your transition from tourist to full-blown Canuck (Canadian) more seamless, we’ve translated a list of Canadianisms for you to use on your next visit to Big White.

For you, the mountains surrounding Big White Ski Resort may seem worlds away from the beaches that line the coasts of Australia and New Zealand. But, we like to think there are more similarities than differences, and we’ve come up with five reasons why you should think this, too. (But, as similar as we think mountains and beaches are, we wouldn’t recommend taking up valuable luggage space with flip flops and beach balls!)

With direct flights from Australia to Vancouver, and now, a new direct Air Canada flight to Vancouver from Auckland, getting to Big White Ski Resort from across the Pacific has never been easier. The flight between Vancouver and the Kelowna International Airport is just under an hour, with multiple flights arriving and departing throughout the day – meaning you won’t have to spend much time waiting around in the Vancouver airport before grabbing your connecting flight.

At Big White Ski Resort, we love Mother Nature. She’s responsible for our blanket of Okanagan Champagne Powder in the winter and for the fields of wildflowers in the summer – and, of course, the spectacular views of the Monashee and Selkirk Mountain ranges.

The journey from Alberta to Big White Ski Resort will take you through not one, not two, not three, but FOUR national parks – Banff National Park, Yoho National Park, Glacier National Park and Mt. Revelstoke National Park. Plus, the Rocky Mountains are truly staggering to witness from the view of your car!

Since 2014, Big White Ski Resort been the backdrop for numerous love stories – in summer, winter, sun and snow. The event professionals at Big White will make your wedding day story-book perfect, whether that’s hauling benches to your chosen “I do” location, helping you find a wedding planner and photographer, or simply being there for support while you do it yourself.

On Sunday, March 17, Big White Ski Resort Ltd. honoured the life and legacy of Canadian ski legend Jimmie Spencer with a special bridge dedication ceremony. The skier bridge over Hummingbird run was named the “Jimmie Spencer Memorial Bridge,” with a plaque commemorating the man who developed the Canada West Way.