Today Whistler Mountain threw its hat into the ring saying that it, too, would be opening runs off three of its higher-elevation lifts, Franz’s, Emerald and Big Red, this Saturday! Blackcomb will open as scheduled, on November 26th.

Yesterday’s photo’s, taken on Whistler!

Good snowfall all over the province has all the resorts gearing up for a great ski and snowboard season … the excitement is palpable!

If you can’t head up this weekend, remember that there are lots of early bird deals and special offers still available – but many expire after November 14th, so don’t delay!

For more information about visiting these and other premium British Columbia, Canada, ski and snowboard holiday destinations, please visit Compass Tours‘ websites:

Whistler

Sun Peaks

Panorama

Revelstoke

Benefit from our years of mountain resort experience, commitment to service, and reasonable rates!

Contact us today so that we can create your dream vacation!

Early Snow!

Most offers expire in mid-November, so there are just a couple of weeks left to cash in:

Whistler, North America’s #1 winter vacation destination and host of several events at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics & Paralympics, has lots of accommodation specials for you to consider, as well as great discounts on lift tickets and rental equipment!

Another leading Canadian mountain holiday resort is Sun Peaks, located near Kamloops in British Columbia’s interior. Special offers include big discounts on lift tickets and a variety of accommodation deals!

Panorama Mountain Village, in the powder-rich Columbia-Kootenay region of south eastern B.C., is where you’ll get a free night if you book early to stay for five nights or longer. This is a great family resort with plenty of excitement for grown-ups – and all accommodations ski in/ski out or just steps from a lift base.

Entering its third season of operation, Revelstoke boasts North America’s highest lift-serviced vertical along with epic powder conditions! Perfect for people who just want great skiing – whether you ride the lifts, or opt to treat yourself to world-class heli-skiing and cat-skiing!

Compass Tours is proud to represent these winter vacation destinations!

We have the experience, superior service and local knowledge you can rely on!

Contact us today so that we can help you get the best deals of the year!

Canada’s premier winter vacation destination, Whistler, will be hosting several events:

The Whistler Sliding centre will host both men’s and women’s bobsleigh, luge and skeleton events.

The Alpine Skiing events will be on Whistler’s Creekside: Downhill, Super G, Giant Slalom, Slalom and Super Combined, for men and women.

And Whistler Olympic/Paralympic Park will host the men’s and women’s Nordic events of Biathlon, Cross Country Skiing, Nordic Combined, and Ski Jumping.

Whistler is opening its doors to the world (not just Olympians!) this winter, and is extending all sorts of special offers and discount deals to encourage you to visit!

There will be times when there’s limited access to a small number of amenities, though, and you should be prepared to find the resort’s village area with its activities, restaurants, spas, galleries, and boutiques, busier than usual leading up to and during the event dates in February and March.

Of course, the British Columbia mountains have several other superb ski resorts that would make great alternatives:

Sun Peaks – located less than an hour’s drive from Kamloops, with its international airport, or a half-day drive from Vancouver, Sun Peaks is one of Canada’s largest ski resorts so it has something for everyone!

Panorama – with easy access from Calgary, Panorama Mountain Village in the Columbia Kootenay region of B.C. (just west of the Rockies), is one of Canada’s best-kept secrets with every accommodation either ski in/ski out, or just steps from a lift base!

Revelstoke – already world-famous as a heli-skiing and cat-skiing destination (to say nothing of its reputation for a huge reliable, reservoir of champagne powder snow!), Revelstoke Mountain Resort will be entering its third year of lift-accessed skiing and snowboarding this season, boasting North America’s largest vertical!

Compass Tours is proud to represent these four fantastic Canadian mountain holiday destinations and encourages you to contact us to find out more about them!

We can help you narrow down which resort will best suit your needs and expectations – we offer reasonable rates, superior service, and local knowledge!

Be sure to check out our Special Offers – and take advantage of discounts and deals to Whistler, Sun Peaks, Panorama and Revelstoke this winter!

Ski and snowboard helmets will now be mandatory in all lesson programs for children and teens, and the parental “opt-out” option with regard to the use of a helmet will no longer be available.

Children’s and teens’ rental sets will now include a helmet at no extra charge.

In addition, everyone participating in freestyle terrain park programs, regardless of their age, will be required to wear helmets.

Starting with winter 09/10, and with full compliance by the start of the 10/11 season, all Intrawest staff at these resorts will also be required to wear helmets when they’re skiing or boarding on duty in terrain parks, and all instructors will be helmeted when they’re guiding or instructing.

Intrawest, with the support of the National Ski Areas Association and the Canada West Ski Areas Association, will be implementing these rules as part of the company’s commitment to increasing awareness of the importance of protective headgear.

Thinking of planning a Canadian mountain holiday this winter?

Compass Tours offers competitive rates, superior service, and local knowledge!

If you’re going to be visiting Whistler, Panorama, Sun Peaks or Revelstoke, in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, this winter, contact us so that we can create your custom package!

For winter 09/10, Compass Tours is happy to tempt you with these early bird special offers, valid if you book before November 15, 2009:

Stay for 5 nights, pay for just 4 nights!

Pay for 5 nights, stay for 6 nights!

Get 1 night free when you pay for 6 nights!

As if those deals aren’t enough, we’re also pleased to offer all our clients:

- lodging discounts if you stay for more than five nights!

- up to 20% off lift tickets when you book your accommodation through Compass Tours!

- discounts on heliskiing – you don’t have to be an expert!

Panorama’s fully equipped accommodation options range from studio units (hotel room with kitchen), through one- and two-bedroom apartments, to two- and three-bedroom townhomes. The complexes are all ski in/ski out, or just a few steps from a lift base!

Recently rated by Ski Canada magazine as one of Canada’s four Best Ski In/Ski Out Villages, Panorama offers enthusiasts a 1220m (4000ft) vertical between the base at elevation 1155m (3800ft) and the peak at 2375m (7800ft).

The resort’s average annual snowfall is 479cm (188in), with 40% of the 2847+ acres of skiable terrain under snowmaking. There are 120 trails and bowls, and two terrain parks. One of those parks is the awesome Show Off (rated by Ski Canada as #1!), almost a mile long, right under the main quad chair and within sight of the village sun decks!

There are 9 lifts: The free village gondola, 2 express quad chairs, 1 quad chair, 1 triple chair, 1 double chair, 1 platter, and 2 magic carpets. The trails are 20% beginner, 55% intermediate, and 25% expert.

The ski season is traditionally from early-mid December, with the last day of lift operations being Easter Monday.

Ready to go to Panorama Mountain Village?!

Compass Tours passes along the savings offered by the resort, and throws in our superior service, local knowledge, and years of experience for good measure!

Contact us today so that we can plan your next Canadian mountain holiday – you’ll be pleased you did!

Greywolf Golf Course, and the other golf courses in the area will be open until Thanksgiving, though, so don’t put those sticks away yet! Book your accommodation through Compass Tours and receive discount green fees at most tracks!

Panorama is offering some great discounts on winter vacation lodging if you stay for more than five nights and, no matter how long you stay, Compass Tours is pleased to offer cheap lift tickets when you book your Panorama accommodations with us!

The rebuild of the Horsethief block that was destroyed by fire in the spring of 2008 was started earlier this summer and is well underway. It’s hard to say, though, when the units will be ready for use again:

The repair of the Panorama Springs building after the chimney fire earlier this year is progressing and, while it seems to be going very slowly, I’m sure the damaged units will be ready for the opening day of ski season! Happily, this fire didn’t affect the entire lodge, just one section of the building.

Compass Tours is offering reasonable rates at Panorama, and will share our local knowledge and years of experience in planning winter holidays for no extra charge!

Our clients say good things about us, and we’re sure that you, too, will be pleased with the superior, personalized service we offer!

Contact us today for your free, no-obligation late-season golf, or winter vacation, quote!

Also, ask us about Whistler, Sun Peaks and Revelstoke!

Bonus photo – even this afternoon, after rain and sunshine, the new snow sticks!

We understand how challenging it is for staff to find accommodation, and resort homeowners seeking tenants, and help you make the connection as easily and affordably as possible!

Staff Housing Network is unique in that we ONLY publish classified ads for resort staff looking for a place to live, and ads for second-homeowners wanting seasonal or longterm tenants!

Staff Housing Network is based in British Columbia, Canada, and it is going worldwide! This is where you can advertise your holiday home, or your need of a place to rent, anywhere in the world from Australia and Austria through Mexico and New Zealand to Yemen and Zambia!

Use Staff Housing Network exactly like you’d use the classified section of your local newspaper … and get a lot more exposure for a lot less!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email us at live@staffhousingnetwork.com. We’d be happy to assist!

WATCH FOR OUR INTRODUCTORY OFFER:

30 DAYS FOR THE PRICE OF 14

IF YOUR AD IS PLACED PRIOR TO OCTOBER 30, 2009!

2009 marks the 142nd anniversary of the confederation of the four original provinces, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada (Ontario and Quebec), under the British North America Act, into an independent nation called Canada.

All over the country, from the smallest villages to the sprawling cities, and in gatherings of proud Canadians all over the world, you can expect to see scenes like this:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CANADA!

Thinking of visiting western Canada?

Compass Tours offers reasonably priced custom Canadian mountain holiday packages to Whistler, Sun Peaks, Panorama and Revelstoke!

Experience, local knowledge, great service – read what our clients have to say about us, and about these fantastic destinations!

Contact us today for more information!

Whistler, Sun Peaks, and Panorama, all offer a wide variety of outdoor pursuits, including world class downhill and cross-country mountain biking, hiking, and water sports like kayaking and white water rafting on local rivers and lakes.

Of course, you don’t have to be an outdoor activity fanatic to appreciate what the mountains have to offer … there’s nothing like a few days in the fresh air to rejuvenate the soul!

The golfers among you already know that the superb courses of Whistler, Sun Peaks, and Panorama, have been open for play for some weeks. The golf courses are recovering well from the affects of winter – they’re greening up nicely, and are waiting for you to get up here to take up the challenge!

Contact Compass Tours for more information and book your summer mountain getaway now!

Thinking about ski holidays already? See our winter travel deals in Whistler, Sun Peaks, Panorama, and Revelstoke!

Despite the warmer days, and the fact that the golf courses of Whistler, Sun Peaks, Panorama and Revelstoke have been open for a couple of weeks already, chilly nights mean that frost delays will be part of your day for a couple of weeks yet!

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