Whistler Village.

At the same time as Earth Day was celebrated across the globe, Whistler Blackcomb was named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the second year in a row.

Whistler Blackcomb got the nod because it participates in innovative renewable energy projects and encourages its staff and guests to become environmental stewards. The company received special recognition for its involvement in the Fitzsimmons Creek Run-of-River project.

Located in the middle of the ski area underneath the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, this hydro-powered renewable energy plant became operational earlier this year. This project, created in partnership with Innergex Renewable Energy and Ledcor Power Group, produces enough energy to match the total annual energy consumption of the ski area’s operating footprint (including lifts, mountain restaurants, and snowmaking).

Continue reading ‘Whistler nabs second straight green employer title’

The view from Whistler, looking at Blackcomb.

The ten-day long 15th annual TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival is getting underway at Whistler.

The Festival, which runs from April 16 to 25 is traditionally the biggest snow event on the planet in late April each year. This season it has the double bonus of being the ultimate after-party for the Olympics, and it’s also being staged at the end of what is so far the resort’s second-snowiest-ever season, with over 14.3m (47 feet) of snow fallen.

The festival at the British Columbia, Canada ski resort includes daily free outdoor concerts, film, photography, fashion and multimedia events as well as ski and snowboard contests and night time events.

Continue reading ‘World Ski & Snowboard fest kicks off at Whistler’

Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort in British Columbia, Canada.

An estimated 3.5 billion people around the world watching the Games on their televisions and online.

That was a big boost for the already-famous ski resort and Olympic co-host Whistler-Blackcomb. Based on a study conducted by Tourism Whistler in partnership with Tourism British Columbia, awareness of Whistler increased significantly in the key overseas markets of United Kingdom, Germany and Australia.

The study measured awareness of Whistler before and after the 2010 Winter Games. It found that British awareness of Whistler increased from 32 per cent to 45 percent, and German awareness increased from 19 per cent to 42 per cent.  In Australia, already the most aware with 48 per cent of Australians knowing about Whistler before the Games, 62 per cent were aware afterwards.

Continue reading ‘Whistler’s post-Olympics international fame is quantifiable’

Whistler village is the centerpiece of Whistler-Blackcomb.

With Intrawest’s owner’s financial challenges, there has been some discussion about whether Vail Resorts would be interested in acquiring it’s North American rival, Whistler-Blackcomb.

Fortress, which owns Whistler’s operator Intrawest, recently struck a deal with its creditors and won’t be selling off assets anytime soon. But should things change down the road, it is believed that Vail Resorts would be a contender to acquire the British Columbia ski resort.

Vail Resorts is believed to have around USD $400 million (€292m) available to spend, made up of about 15 per cent cash in hand and 85 per cent available credit.

Continue reading ‘Vail Resorts stays mum about Fortress-Intrawest-Whistler drama’

Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada is one of the major resorts on the Fortress/Intrawest chopping block.

It appears the troubled company which owns major North American ski resort operator Intrawest has been granted another chance to survive.

The Fortress Investment Group LLC owns Intrawest, operator of leading Canadian resorts of Mont Tremblant and recent Olympic venue Whistler. Fortress is reported to have reached agreement with its creditors to extend the time it needs to refinance its debt through to mid-April.

Continue reading ‘Whistler and Tremblant stay in Intrawest-Fortress hands, for now’

Ski Rebel magazine increases visitation by more than 575%

Never in the history of Ski Rebel Magazine has the online media property recorded such a significant online increase. A 575% increase in visitation has propelled the site to historic new heights.
And the Vancouver winter Olympics are largely responsible for the new found success of this month’s incredible success. Nine of the top ten most read stories are Olympic related. Continue reading ‘Olympic coverage drives February traffic to historic new highs’

Olympic Rings go white after Canada gets a gold medal

Let’s face it. These Vancouver Winter Olympic Games got off to a rocky start. The snow melting away at Cypress Mountain. Then, the tragic death of the Georgian luger on day one of the Games. An embarrassing malfunction at the worst possible moment during the opening ceremonies. The cauldron being cruelly fenced off from the public. The number of canceled tickets and event delays wasn’t setting up Vancouver for success.
Continue reading ‘Canada breaks new ground with Olympics’