The votes are in: BC wins big in World Ski Awards!

Share this:

The votes are in and Canada’s Best snow season destinations are found in BC this year.

The eighth annual World Ski Awards, the global initiative to recognize and reward excellence in ski tourism, named its top winners both globally, and for each nation. British Columbia had winners among both.

Topping the list, World’s Best Heli-Ski Operator went to Bella Coola Heli Sports. It’s the fourth annual award for the company, operating in BC’s rugged Coast Mountains.

Located just a 70-minute flight north of Vancouver, the company offers multi-day heli-skiing and heli-boarding adventures. Visitors have exclusive access to more than 13,150 square kilometres of pristine wilderness, and can choose to stay at any of five wilderness lodges in the company’s portfolio.

Bella Coola Heli Sports’ Tweedsmuir Park Lodge. In addition to more than 13,150 square kilometres of pristine wilderness, guests can choose from five wilderness lodges in the company’s portfolio. Photo courtesy of Bella Coola Heli Sports.

Earlier this fall, the company also announced it had “flown past carbon neutral (to) become climate positive.”

After tracking and measuring its greenhouse gas emissions for 2019, Bella Coola Heli Sports initiated policies to reduce carbon emissions company-wide and purchased offsets from the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project to protect old-growth forests in BC.

With major aspects of the company’s operations requiring carbon-based fuels, owner Beat Steiner recognized the need to complete a comprehensive audit – from helicopter output to employees’ daily commute.

“Carbon-based fuels are contributing to a global crisis of climate change, resulting in a loss of biodiversity and destruction of land,” Steiner said. “While there is currently no alternative to carbon-based aircraft fuel available, we are determined to do our part and make a tangible difference, particularly in our home province.”

The annual World Ski Awards named Revelstoke Mountain Resort as Canada’s Best Ski Resort, for the second time since 2016. Photo by Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review.

Revelstoke Voted Canada’s Best Ski Resort

Other accolades in the annual World Ski Awards went to Revelstoke Mountain Resort, named Best Canadian Ski Resort for the second time since 2016.

“Our whole team at Revelstoke Mountain Resort is honoured to be recognized once again as the premiere ski destination in Canada. We are looking forward to another great season this year,” said Peter Nielsen, Vice President of Operations for Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

The resort is scheduled to open Nov. 27, with the health and safety of employees and guests top of mind, and following guidelines from the province, Interior Health and the Canada West Ski Areas Association.

Other category nominees included Banff’s Sunshine Village and Lake Louise, Big White Ski Resort in the Okanagan, the Kootenays’ Fernie Alpine Resort, Panorama Resort, Whitewater Resort in Nelson and Red Mountain Resort in Rossland, Whistler Blackcomb, Sun Peaks, and Quebec’s Mont Tremblant.

Additional Accolades

Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside, Canada’s Best Ski Hotel 2020: Also among this year’s winners is Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside, named Canada’s Best Ski Hotel 2020. Other nominees included BC’s Fairmont Chateau Whistler and Four Seasons Resort & Residences Whistler, and in the Canadian Rockies, Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Past Hotel & Spa and the Rimrock Resort Hotel.
The Josie Hotel, Canada’s Best Ski Boutique Hotel 2020: The title of Canada’s best boutique ski hotel goes to The Josie, a ski-in, ski-out hotel that opened at the base of Rossland’s RED Mountain Resort in 2019. Other nominees included Whistler’s Adara Hotel, Summit Lodge Boutique Hotel, Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre and Nita Lake Lodge, as well as Sun Peaks Lodge, north of Kamloops, Skoki Lodge, a National Historic Site, and Sunshine Mountain Lodge, both in the mountains of Banff National Park.
Whiteworth Chalet, Canada’s Best Ski Chalet 2020: This 7,000 sq. ft. luxury vacation rental experience is nestled at the base of Revelstoke Mountain Resort on five forested acres of mature cedars, pine and firs. Other nominees included Whistler Platinum, Amarandu Estate, Belmont Estate, Big Sky Chalet, the Crescendo at the Okanagan’s Big White, and Revelstoke’s Bison Lodge.

Votes for the World Ski Awards are cast by leading ski tourism professionals and ski consumers world-wide. Learn more at worldskiawards.com

***

Please note that current Provincial Health Protocols currently advise against travelling outside your region to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Plan your future adventures throughout the West Coast at westcoasttraveller.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thewestcoasttraveller. And for the top West Coast Travel stories of the week delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our weekly Armchair Traveller newsletter!