Skiing West Canada vs East Canada

Out East, in Quebec, that’s where I learned how to ski and eventually got to be teaching kids how to ski as well. I remember taking my Level 1 and 2 certifications and having to cut holes in a black plastic bag for my arms because it was raining those days—but we had no choice but to get out there and learn how to teach. I’ve never liked the cold and the icy conditions of skiing near Montreal. Little Hotties to warm my hands and feet were my everyday go-to. And going back to the cottage and putting everything in the dryer was also the solution for some awful skiing days. My love for teaching always continued, but my love for skiing diminished.

In the last five years, I’ve tried more hills and must say that Le Massif in Charlevoix is really enjoyable. You have the river at the bottom and the sunshine on your face, which is super important. The weather is a big factor—if it’s grey outside and cold, we probably won’t go skiing. That’s why I’ve always been drawn to skiing out West.

Skiing in Western Canada has a lot more advantages. They rarely get extreme cold weather, the hills are bigger, and the snow is usually better. It’s not always fluffy powder like in the pictures, but when it is, it’s incredible. We skied Whistler, and honestly, there wasn’t a ton of powder skiing—only at the very top because it had just snowed maybe 5 cm that morning. The lower runs were more packed snow, but still fun. We had a better time at Sun Peaks near Kamloops. It felt more relaxed, and the snow conditions were great. We’ve only been to each place once, though, so we’ll see how future trips compare!

Just a couple of days ago, we were back at Sun Peaks, and I had such a fun run captured by my Insta360 X4. The AI made this cool video of me holding my poles together in one hand and just ripping down a slope with my wide skis. It’s one of those moments that reminds me why I still love skiing when the conditions are right.

Hoping to try other mountains in the future and keep exploring. Any recommendations?