The 47th season of NOKIA Sunday Bikedays kicks off on Sunday, May 21. To celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary, Confederation Boulevard will be car-free for a one-time event from 9 am to 1 pm, which includes Wellington Street in Ottawa, Laurier Street in Gatineau, as well as Portage and Alexandra bridges. This special loop will connect to Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway and Colonel By Drive, allowing residents and visitors to take in the heart of the Capital Region's rich history and natural beauty. Canada 150 special loop launch event Join us on May 21 as we kick off the Canada 150 special loop festivities. Date: Sunday, May 21, 2017 9:00 am Location: Major's Hill Park (close to Murray Street) Ottawa, Ontario Festivities: 9 am to 1 pm Family-friendly activities: buskers, DJ, face painting, inflatable structures, bike repairs, food kiosks, water station and community partner booths. Regular season: car-free parkways NOKIA Sunday Bikedays, the Capital's popular program, is presented by the...

New family entertainment, Burrows Cup, Grand défi Pierre Lavoie Stopover, Bonneville 808 Challenge and free shows by David Usher and Coleman Hell. The upcoming summer months will be showcasing a new lineup of discoveries and experiences including Tonga Lumina, a night walk created and produced by Moment Factory, plus all-new evening family entertainment. Summer starts early May when Tremblant's golf courses Le Diable and Le Géant open, followed by an exciting list of sports events and renowned artists headlined in free shows. With a wide array of events and new businesses to discover in the pedestrian village, everything is set up for families, sweethearts and friends to enjoy a custom stay at Tremblant. Tonga Lumina: A night walk in search of the giant Every day from late July until Thanksgiving weekend, Tremblant's deep nature environment sets the stage for a singular Moment Factory production: an immersive and interactive illuminated night walk in search of a sleeping giant who, leg...

Stoneham Mountain Resort is proud to announce a major investment for the 2017-2018 season with the installation of a new lift. The new fixed-grip quad chairlift will replace the double lift La Bordée and the T-bar Le Chinook, respectively 50 and 32-year-old equipment. This investment will increase the speed of the ascent for this area, modernize the facilities of the mountain and better serve the skiable terrain, to the delight of skiers and snowboarders. The new Doppelmayr 4-CLF fixed-grip lift will consist of approximately 14 towers and 138 chairs, as well as of a loading conveyor. It will offer a ride time of 8 ½ minutes, for an uphill capacity of 1 900 skiers or boarders per hour. For comparison, the ride time of the current double lift was 11 minutes. Supervision for the dismantling of the equipment is carried out by the Stoneham Mountain Resort team. Doppelmayr, an Austrian company with offices and a factory in Saint-Jérôme, will conduct the installation of the new lift, with par...

Easter weekend marked the end of ski season at Bromont, montagne d'expériences. Clients and employees were grateful for the surprising and unpredictable, yet highly satisfying winter on the slopes. Mother Nature was erratic and whimsical, subjecting us to rain and ice, but then treating us to not one, but two magnificent snowstorms. Memorable snowfalls With the early arrival of snow, we were off to a terrific start at the beginning of the season, with over 25 cm by the third week of November. The next snowfall in mid-December helped us completely forget last winter's woes, until the weather started acting up again with episodes of rain and ice during the critical holiday and spring break periods. But the two exceptional snowstorms that followed made up for everything. The first occurred in mid-February with over 60 cm falling in 72 hours followed, one month later, by a second historic storm with some 95 cm of snow in only 48 hours, ending the season on an awesome note. "The season took...

Vermont resort boasts longest ski and snowboard season in Eastern North America. Killington Resort to offer lift serviced skiing and snowboarding in June for the first time in 15 years on Thursday, June 1, 2017. June skiing is available on Superstar, the trail that hosted November's Audi FIS Ski World Cup slalom and giant slalom races. World Cup racing returns November 2017.Killington was last open for June skiing in 2002, and the resort's latest-ever closing day was June 22, 1997. Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America, is proud to announce closing day of the 2016-17 winter season will be Thursday, June 1, and lift-serviced skiing and riding will be free to the public. This is the first time that Killington has offered lift-serviced skiing in June since 2002, 15 years ago. After hosting its first-ever World Cup ski racing event last Thanksgiving Weekend and breaking US ski race attendance records with a crowd of 30,000, Killington used it...

The Epic Pass offers unlimited, unrestricted access to Stowe, plus the best of North America Epic Local Pass offers the best value at $639, which includes 10 days at Stowe Vail Resorts announced today that the Company has closed on the acquisition of Stowe Mountain Resort in Stowe, Vt. The Epic Pass offers unlimited, unrestricted access to Stowe Mountain Resort for the 2017-2018 winter season, and the Epic Local Pass will offer 10 days of skiing at Stowe. The iconic, East Coast resort is the newest among 45 of the world's most renowned mountain destinations to be offered with the Epic Pass – which includes the best of the West throughout 10 world-class destination resorts – such as Vail, Breckenridge, Park City, and Whistler Blackcomb. Purchasing a season pass now ensures skiers and snowboarders get the lowest available price for next winter. Available at $859 for adults, the 2017-2018 Epic Pass offers access to 45 of the world's best mountain resorts – including Stowe Mountain Resort ...

Photo : Doug Blackmore

A day many years in the making, Mount Snow broke ground today on its new $22 million lodge. The new 38,000 square-foot lodge, slated to open for the 2018/19 ski season, will serve as a hub for future development at Mount Snow, which will add slopeside lodging accommodations, improved parking facilities and a range of guest amenities to the Carinthia base area. The new three-story Carinthia Lodge will be a state-of-the-art facility designed to provide a variety of skier services in a comfortable, modern building. Totaling approximately 38,000 square feet and able to seat 500 people at any one time, it will house a full-service restaurant, a cafeteria, two bars and coffee counter. Skier services will include a ski rental shop, tune shop, lift ticket and ski school sales, retail and convenience store, bag storage service and youth activity room. The interior of the lodge is designed as a multi-purpose flexible space for year-round use by conferences, weddings or other groups and events. "...

Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) today announced that the Company has closed on its acquisition of Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont, the premier, high-end resort for skiers and snowboarders on the East Coast. Vail Resorts acquired the resort from Mt. Mansfield Company, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of American International Group, Inc. (AIG). The final purchase price, after adjustments for certain agreed upon terms, including a reduction in the price by the amount that the resort's EBITDA exceeded capital expenditures for the period from November 1, 2016 through closing, was $41 million. Stowe Mountain Resort is expected to generate incremental annual Resort Reported EBITDA in excess of $5 million during its first 12 months of operation following the acquisition.As part of the transaction, Vail Resorts acquired all of the assets related to the mountain operations of the resort, including base area skier services (food and beverage, retail and rental, lift ticket offices and ski and sno...

Waterville Valley Resort announced that it has secured funding to begin work on Phase II of its $7.5 million capital improvements plan that began with the Green Peak Expansion in Fall 2016. Phase II of this capital investment program will bring multi-year infrastructure upgrades and improvements throughout the resort. "This is the second step in the most exciting revitalization of Waterville Valley Resort in over 30 years. We are proud to be the only mountain on the East Coast pursuing a renovation of this magnitude" says John H. Sununu, Waterville Valley Resort CEO and Chairman. The Green Peak Expansion project added a second peak and 45 additional acres of terrain in 2016-17. Phase II of development will include new projects throughout the resort, as well as the completion of the Green Peak Expansion. Work will include additional Green Peak trail clearing and installation of a new snowmaking system, upgrades to existing snowmaking infrastructure on Mount Tecumseh, multiple lift enhan...

Tremblant is celebrating Canada's 150th anniversary on July 1 with a free activity and event programme that is bound to please both tall and small alike, with roving entertainers and the traditional birthday cake to musical performances and fireworks, late evening. A Lively Village  All day long on July 1, kids are sure to enjoy our mascot Toufou and balloon sculptor, Marc-Ambulle. In the afternoon, on Place des Voyageurs, visitors are invited to attend the flag-raising ceremony, and share a piece of cake decorated like the Canadian flag, with face-painting for the little ones who are welcome to choose any animal or character they wish. Highs & Foreign Diplomats ‒ Free Outdoor Shows  In addition to the day's family fun, Canada Day celebrations take centre stage with Toronto alternative pop band Highs playing the opening act. Afterwards, known for its contagious energy, Laurentian band Foreign Diplomats fires up the mood with its indie pop sound. Next, the Canadian Flag Pa...

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced on February 16th, 2017, that the state will invest an additional $8 million for upgrades at Belleayre Ski Center in Highmount to attract more visitors and build on the Catskill Region's burgeoning tourism industry. The investment will enhance the current facilities at Belleayre Mountain with the installation of a new, high-speed gondola, multiple lodge expansions and the addition of modern amenities for both lodges at the resort. The project will increase visitation, enhance customer experience and provide a major boost to tourism in the Catskills and the region's economy.  "Belleayre Mountain is one of the crown jewels of the Catskills and a major driver of the region's tourism economy," Governor Cuomo said. "With this investment, we are supporting vital upgrades at this mountain to ensure it remains an unparalleled year-round recreation destination and continues to leverage economic growth for the entire region for generations to come.""This pl...

​Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America and a four-season outdoor playground on 3,000 acres in Central Vermont's Green Mountains, is unleashing new summer attractions and facility enhancements to raise the level of thrills during its growing summer events calendar. Since 2015, Killington has invested more than $5 million to enhance warm weather offerings including mountain bike park, adventure center and other attractions. The Killington Bike Park expansion continues into the fourth phase of a 5-year build out designed by Gravity Logic, a world leader in the design of sustainable progressive mountain bike trails for summer resort operations. Summer additions include three new downhill mountain bike trails being built on Ramshead, with a late August expected opening that will grow the park to 29 different trails and just over 30 miles of biking terrain. The park also features new bike trays on the Ramshead and Snowshed chairlifts to increas...

Sugarbush Resort, home to 37 lift-served mountain bike trails, is hosting a number of bike-related events this summer. Along with more than 40 miles of cross-country terrain throughout the Mad River Valley, Sugarbush is a must-visit destination for mountain bikers. The Eastern States Cup Sugarbush Showdown series on Sunday, July 16th features both enduro and downhill mountain bike races with a combined cash and prize purse of $3,200. The five racers in every class reach the podium with the top 3 receiving custom medals. Before the race, on Saturday, July 15th there will be a pre-race party with live music, food, drink and games. Later that month the resort teams up for the second year in a row with the Vermont Mountain Bike Association, Mad River Riders, Waterbury Trail Alliance, and Green Mountain Trails to host the Vermont Mountain Bike Festival Friday, July 21st – Sunday, July 23rd. Open to the public and to riders of all abilities, the festival will have guided rides throughout the...

A group of local investors led by Ralph DesLauriers and his son, Evan DesLauriers, closed Friday on the purchase of Bolton Valley Resort. Bolton Valley, located in the town of Bolton in Chittenden County was founded by DesLauriers and his father Roland in 1966. DesLauriers owned and operated the resort from its founding until 1997. Since then, the resort has changed hands several times and until Friday, was owned by two real estate developers from Burlington, Larry Williams and Doug Nedde. The purchase of the resort by DesLauriers and his partners brings the resort full circle after 20 years. Moving forward, the day to day operations of the Resort will continue with the existing management team, under the leadership of the Resort's President, George B. Potter. The new ownership company will be led by members of the DesLauriers family including Ralph DesLauriers, his son Evan, and daughter, Lindsay. In addition to the DesLauriers' management company, a group of local investors came toge...

Sky High Adventure Park, the latest addition to Holiday Valley's array of outdoor activities, includes the Aerial Adventure Park, Climbing Forest and Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster. Located next to the Tannenbaum Lodge at the western end of Holiday Valley, Sky High is now open daily through September 4 and on weekends through October 29.  The Aerial Adventure Park at Sky High is constructed of a series of platforms, bridges, ropes, zip lines and other lofted obstacles throughout 13 different courses with varying levels of difficulty. In order of ascending difficulty, there are 3 yellow courses, 5 greens, 2 blues, 2 single black diamonds and one double black diamond. All courses except the double black diamond feature at least one zip line and some have several. The aerial park is the largest of its kind in New York State and the 3rd largest in the United States, occupying 4 of the 15 acre footprint which is allotted for Sky High Adventure Park. The tallest platform featured is 68 feet...

Waterville Valley Resort continues to offer opportunities for summer fun in the White Mountains with the addition of three new summer activities, including a partnership with GolfBoard to bring ResortBoard Adventure Tours to Waterville Valley, the first experience of its kind in New England. "It is exciting to not only be adding new activities that we have never had in Waterville Valley, but to also be creating a new type of experience in the Northeast," says Tim Smith, President and General Manager of Waterville Valley Resort. "You can't really experience the White Mountains without getting outside, getting off the beaten path, and seeking out a bit of adventure. Partnering with ResortBoards is allowing us to take some of what we love about snowsports and apply it to the summer months." ResortBoards are highly versatile personal transportation vehicles and can be used on pavement, gravel, loose dirt, mud, and even packed powder. The rugged design includes heavy-duty front and back spr...

Tonight at Tremblant was the Tonga Lumina pre-launch, a unique Moment Factory creation. Both global leaders, the pair of Québec giants joined their savoir faire to develop an immersive, interactive and illuminated night walk that begins with a ride on the Flying Mile lift and from the mid-way station, plunges spectators into a universe that showcases the mountain's natural elements. "It is with great pleasure that we see this major project come to life, one that merges the mountain's specificities and our resort vacationing knowledge with the creativity, talent and expertise of the Moment Factory team," said Patrice Malo, Station Mont Tremblant's President and CEO. "In addition to being a perfect complement to the resort's varied offer, this new first-rate evening adventure is tailored to suit visitors of all ages." "It was a genuine pleasure working with Station Mont Tremblant's team, creating a new immersive multimedia experience for the region's visitors and residents. Inspired by M...

One of the first events in the country to combine classical, jazz, and world music, La Fête de la Musique de Tremblant is now in its 19th edition. Founder and artistic director Angèle Dubeau invites music lovers to come enjoy a grand musical panorama in the majestic setting of Tremblant. Every year, the festival attracts over 35,000 spectators. The 2017 program includes more than 40 free outdoor concerts performed over the Labour Day weekend. From September 1 to 4, festivalgoers can hear concerts in the pedestrian village at the base of the mountain and in Mont-Tremblant's Village and Centre-ville sectors.  Pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin, one of the greats of his generation, will open the festival in splendid fashion at the church in Saint-Jovite. The festival continues Saturday at noon with concerts by superb artists, such as "iLove Baroque" from Ensemble Caprice, "Danzas – Spanish Guitar" from Montréal Guitare Trio, a unique performance of Inuit throat singing from the group Ok...

Holiday Valley, New York State's most visited ski resort, has added to its automated snowmaking system, purchased two groomers, expanded the beginner's area and accomplished a host of other projects for the 2017-2018 winter season. Guests of Holiday Valley will reap the benefits of more efficient and increased snowmaking, allowing for added time and enjoyment on the slopes this season. This year's $3.3 million brings the total investment for this independent resort to more than $126 million in the past 24 years. Other projects include the replacement of the Cindy's Warming Hut and the Mistletoe Lean To, construction of two new beginner trails off of Northwind, and new uniforms for the Mountain Operations department. Snowmaking is the life blood of ski resorts throughout the country, and Holiday Valley has invested three quarters of a million dollars for this season to continue to grow their state-of-the-art automated system. This year's purchase of 70 HKD Auto units and 10 HKD Viper gr...

Mont SUTTON, a major ski resort located in the Eastern Townships, is actively getting ready for the beginning of the 2017-2018 season. Improvement to the snowmaking system are being made, the new charging stations for electric cars have been set up, two new sculptures will be added on the mountain, the Boutique Expérience SUTTON will have a brand new K2 "shop in shop", virtual reality will be added, and the reflection regarding the products diversification on four seasons with the master plan continues. MAJOR IMPROVEMENT FOR THE SNOWMAKING SYSTEM Mont SUTTON will invest this year close to a million dollars in its snowmaking system, bringing the total investment to 1.5 million in the last two years. There will be 39 new fixed snow guns in the Alouette and Cascade trails allowing to maximize the strike force right at the beginning of the season. What's more, the addition of a second T40 fan gun will improve the quality of snow in the Family Zone to facilitate the learning of snow sports ...

Jay Peak Resort today announced it will resume the final phase of its revitalization initiative. The list of projects includes the completion of a number of cottages around the resort's Stateside area, and a 15,000-square foot recreation and entertainment center. New to the initiative's lineup are two outdoor recreation fields to be constructed on land adjacent to the Inglenook Lodge, a property located on route 242 along the road to the town of Jay. The announcement comes just a month after the news that Raymond James Financial Inc., the financial services firm, reached a $150 million settlement with the federal receiver appointed to oversee Jay Peak's operations. Of the $150 million, Jay Peak will receive approximately $19.7 million toward its projects. "This settlement is good news for Jay Peak, all of the contractors involved in the project, and the investors who were waiting to learn the fate of their immigration status," said Michael Goldberg, the court-appointed receiver. One of...

​Carrying the momentum of a two-year commitment to host the Audi FIS Ski World Cup in 2017 and 2018, Vermont's Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard resort in Eastern North America and part of the POWDR adventure lifestyle company, will offer a number of guest experience upgrades this coming season. POWDR has invested $5.7 million in capital improvements at Killington and Pico across the properties year-round attractions. The investments in 2017/2018 will further enhance snowmaking equipment and infrastructure, upgrade and rebuild lifts, expand summer activities at the resort and improve the overall experience at both resorts. Since POWDR purchased Killington Resort and Pico Mountain in 2007, infrastructure improvements have exceeded more than $50 million, including a new lift, lift drives, snowmaking systems and Killington's signature Peak Lodge. POWDR is committed to creating sustainable communities and engaging the next generation of action sports enthusiasts and their si...

After making the dream of skiing and riding on Burnt Mountain a reality in 2010, Sugarloaf announced today that it would make that experience even more accessible this winter by offering guests snow-cat serviced skiing and riding in the Androscoggin Glade, Little Androscoggin, and a newly-cut glade to be named this fall. This new winter offering is a cornerstone of Sugarloaf's new "sidecountry" skiing development that has been a signature piece of the resort's "Sugarloaf 2020" development plan. The resort has purchased a new 12 passenger snow cat, which it will use in tandem with an existing 12-passenger cat to transport skiers to the top of the Androscoggin Glade from the Log Yard, located below the bottom terminal of the King Pine chairlift. Glade cutting crews have worked this summer to develop a designated cat road, and to clear a new glade on Burnt Mountain which will add 100 acres of newly-developed terrain to explore. For years, Burnt Mountain and the Androscoggin Glade have onl...

In a summer already jam-packed with construction projects aimed at improving its skiing and riding experience, Mount Snow is pleased to announce that it has begun widening its Long John ski trail for the upcoming season. Originally scheduled as a summer project for 2018, Mount Snow managers decided to undertake the widening project after their $30 million snowmaking upgrade, known as the West Lake Water Project, began running comfortably ahead of schedule. "Anyone who's skied Long John in the past knows that it could benefit from widening, especially on a busy weekend," said Kelly Pawlak, general manager at Mount Snow. "In widening this green circle trail by 35 feet, we will be making it a more inviting place for beginner skiers looking to explore the mountain from the summit, as well as those looking to access our Carinthia Base Area." The blasting, done by Gardiner, Maine-based Maine Drilling and Blasting, began Friday, September 8, 2017, and will continue through October 13, 2017. D...

​Waterville Valley Resort received approval from the USDA Forest Service last week to begin construction of the new High Country T-Bar Lift, proposed in May. While the ski season is just around the corner, the achievement of this significant milestone has spurred construction to begin immediately. "So much happens behind the scenes before a project finally breaks ground so it is incredible what has been accomplished in just a few months through the collaborative efforts of the USDA Forest Service, SE Group, Horizons Engineering, Inc., LST Lifts, and our team," says Tim Smith, President and General Manager of Waterville Valley Resort. "Developed from the feedback of industry experts and our own athletes, passholders, and guests, it has been clear from the start that this is the best plan to improve and innovate the High Country experience and now we have the go ahead to bring it to life." The new lift is part of a larger, $7.5 million multiyear investment plan, dubbed Phase II. This sum...