Mishall RehmanFor many, heavy snowfalls and a chilling winter mean boarding up the entire family indoors and little to no active playtime. But children can now trade in their gaming controllers for a pair of skis for an affordable rate with the Grade 4 and 5 SnowPass Program.
The SnowPass program is offered by the Canadian Ski Council (CSC) and offers children nine and ten years of age to get outdoors and enjoy winter sports.
“The purpose of the Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass program is to introduce 9 and 10-year-old children to the wonderful sports of skiing and snowboarding and encourage their parents to join them on the slopes. We believe skiing and snowboarding are truly family sports that everyone can participate in together,” said Natalie Dalzell, Operations Manager for CSC.
The SnowPass includes three lift passes. The cost for the SnowPass is $29.95, which is an administration fee to cover printing and administrative costs for CSC.
Parents buying a pass for their fourth graders can use it for the duration of two years, or until the end of fifth grade.
Children can spend the day skiing at 150 ski areas that are participating in the program nationwide. This includes 31 sites in British Columbia, 21 sites in Alberta, one site in Saskatchewan, two ski areas in Manitoba, 29 ski areas in Ontario, 57 ski areas in Quebec, eight ski areas in Atlantic Canada, and one ski area in the Yukon.
The program is now in its 19th year.
Though the CSC does not have programs for children of other ages, some skiing sites do offer their lift, lesson and rental packages called “Discover Skiing, Discover Snowboarding.”
The CSC, founded in 1977, is a national, nonprofit ski and snowboarding organization. CSC’s mandate is to increase participation in recreational skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing across the country.
For more information visit www.snowpass.ca or www.skicanada.org.
