Local Olympian Ashleigh McIvor weighs in on why her hometown of Whistler is unforgettable.

EndlEss wintEr advEnturE

winter in the west

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Winter in the Cities Bundle up & enjoy the cold

Western athletes talk about winter in the west

AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt2 · NoveMBer 2012

whether you are headed to Bc or Alberta this winter, plentiful snowfall, beautiful scenery and endless adventure awaits you.

Come and play in the west this winter!

we s t e r n C a n a d a is blessed with geog-raphy and w e a t h e r that makes

it the ideal location for all types of ski-ing & boarding. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Western Canada is home to over 130 ski areas, which provide an amazing diversity of Alpine, Nordic, Helicopter and Cat Ski-ing alternatives.

epic snowfallBritish Columbia is home to 13 des-tination ski resorts. This includes Whistler-Blackcomb, two side-by-side mountains which combined offer over 200 marked runs, 8,171 acres of terrain and 1,609 metres of vertical. Whistler-Blackcomb was recently rated the Number 1 Ski Resort in North America by the readers of Ski Magazine.

Mount Washington Alpine Resort, the pride of Vancouver Island, has a well-earned reputation for consist-ently receiving large snowfalls.

ski wine country BC’s Thompson-Okanagan Region

has four resorts that are highly re-garded for their ‘champagne powder’ and ski-in ski-out accommodations. Big White and Silver Star offer two great ski options within one hour of Kelowna International Airport. Sun Peaks Resort, located near Kamloops, provides excellent diversity across its three mountains. Although small-er than the other Okanagan resorts, Apex Mountain is considered a ‘hid-den treasure’ with great skiing and boarding for all levels. The Kootenay-Rockies Region of BC is home to 7 Destination Ski Resorts, collectively marketed under the ‘Pow-der Highway’ banner. BC’s newest ski resort, Revelstoke Mountain Re-sort, boasts North America’s greatest vertical drop at 1,713 meters. Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, located near Golden, is known for its unique ter-rain, stunning scenery and Eagle’s Eye high-altitude dining experience. Panorama Mountain Village, near In-vermere, offers ski-in ski-out accom-modations in a picturesque moun-tain setting. Fernie Alpine Resort is known for its high annual snowfall and for its powder skiing. Kimberley, Red and Whitewater resorts, in the Kootenays region, are smaller resorts,

but well loved by skiers and boarders that appreciate their unique charms.

city mountainsThere is also very good skiing avail-able near the major urban centres in Western Canada. Grouse Mountain, Cypress Mountain and Mount Sey-mour provide Vancouver residents with access to a broad range of ski-ing and other outdoor activities. Cal-garians take advantage of the close

proximity of Calgary Olympic Park and Nakiska. Similarly, Snow Valley and Rabbit Hill provide residents of Edmonton with good local skiing alternatives.

Contrary to popular belief, there is also good skiing available in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba. This includes Table Mountain, Mission Ridge and Wapiti Valley in Saskatch-ewan; and Asessippi, Holiday Moun-tain and Springhill in Manitoba.

Whether you are a beginner or advanced skier or boarder, there is no doubt that Western Canada will pro-vide you with an abundance of options for a fantastic day on the slopes.

for additional information please visit the following web-sites:

British Columbia www.skiittobelieveit.com Alberta www.goskialberta.comSaskatchewan / Manitoba www.skiwithme.ca

Ashleigh McIvorShowing off the best of BC

We recommend

pAge 07

western athlete profiles p. 05 World ski tour stops in revelstoke

WiNter iN tHe WeSt1St editioN, NoveMBer 2012

responsible for this issue:publisher: emily o’donnellemily.odonnell@mediaplanet.comdesigner: gary sylvestergsylvester@me.com contributors: karen Ball, susan holds-worth, elianna lev, david lynn, luke nelson, Ben ogilvie, Jamie rizzuto

photo credit: all images are from istock.com unless otherwise accredited. Managing director: Jon kentjon.kent@mediaplanet.comBusiness developer: ash macleodash.macleod@mediaplanet.com

distributed within:national post, november 2012this section was created by mediaplanet and did not involve the national post or its editorial departments.

Mediaplanet’s business is to create new cus-tomers for our advertisers by providing read-ers with high quality editorial contentthat motivates them to act.

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Challenges

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Tumbler RidgeThe best open mountain winter sports in British Columbia

With over 300kms of sledding trails alone, you can really get

into our untouched deep powder and long snow season.

Our heart-pounding slopes off er endless possibilities…

…sled it, ski it, snowshoe it, experience it this winter.

www.VisitTumblerRidge.ca | 1.877.SAW.DINO

B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A

AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt By MediApLANet to tHe NAtioNAL poSt AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt By MediApLANet to tHe NAtioNAL poSt4 · NoveMBer 2012

winter in the rockies Festivals and events that will warm up any vacation.

More Breathing Room. Lose the long lift lines. Find your own space.

Book your winter escape today

at Jasper.travel

inspiration

dOg sLeddIng – A fAMILy fAvOr-ITe AvAILABLe In BAnff, cAn-MOre, whIsT-

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Jasper National park, covering 11,228 km (6,976 miles), is listed as one of only 15 UNeSCo extraordinary sites in Canada. it’s shimmering glaciers, abundant wildlife, crystal clear lakes, thundering waterfalls, deep canyons and evergreen forest, all surrounded by towering, rugged moun-tain peaks are some of the reasons you will find it on the UNeSCo’s World Herit-age List – deemed by the World Heritage Committee to number among the most significant sights on earth.

Nestled amongst the peaks of the Can-adian rockies, Banff is known as a trav-eler’s mecca for good reason. Whether by car, bicycle, hiking boots, skis, snowshoes or canoe, in Banff National park you can enjoy year-round discovery of the 6,641 km2 mountainous landscape. As the first national park established in Canada and a coveted UNeSCo World Heritage Site, what makes Banff National park so special is its combination of vast unspoiled wilder-ness, mountain lakes like Lake Louise, and the gateway to it all: the town of Banff.

Canmore and Kananaskis Country togeth-er create the perfect combination of a four season mountain village coupled with incredible wild land areas well suited for a variety of recreational pursuits, yet effect-ively managed under a provincial parks and protected Areas network assuring responsible human use.

Banff & Lake Louise

Jasper

Canmore, Kananaskis

■ canadian rockies snow Battle – an organized snow-ball Fight tournament! teams of 7 battle each other with 90 snowballs pre 3 minute period. What’s more fun, or can-adian, than that? Jasper, alberta, november 24 & 25, www.canadianrockiessnowbattle.ca

■ Jasper in January festival – the canadian rockies hot-test winter festival, two full weeks of jam packed events; Family street party, Fireworks, “Winterstruck”, chili-cook-off, live music, and hot deals on places to stay and when you hit the slopes! Jasper, alberta, January 11-27, 2013 www.JinJ.ca ■ Marmot Madness – the month of april is filled with fun events up at marmot Basin ski area. april 2013, www.ski-marmot.com

■ snow days - Banff national park is the cool place to be this winter – in more ways than one! celebrate the wonders of this exciting season with snowdays, a fun-filled month of heart pumping, mid-week activities and weekend festivals jam-packed with adventures of all kinds January 12 - Febru-ary 10, 2013 http://www.banfflakelouise.com/area-events/Festivals/Winter/snowdays

■ Ice Magic festival - now in its 19th year, this Banff na-tional park classic is more popular than ever. experience lake louise at its winter finest during the Ice magic Festival. centerpiece to snowdays, a month-long celebration of win-ter in Banff national park. January 18 - 27, 2013 http://www.banfflakelouise.com/area-events/Festivals/Winter/snow-days/Ice-magic-Festival

■ Lake Louise pond hockey classic- the 4th annual lake louise pond hockey classic brings that quintessential-ly canadian game to one of the most scenic venues on the planet. Whether you’re on the ice or gathering with the crowds to cheer on your favourite team, this shinny tour-nament in Banff national park offers a hockey experience you’re sure to remember. http://www.banfflakelouise.com/area-events/Festivals/Winter/lake-louise-pond-hockey-classic

■ Lantern festival - celebration of Light! - each year, the town of canmore hosts a lantern Festival involving lantern making Workshops throughout the month of december, in the lead up to the annual lantern parade. the lantern pa-rade is usually held in January/February, and coincides with the opening of the kid’s art exhibition - January 11- 29, 2013 www.canmore.ca/lanterns

■ canmore winter carnival - Winter carnival is a celebration of the season and a popular community event in canmore. over several days, you can enjoy kid ‘n’ mutt races, log sawing, Ice carving, snow sculpting, Bonspiel, Bonhomme carnival and an outdoor photography screening. February 1-18th, 2012. www.canmore.ca/wintercarnival

■ knucklebasher Ice climbing festival - mec knuckle Basher is western canada’s largest ice climbing festival, with something for everyone. take an introductory or ad-vanced clinic, demo some gear, or catch an evening pres-entation. never climbed ice before, but think it looks like fun? this is your chance to give it a try! come climb to new heights with us at the mec knuckle Basher. February 2013 exact date tBd http://yamnuska.com/ice-climbing/knuckle-basher-2012/

events this winter:

events this winter:

events this winter:

HeatHer ritcHie

editorial@mediaplanet.com

NoveMBer 2012 · 5AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt By MediApLANet to tHe NAtioNAL poSt AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt By MediApLANet to tHe NAtioNAL poSt

panel oF experts

How does yourcity mitigate thenegative effects ofthe winter season?

What is a “winter city” and what are the main draws of your city for residents during the season?

What are some of the main festivals or events taking place in the city for the winter?

susan holdsworthproject manager for the Wintercity strategy

karen Ballexecutive directorcalgary 2012, cultural capital of canada

Amber sessionsmanager, travel & trade media relationstourism Vancouver

How do these initiatives change the way residents and visitors feel about winter?

I suppose a “winter city” is simply somewhere people want to visit in winter. Somewhere that is known for its winter offer-ings. Admittedly, Vancouver has wrestled with this notion because our city isn’t somewhere people think to go for the quintessential Can-adian winter experience. That said, our mild climate (the fact it rarely snows in the city) makes Vancouver an appealing escape for Easterners. And in winter, Vancouver’s culture and dining scenes really take off. We’re work-ing hard to make visitors understand what an exciting time of year winter is in Vancouver. During the holidays, Vancouver is alive with lights and festivals like the Vancouver Christ-mas Market and Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge.

calgary is a true four-season city. We have amazing hot summers, brilliant green springs, crisp autumns and sparkling white winters. We understand the joy of a snow cov-ered holiday season: skating on Olympic Plaza under the city lights, tobogganing on the foot-hills, and warming up over hot chocolate. We travel a lot in the summer, visiting friends and family and vacationing, so the winter is a time for catching up. It’s a time for entertaining at home or going out to meet friends.

A great winter city is as much about atti-tude as it is about latitude. It is one where residents have found ways to embrace win-ter, where winter is used for inspiration for designing public spaces and buildings, and as motivation for recreation and celebration. Great winter cities share the fun, joy and warmth of winter with the world. It’s a winter holiday destination – one people make sure to book in September because demand is so high!

Edmonton has a lot to offer in winter includ-ing winter ready parks, 50 km of groomed x-country trails, 4 downhill ski hills - a full suite of winter events and activities.

we have great holiday events including the Vancouver Christmas Market (November 24-December 24), Rogers Santa Clause Parade (December 2), at Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain (until December 24) and the Chi-nese New Year Parade. We also have stunning displays of lights including Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge (December 1 to January 5), Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden (December 7 – January 1), and the Carol Ships Parade of Lights (Decem-ber 1-23). On the culinary side, the 11th annual Dine Out Vancouver Festival (January 18-Feb-ruary 5) is a 17-day celebration of food and BC wine. Culturally, some of the major winter festivals include The PuSh International Per-forming Arts Festival (January 15-February 3), Vancouver International Wine Festival (Feb-ruary 25-March 3), Winterruption on Granville Island (February 22-24) and the Vancouver International Dance Festival (March 5-23).

vancouver’s winter events and festi-val have burgeoned in recent years drawing more visitors into the city. Vancouverites are extremely proud of their city any time of year, and take advantage of the outdoors no mat-ter what the weather, but I think that we are beginning to really appreciate what an excit-ing cultural season the November to March period is. Umbrellas in hand, visitors to the city will discover a local population who act-ively supports, even looks forward to winter, because of the great events, festivals and out-door experiences it brings.

calgary has a rich arts season, starting in September, with dozens of events each night. It’s really hard to pick only a few. We are cur-rently in the holiday season with The Calgary Zoo’s Zoolights, Theatre Calgary’s A Christmas Carol and the Alberta Ballet’s Nutcracker, both of which have brand-new spectacular staging, sets, and costumes. All of January is One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo – Calgary’s International Festival of the Arts and March closes out winter with Alberta Theatre Projects’ Playrites Festival of New Canadian Plays and the International Festival of Animated Objects.

It’s hard not to fall in love with winter in Calgary; the cold snaps never lasts very long, and you are always under bright blue skies. Being able to enjoy winter sports during the day and some of Canada’s best arts and culture to choose from nightly makes Calgary an active winter city. It’s -16 degrees today, I just took a long snowy walk and am headed out to see the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra’s original commission Afghanistan: Requieum for a Gen-eration. I think I’ll end the night with a warm drink at Teatro restaurant and bar.

we have events and activities every weekend from New Years through the end of February. Our growing list of winter festivals includes: Deep Freeze, Ice on Whyte, the Mill Creek Adventure Walk, the Birkebeiner, Silver Skate and others. Some feature amazing ice and snow sculptures/structures, some feature winter recreation, and others incorporate storytelling and fire and light. The Firecrack-ers Parade lights up Chinatown every Lunar New Year and there are other festivals and events in the works. We also have year-round farmers’ markets and a vibrant theatre and arts scene.

In developing the wintercity strategy, we have already begun to see the change we envision; some have been inspired to host their own backyard winter celebrations. Hopefully, the strategy will continue to help residents to find the warmth in winter, to find their own ways to embrace all that our evolv-ing winter city has to offer. Our wonderful winter festivals are like muscles for the body, and everyday life is the connective tissue. Both are getting stronger, more robust. Everyone is invited to fall in love with winter in Edmon-ton.

Unlike other canadian cities we don’t face extreme cold so Vancouver is really invit-ing all year round. The rain we get keeps the city green and lush and puts snow on the sur-rounding mountains. That said, the winter is really when Vancouverites gather together indoors. Summers are spent hiking, cycling and enjoying the parks and beaches. In win-ter, the city’s theatres, restaurants, attractions and hotels dial up the dining and cultural offerings making Vancouver a really exciting place to be.

In fact, hosting the 2010 Olympic Winter Games was a great opportunity for Vancouver to show the rest of Canada (and the world) what a festive, fun and vibrant place Vancou-ver is in the winter months.

calgarians are outdoor enthusiasts in any weather, we take advantage of the winter season to experience some of the best skiing in the world, right on our doorstep and enjoy a year-round season of jogging and cycling along the Bow River. For the urban adventurers, the winter nights stay warm with a host of amaz-ing restaurants and an incredible performing arts season. Best of all are the chinook days, when it’s not uncommon to find Calgarians’ getting a winter sunburn on their favorite patio.

we’ve developed a wintercity strat-egy: a road map for becoming a world-leading winter city. It builds on our local assets like our existing fantastic winter festivals that are growing, and our many sun-filled winter days. We plan to design more outdoor micro-climates in public spaces that capture the sun and block the wind. We also have long hours of darkness as well where we can use light cre-atively to add interest to our landscape. We’re exploring many other opportunities as well to make it more fun and comfortable to be out-side and enjoy winter in Edmonton.

Did you know that Edmonton has 321 sunny days per year, making it one of Canada's

sunniest cities in winter?

Discover how we're transforming our city in winter at edmonton.ca/wintercitystrategy

Strategy for Transforming Edmonton into a World-Leading Winter City

AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt

for Olympic gold Medalist Ashleigh McIvor, the only thing better than spending time in her hometown of whistler, is showing it off to other people – preferably first-time visitors.

“I’m almost more passionate about sharing how amazing our town is than I am about going out and enjoy-ing it myself,” she says. “I’m always getting on ski lifts and chatting with people, asking if they want to come with me and see a really cool run that they’ll be talking about for the rest of their life.”

It isn’t hard to make the striking 29-year-old gush about the town that raised her to be a world-class athlete. She first put on a pair of skis before she was two-years-old. “It’s always been something we’ve done as a family, even now that our family’s gone in separate directions, we come together on Christmas and go skiing, all four of us,” she says.

skiing at an early ageEven her earliest memories involve skiing, the mountains and snow.“I remember skiing under the magic chair at Blackcomb, between my par-ents legs,” she remembers. “I would have been three or four and I don’t remember anything else from that age.”Despite getting an incredibly early start in the sport, McIvor credits her parents’ outlook for helping her stick with it throughout her lifetime.

showing off the best of BC

6 · NoveMBer 2012

PHOTO: MATTIAS FREDRIKSSON

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world ski tour stops in revelstokeThe swatch freeride world Tour by The north face (fwT) is the premier big mountain freeskiing and snowboarding tour in the world.

It features the sport’s top athletes competing on the biggest mountain resort venues. Riders compete one at a time and receive an overall score from a judging panel based on numerous categor-ies including line difficulty, control, fluidity, technique and style. A winning run will feature difficult line choices, such as riding

over cliffs, through narrow chutes, off natural features created by rocks, fallen trees, etc. Slopes average 50-degrees—much steeper and more difficult than the average 35-degree “black diamond” slope found at the average ski area.

Through their run, the rider is expected to stay in motion and angled down the slope, while staying in control at all times and displaying proper technique; including stance, body position and body angulations. Style consists of adding flair to a run, which could include tricks such as grabs, spins and flips.

The 2013 tour consists of six stops on two continents, with four events being held in Europe, and two in North America. Each event will be approximately one week in length, which allows riders enough time to study their line choice and provides the opportunity to wait for sunny, clear skies and quality snow con-ditions. Every event will be webcast live on the Internet and full highlights will be available nightly.

“throughout the last few seasons the residents of British Columbia have been the most amazing guides for me in the mountains.”

“Actions speak louder than words in these parts. that is why i call this part of the world home.”

“...i haven’t seen many towns that have a resort so close, where you can see your tracks from your house after a good day of skiing. ”

Benogilvie

Jamierizzuto

LukeNelson

■ Age: 24 ■ hometown: calgary ■ skiing since the age of: 4 ■ favorite activity (other than skiing): sports, or any kind of exercise! ■ favorite skiing soundtrack: corb lund ■ favorite beverage for après ski: Water ■ One thing you can’t live without (on the mountain): transceiver, shovel and probe

■ what is your favorite thing about skiing in the west? (Alberta & Bc) the size and how impressive the mountains are here. For the better part of my life I have had an eye for spotting lines and routes down the mountains. In between every tree and rock in the mountains of Bc there is a hidden jump or fea-ture that I will be able to find and I can get maximum satis-faction from it. For some reason, skiing in Bc has enabled me to do this.

■ what does this region have to offer that nowhere else in the world does? the people! some of the most opinionated, loyal, and hil-arious people on earth! throughout the last few seasons the residents of British columbia (I myself am not originally from Bc) have been the most amazing guides for me in the mountains. Instructing me on how to behave, observe, and move in the mountains. For this I am incredibly thankful to these people. not only are they amazing mountain people, but they can celebrate fun times better than anyone else in the world!

■ Age: 35 ■ sponsors: the north Face/ lib technologies/ Fernie alpine resort/commit ■ skiing since: 2 years old ■ favorite activity besides snowboarding: Wake surfing, skateboarding, downhill mountain Biking ■ favorite music while shredding: mr. moffatt

■ The one thing I can’t live on the mountain without is: what is your favorite thing about skiing in the west? (Alberta & Bc) the mountains and snow quality with the small town vibe - everyone is friends and everyone rips. actions speak louder than words in these parts. that is why I call this part of the world home.

■ what does this region have to offer that nowhere else in the world does? If there is one thing for sure, you can count on snow, and lots of it. there is also an amazing community where every-one are friends. living in a powder community means a lot of happy people!!!

■ Age: 24 ■ hometown: Fernie ■ skiing since the age of: 4 ■ favorite activity (other than skiing): spelunking ■ favorite skiing soundtrack: : I only listen to the mountains ■ favorite beverage for après ski: double cesar ■ One thing you can’t live without (on the mountain): Fresh pow

■ what is your favorite thing about skiing in the west? (Alberta & Bc) I think the snow quality is better than some coastal areas; the snow is usually light and fluffy. I mostly ski out of Fernie, and it is generally uncrowded on weekdays, and being such a small town, you know lots of the people in line with you. and when the resort is skied out, you don’t have to go too far to find some fresh turns, and if you go a little further you won’t see any humans for days.

■ what does this region have to offer that nowhere else in the world does? I haven’t traveled the whole world yet, but I haven’t seen many towns that have a resort so close, where you can see your tracks from your house after a good day of skiing. When it snows in Fernie it snows lots, never trust the fore-cast, you never know until you go

Mountain SportS internationaL

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AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt NoveMBer 2012 · 7

for Olympic gold Medalist Ashleigh McIvor, the only thing better than spending time in her hometown of whistler, is showing it off to other people – preferably first-time visitors.

“I’m almost more passionate about sharing how amazing our town is than I am about going out and enjoy-ing it myself,” she says. “I’m always getting on ski lifts and chatting with people, asking if they want to come with me and see a really cool run that they’ll be talking about for the rest of their life.”

It isn’t hard to make the striking 29-year-old gush about the town that raised her to be a world-class athlete. She first put on a pair of skis before she was two-years-old. “It’s always been something we’ve done as a family, even now that our family’s gone in separate directions, we come together on Christmas and go skiing, all four of us,” she says.

skiing at an early ageEven her earliest memories involve skiing, the mountains and snow.“I remember skiing under the magic chair at Blackcomb, between my par-ents legs,” she remembers. “I would have been three or four and I don’t remember anything else from that age.”Despite getting an incredibly early start in the sport, McIvor credits her parents’ outlook for helping her stick with it throughout her lifetime.

“My parents were always really good at keeping things positive,” she says. “My mother’s vision for me was for me was to grow up to love skiing. She didn’t care if I was an Olympic athlete, she just wanted to teach me the value of getting out there and keeping healthy and active and find-ing joy in the sport.”

It wasn’t hard to do growing up in Whistler, where healthy lifestyle is a way of life, which became deeply engrained in McIvor.

exploring BcA“Everyone is just so passionate about healthy, active living and getting out-side and exploring the playground we have there,” she says.

That passion for the outdoors has inspired McIvor to explore the prov-ince whenever she has the time. Her list of favourite spots around BC is endless, but includes surfing off Van-couver Island, going boating in the Okanagan and discovering secret hot springs near Pemberton.

“Even boating around Vancouver, going up Indian Arm, past Deep Cove, it’s just so crazy to have those steep, lush mountains going straight down into the ocean,” she exclaims.

.McIvor is also keen on snowmobil-ing, and being that her profession involves lots of snow, she’s become a connoisseur.

“Here in BC, the backcountry access is unbelievable; you can go forever. And the terrain is unparalleled by any,” she says. “Revelstoke has amaz-

ing snow. It’s a little bit lighter than the west coast snowpack but still dense enough to stick to the rocks so there are no rocks poking out, like you have in the Rockies mid season.”

winter homeMcIvor lives with her fiancé part time in Vancouver, but spends her winters in Whistler, and vows never to leave. “In winter I’ll spend all my time there,” she says. “I’ll always have a place there.”

McIvor thinks the best part of her town is the locals and encourages tourists to seek them out in order to get a unique perspective.

“A lot of people when they go on vacation stick to themselves,” she says. “But Whistler is a really warm and friendly place.”

She suggests finding locals on the mountains, or enjoying a drink “après ski” at Dusty’s. Most of them are more than happy to make new friends and share secret spots.

McIvor is confident there is some-thing for everyone in Whistler and will do what she can to promote that fact. Despite the season or the visitor’s experience level, McIvor is certain anyone can fall in love with her home-town.

“There’s really good variety in the level of difficulty in ski runs, and bike trails in the summer,” she says. “I’ve taken my mom into the mountain bike park – there are mom-friendly runs!”

While McIvor has always known

that Whistler is where she’s meant to be, it wasn’t until her career started taking off that she truly fell in love.

“When I started travelling over-seas and competing, I realized there’s

really nothing else like it,” she says. “I’d be gone for two days and I’d be dying to go home.”

eLianna Lev

editorial@mediaplanet.com

reAdy fOr The rAceAshleigh McIvor shows off her skills in whistler, Bc.Photo: Blake Jorgenson

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gold medalist Ashleigh McIvor has travelled around the world competing, but always is happy to travel home to some of the world’s finest slopes in Whistler, BC.

showing off the best of BC

Ashleigh McIvor ■ Age: 29 ■ Occupation: professional skier ■ Born: Vancouver ■ raised: Whistler ■ how she got started: mcIvor

started alpine ski racing when she was eight. after an accident at 16, she switched her focus to freeski-ing. at 19, she started skicross while the sport was in its infancy.

career highlights: a victory at the World championships, an X games silver medal and an olym-pic gold medal in 2010.

■ Other accolades: espy nominee, Bc sport hall of Fame Inductee, sportsnet magazine’s 50 most Beautiful athletes, hel-lo canada’s 50 most Beautiful people, Bleacher report’s 100 most Beautiful olympians ever.

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The 2013 tour consists of six stops on two continents, with four events being held in Europe, and two in North America. Each event will be approximately one week in length, which allows riders enough time to study their line choice and provides the opportunity to wait for sunny, clear skies and quality snow con-ditions. Every event will be webcast live on the Internet and full highlights will be available nightly. Mountain SportS internationaL

editorial@mediaplanet.com

AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt By MediApLANet to tHe NAtioNAL poSt

NATURE RULES

Mother Nature gave Canadians some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world. But clearly her pride and joy is Banff National Park. Here you’ll fi nd the Rocky Mountains, 2500 square miles of protected wilderness and over 1000 cm of snowfall. Not to mention three world-class ski resorts—Mt. Norquay, � e Lake Louise Ski Area and Sunshine Village. She created this all just for you, so yes, she will be off ended if she doesn’t see you here this winter. Because here, in the only protected mountain resort on Earth, nature rules. Visit Banff LakeLouise.com

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Docket: 36026 Due Date: Nov.9.12 Client: BLLT Description: Mother Nature’s FaveSize: 10.8 x 21.43” Insertion date: Publication: Winter in the West/National Post Colour: CMYKAccount Ex: C.Bridges Designer: A.Kirmani Production: T.Sarantis