Big White news for owners and buyers

Polar Passage: Big White’s new covered beginner lift

Learning to ski at Big White just got a lot cozier. This winter (2026/27) the resort opens Polar Passage, a bubble-covered conveyor lift in the Happy Valley learning area. First-timers ride back to the top of the beginner zone sheltered from wind and snow, which matters on those cold, snowy days when little ones are deciding whether they love skiing or not.

What’s new in Happy Valley

• Polar Passage, a covered "magic carpet" style conveyor for beginners, part of a roughly $1-million Happy Valley upgrade.
• More teaching terrain and better flow through the busy lesson area, so lessons can start earlier in the season.
• The three existing beginner lifts have fun new names: Tiny Tracks, Frosty Flyer and Moose Mover.
• It builds on Tot Town Daycare (18 months to 5 years) and the redeveloped Kids’ Centre (ages 4 to 12).
• Beginner-area lift tickets are $29 for ages 6 and up, and kids under 5 ski free (check Big White for current prices).

Why it matters if you own (or want to own) at Big White

Families choose a ski home for the whole family’s experience. A sheltered, well-run learning area makes Big White easier to sell to young families and more appealing for family rental guests, especially around Happy Valley. If you’re weighing a chalet or condo close to the learning area, I’m happy to walk you through what’s on the market.

Source: Big White Ski Resort

Big White’s 2025/26 season: busiest occupancy since before the pandemic

Big White wrapped the 2025/26 season on April 6 with its highest accommodation occupancy since the pandemic, according to the resort.

• Peak days (Dec 28 to 30) topped 76,000 lift rides a day.
• The base hit 208 cm by mid-March, with 80 cm in one spring-break week (21 cm overnight on March 16).
• Group lessons grew sharply (adult afternoon groups up about 41%, kids up about 38%), and food and beverage sales rose about 27%.
• International guests drove growth, led by Australia and California, with Ontario, the Lower Mainland, Quebec and Manitoba strong at home.

For owners and buyers: strong occupancy is good news for anyone renting their unit, but every property performs differently. Ask me for recent sales and let’s talk through rental rules, strata fees and realistic numbers before you buy. Past results don’t guarantee future income.

Source: Big White Ski Resort

Record holiday season: guests stayed longer

Between December 20, 2025 and January 4, 2026, Big White reports bookings up 9.5% and room nights up more than 20% over the year before, meaning guests stayed longer. Australian bookings more than doubled (up 106%), UK demand grew, Canadian bookings held steady and U.S. demand softened. The busiest three days averaged over 76,000 lift rides.

Owner takeaway: longer stays and overseas demand over the holidays are exactly what nightly-rental owners hope for. If you’re thinking about listing before next season, now is a good time to plan.

Source: Big White Ski Resort

Summer 2026 at Big White: new trails and four-season living

Big White keeps growing as a summer destination. New for 2026 in the bike park: Dirt Daddy (1.4 km of intermediate singletrack in the Spruce Blues network), skills-park trails Buy-In and Ante-Up, and a new green trail, Jub-Jub, plus rebuilds and extensions on several favourites. Summer events included Music in the Mountains, Craft & Country, a Long Table Seafood Boil and Dog Days, with Okanagan farms and wineries on the menu at The Woods.

Why it matters: a real summer season means more months to enjoy (or rent) a mountain home.

Source: Big White Ski Resort

Big White chalets earn six Silver Finalist housing awards

Two Big White chalets were Silver Finalists in the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of the Central Okanagan (CHBACO) Excellence in Housing Awards: Opulence (Cobalt Design: interior design, Home of the Year, and decorating and styling) and Deerfoot Lodge (Weninger Construction: single-family detached $4M+, and a feature/innovation award for its railings; Cobalt Design for decorating and styling). Both are multi-generational family retreats and a good look at Big White’s luxury end.

Source: Big White Ski Resort

From snowpack to tap: how Big White’s water works

Good to know as an owner: Big White draws its water from Rhonda Lake (about 6,600 ft) at the base of the Cliff. The watershed provides more than 1.2 billion litres a year, the resort added a $2.5-million treated-water reservoir in 2023 for fire protection and reliability, and wastewater is treated before it returns to the environment. Family Day water use has stayed steady for three years despite record crowds.

Source: Big White Ski Resort

Awards roundup: a big year for Big White

• Business of the Year, Canadian Tourism Awards (Tourism Industry Association of Canada), November 2025.
• Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice winner for 2026.
• Voted Best International Ski Resort for Families in a 2025 readers’ choice poll.
• The Canadian Ski Patrol Pacific South Division honoured Big White and the volunteer Ogopogo Zone patrol in 2026.

Source: Big White Ski Resort Big White Ski Resort