Forget Whistler, this is Canada’s best family ski resort

As a Vancouver resident, I’ve spent enough winters skiing in British Columbia to understand what Canada’s major ski resorts offer families. Whistler delivers world-class terrain and infrastructure on a scale that is hard to match, while places like Revelstoke reward strong skiers willing to commit to long drives and serious vertical skiing. It’s no wonder that 21 per cent of British skiers cited Canada as their dream ski holiday destination in the latest survey by the Mountain Trade Network.

Silver Star, located 400km inland in the Okanagan Valley, offers something entirely different, though. It’s British Columbia’s third-largest ski area – 133 runs across 3,282 acres – but somehow never feels overwhelming.

Easy-going skiing

Ross Foden, a retired British banker who has called Silver Star home for more than a decade, put it simply: he and his wife, Amanda, arrived on a whim and never really left. “What hooked us was how easy it was,” he said. “You put your skis on at the back door and go – no car parks, no shuttles, none of the logistics you deal with at bigger resorts. You spend your time skiing, not figuring out how to get from one part of the mountain to the other.”

That ease defines the experience. A rarity in North American resorts, accommodation is genuinely ski-in/ski-out. Often the preserve of European ski holidays, the village is compact and car-free, so children move around independently. Visibility holds because the entire mountain sits below the tree line. And the community has grown organically over decades: families wave to staff they’ve known for years, skiers chat in lift lines that rarely last more than a few minutes.

“For families, the biggest difference was that everything came back to the village,” Ross said. “You’re not dropping kids at the bottom of the resort on a forgotten bunny hill – lessons start right in the middle of the mountain. And if you need to meet someone, you say 10 minutes and actually mean it.”

A predictable mountain map

Snow conditions play a large role in that predictability. Silver Star receives more than seven metres most winters, catching the first dry flakes as Pacific storms cross the Monashees. When Whistler deals with rain in the village or fog higher up, Silver Star often stays cold, clear and skiable.

The mountain breaks into distinct zones. Vance Creek on the front side handles most family skiing, with wide groomers and approachable runs feeding back to the Comet Express and the gondola from the village. Putnam Creek, known as the Dark Side, is steeper and quieter, defined by fall-line pitches, headwalls and long mogul runs that suit advanced and expert skiers. Silver Woods sits between them, offering gladed terrain that lets confident intermediates move into trees without committing to exposed alpine slopes.

The resort isn’t resting on its laurels either. Last season, Silver Star joined the multi-resort Ikon Pass as a bonus destination, linking it with Revelstoke and Sun Peaks and giving passholders two free days of slope access. The new Dandy Glades sector on the piste map – 22 acres of tree skiing – also expanded intermediate options during storm cycles.

An ‘astonishing’ alternative

Beyond downhill skiing, the resort’s My1Pass includes tubing, skating, snowshoeing, fat biking in the village and a cross-country trail system that becomes the largest daily-groomed cross-country skiing network in Canada (105km) when linked with nearby Sovereign Lake. On days when my legs tired, I switched to those forest trails. Many families do the same.

The mid-mountain village (1,609m), loosely modelled on 19th-century mining towns, stays deliberately low-key: Bugaboos Bakery supplies cinnamon buns and strong coffee, while the Red Antler serves poutine and beer. Even during school holidays, when Canadian families make the most of their bounty, evenings remain quiet – families walking back to their condos, children dragging sledges, laughter echoing off the brightly painted shop fronts.

For British skiers, the contrast with other resorts in British Columbia is worth noting. Big White comes close on ski-in/ski-out access, but frequent fog is an issue. Sun Peaks offers a similar overall scale, though skiing is spread across three peaks. Revelstoke delivers exceptional snow and vertical skiing but sits nearly three hours from Kelowna International Airport. Silver Star avoids most of those trade-offs and is only an hour from the airport.

Ross Foden noted the difference was immediate for anyone used to European resorts. “If you’re used to having the backs of your brand-new skis trampled on in Lech while trying to get onto a lift, you’ll be astonished,” he said. “You spend your time skiing rather than standing in line.”

Essentials

Where to stay

Ski Safari offers 10 nights at the Silver Creek Lodge from £1,629 per person, including flights and transfers, based on a family of four sharing, departing March 25 2027. Firelight Lodge and Snowbird Lodge also offer family-friendly ski-in/ski-out options.

Lift passes

A single-day My1Pass starts from C$104.25 (£55.85) and includes tubing, skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking. Multi-day passes come with a 15 to 20 per cent discount. Silver Star is also covered by the seasonal Ikon Pass, which covers over 70 destinations worldwide. For more information and prices visit skisilverstar.com and ikonpass.com.

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