That’s how James Shalman, general manager of Apex Mountain Resort, feels about it.

“The reason that we like it is we’re always out getting kids into the sport of skiing and snowboarding,” said Shalman. “It is kind of the future of our sport.”

The Canadian Ski Council (CSC) is providing SnowPass, which has been around for nearly 20 years for children in Grade 4 and 5.

SnowPass provides children with three lift tickets at each of the 150+ participating ski areas across Canada for just $29.95. That’s enough skiing and snowboarding to keep them busy from now until the end of the season. Apex Mountain Resort is among the ski hills involved.

“It’s huge,” said Shalman of the amount of families using the program.

Skiing and snowboarding are two of Canada’s hottest winter sports, the CSC said.

“Learning a new sport is an excellent opportunity for families to not only bond,” comments Paul Pinchbeck, president and CEO of the Canadian Ski Council, “it’s also an exhilarating and healthy way for children to gain self-confidence, pride, and a great way to stay fit and active during the winter months.”

With a brand new year ahead of us, the CSC understands that budgets are tight. That’s why for the past 20 years they have been dedicated to making it easy and affordable for all parents to get their kids started in skiing and snowboarding. SnowPass is a national program and can be used at over 150 ski areas across Canada, including 31 ski areas in British Columbia, 24 in Alberta, one in Saskatchewan, three in Manitoba, 31 in Ontario, 59 in Quebec, eight in Atlantic Canada, and one in the Yukon. So no matter where you live, everyone can take advantage of this fantastic offer.

To see a full list of participating ski areas, please visit www.snowpass.ca. Registering your child for a SnowPass is easy and any child in those grades is eligible (or those born in 2006 or 2007). Upload your child’s picture and proof of age, enter your method of payment, and presto – your child’s personalized SnowPass ePass will be emailed to you.

It’s never too soon to get your children outside on the slopes and take full advantage of the savings that the SnowPass offers. Grade 4 and 5 SnowPass information and applications are available online.