It started with snow and ended with fireworks.
Whitewater Ski Resort was packed with families this weekend, as Kootenay residents paraded up the hill for the annual Winter Carnival put on by the Association des Francophones Kootenays Ouest (AFKO).
Ski enthusiasts careened down the slope as kids got their faces painted and got a chance to taste snow-packed maple syrup taffy. That was followed up by live music, a banquet feast and an evening celebration that included a torch-light parade down the slopes.
“I come from Nova Scotia, and I used to tap the trees and make maple syrup. So for me it’s really nostalgic, it’s just very Canadian,” said marketing manager Rebeckah Hornung, after trying a taste of taffy.
“My favourite part is seeing the families together having a good time. You have the young and the young at heart, seeing them enjoying the mountain experience together is fantastic to see.”
Hornung said they’re pleased with their long-standing partnership with AFKO.
“The evenings up at Whitewater, not a lot of people get to experience it, but with Ymir and the stars, the lodge in the evening — it has a real unique feel to it.”
The carnival comes amidst news that Whitewater is replacing the Summit Chair, after 41 years of service, with a Leitner-Poma fixed-grip quad chairlift that is scheduled to open in 2017.
