In the words of arguably the most famous woman in the world, Queen Elizabeth – ‘‘Around the world we have seen heartwarming stories of people coming together to help others’, Kimberley (as we knew it would be) is of course, no exception.  

We are all facing the most difficult time the world has ever seen, for most of us in a lifetime.  And no doubt everyone has noticed the changes it has made to our daily lives. And while these times are challenging, it’s time like these that show us what we’re made of and allows us to appreciate the things we do have and to realize that we are all in this together, it’s through the support of each other we will get through this and come out the other end with a renewed appreciation for what surrounds us.  

Here are just a few of the awesome initiatives going on in our community;

Facebook Social Distancing Cooking Class
Started by our very own Rob from Buckhorn & Main Mountain Eatery!  This Facebook group is open to everyone – a place to share recipes and cooking videos to help everyone with ideas for what to cook your family for meals as well as maybe pick up a few new skills.  Join the group today.  

Photo from The Socially Distant Cooking Class

The Kimberley Front Porch Project
Local photographer Chelsea from Meadowsweet Photography has started a Facebook group to feature the people and businesses of Kimberley to show the way people are being affected during these times, in exchange for being featured there is an optional GoFundMe page set up for donations that will be given to the Kimberley Food Bank.  To date there has already been over $5000 raised!  To have Chelsea stop by and feature your family and/or business, check out the Facebook group page for contact info, to donate directly go to the Go Fund Me.

Photo from the Kimberley Front Porch Project Facebook group

Paws in the Window
Another fun way to raise donations is the Paws in the Window initiative, set up by the Kimberley Kritters store. They ask you to make a piece of pawprint art, put it on display in your window, take a picture and send it to the Facebook page.  For every picture received Kimberley Kritters will donate $1 raising funds to support free pet food and supplies to those who need it in the community. See the art and get inspired on the Facebook group page.

Photo from the PAWS in the Window Facebook group

Care Packages from Food & Beverage
When we unexpectedly shut down on March 15th, as you can imagine one of the side effects of this was having a surplus of food in danger of going to waste.  Our Food & Beverage Director, Shawna, along with colleagues Chef Jenn and Sous Chef Kasey thought quickly and put together care packages for our team to take home avoiding food waste and making sure it was well used.

Bagging up care packages in The Stemwinder

Sparks Kimberley Birthday Parades
The longer the situation continues, the more birthdays we’re celebrating at a physical distance.  The Sparks Youth Centre has come up with a fun solution to that. Let them know when your birthday is in their Facebook group and you might even get a parade for your birthday to enjoy from your home!  

Photo from the Spark’s Kimberley Birthday Parade Facebook group

Our outdoor adventures may be on hold, but rest assured they will still be there for us to enjoy in the future and until then, we’ll continue to support each other.  And so to quote The Queen one more time – ‘we will meet again.’ 

*If you know of someone doing something great for your community message us through our Facebook page and let us know!

Off the beaten path? Yes. Easy to get to? Also Yes.

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘off the beaten track’ and it might not apply to many places as much as it does Kimberley. Having to leave the main highway to take a side highway to get to the town is part of it, however that’s not the only way to Kimberley.

A lesser known way to get to Kimberley (yet even easier and faster), is through air. Kimberley is the closest ski resort in the region to an international airport – about a half hour away!

The Canadian Rockies International Airport (YXC), is just a short drive down the road, and the great news is, it’s serviced by major airlines such as West Jet and Pacific Coastal Airlines. With daily flights flying in from airports all over Canada as well as from the United States, Kimberley no longer needs to be looked at as ‘off the beaten path’ (although it does still have that charm). A huge bonus – if you’re staying at Trickle Creek Lodge, Kimberley Alpine Resort’s premiere ski in/ski out hotel property, they’ll even send a shuttle to pick you up right from the airport – for FREE! This is one place you can really fly & ski all in one day.

Kimberley Alpine Resort and the town of Kimberley B.C hold a certain small town vibe about them. They both have a distinct Canadian feel while architecturally European looking, they’re like no other place in B.C (or Canada). Skiing of course being one of the many popular activities to experience in Kimberley, it certainly doesn’t stop there. It’s well known for being a family friendly resort with appropriate terrain (and perfect purcell powder), apres activities for kids and the only resort in the area with night skiing, however it’s also an awesome time for of agers – Americans take note, our drinking age is 19 up here ;-). There’s live music every weekend in The Stemwinder Bar & Grill at the resort located just a few steps away from Buckhorn & Main Mountain Eatery and even pop up craft beer stations to check out while you’re riding the powder. On top of that, Kimberley hosts fun events all the time with everything from ski races to outdoor concerts and parties.

If all that ski hill fun isn’t enough, the town of Kimberley is less than a 5 minute drive away and has an incredibly quaint walking plaza with multiple shops and a craft brewery, it’s like an awesome pub crawl but barely having to move!

If you’re looking for even more ideas on what to do in Kimberley, here are some other helpful spots to check out;
4 Epic Winter Adventures to Have in the Canadian Rockies (Besides the Obvious)
Winter Activities & Heli Skiing at Kimberley Alpine Resort
If you’re looking for even more terrain to hit, Fernie Alpine Resort is just about an hour away from Kimberley and perfect for a little day jaunt to check out a different mountain.

So what are you waiting for? Go on, book your trip to Kimberley now!
Visit the Canadian Rockies International Airport website for flight info.
Book your flight through West Jet.
Pair flights with your hotel and lift tickets through RCR Vacations.

Photos by Prestige Tours, The Real McKenzie Photography, Michael Scraper, Cole Pellerin

Kimberley, B.C. is sometimes referred to as ‘off the beaten path’, but the truth is it’s actually super easy and extremely convenient to get to, given its close proximity to YXC – the Canadian Rockies International Airport.  Yes, you read that right, it’s that close to an international airport.  You don’t need to fly into Calgary and rent a car to get there, just fly right into YXC and grab a cab or shuttle to Kimberley (Trickle Creek Lodge has a free one if you’re a guest there).  Being less than 30 minutes away, you’ll be in Kimberley before you know it (most people who live right in Calgary aren’t even that close to YYC, Calgary’s International Airport)!

Making things even easier is the addition of more flights to YXC through Pacific Coastal Airlines as part of their spring/summer schedule.  Increase in flights and scheduling includes 7-day a week service, same day business travel options, flights twice daily between YXC & YVR and enhanced connections between regularly scheduled destinations within Pacific Coastal. 

Don’t know much about Kimberley?  Looking for a good reason to visit the area?  Here are 5(ish) of the best reasons.

So much Golf!
‘A Golfer’s Dream’ is Trickle Creek Golf Resort’s slogan, but really it can apply to the whole region of Kimberley and its nearby towns, since there are so many golf courses to choose from!  Try to fit them all in on one trip – you won’t be able to!  But that’s okay, just another great reason to make the easy trip back.

Food & Craft Beer
If you’re one of those hipsters who travels around trying all the craft beer, fancy coffee and delicious food you can (and even if you aren’t), Kimberley is a stop you will want to make.  There no shortage of unique and delicious options.  Start the day off at the Kimberley City Bakery, all you have to do is read some of the rave reviews on their Facebook page and you’ll be convinced to stop in.  You can easily spend the rest of the day bouncing around the restaurants in and around the downtown Platzl, try The Shed for a delicious lunch and craft beer, pop into Overtime Beer Works for a local brewery experience, try Pedal and Tap (so good it’s only open for dinner) and if you’re still thirsty after that, head to Buckhorn & Main that has great daily features (located right in your hotel, Trickle Creek Lodge).

The town of Festivals
The festivals in Kimberley just don’t stop!  With something fun going on just about every weekend, in summer it starts with Marysville Daze at the beginning on June and continues with First Saturdays, Julyfest (the best of the fests), Round the Mountain, Kimberley Kaleidoscope (and a lot more)!

Outdoorsy Things – Hiking, Biking, Fishing, Kayaking
Kimberley truly is an outdoorsy town with a huge variety of outdoor fun, from strenuous to recreational.  Is hiking and/or biking your thing?  We’ve got trails from easy to hard, from forests to waterfalls and even an old train route turned bike/pedestrian path from Kimberley to Cranbrook called Rails to Trails.  Prefer fishing?  Kimberley is surrounded by mountain lakes and rivers and is known for it’s ‘feisty fish’.  Looking for something a little gentler and to leisurely take in the surrounding scenery?  Try kayaking down a quiet stream.

Quaint town to explore
For a ‘small ski town’ there is actually a ton to do in Kimberley, especially for families.  Kids and adults will enjoy the aquatic centre, skate park, climbing centre and exploring the nature park (to name a few).

More about the new Pacific Coastal service see the Press Release on their website.
More information about activities, festivals and dining in town on the Tourism Kimberley website
More information about resort activities throughout our website
Main photo: Pacific Coastal Facebook
Other photos courtesy of Trickle Creek Golf Resort, The Shed and Tourism Kimberley

September 30, 2018

Group text – 11 members

Chelsea: Hey guys, just to circle back to the conversation we had around the campfire this summer at Grandma’s – are we all in for a family ski trip this winter?

No response.

October 9, 2018

Chelsea: Hi cousins and siblings! What are we all thinking in terms of booking a ski trip this winter? It was great seeing you all for Thanksgiving – would be great to think about planning this trip… what does everyone think?

No response.

I’m not going to say outright my family is dysfunctional. However when it comes to planning a big ski trip with cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, we are anything but functional.  It’s a friendly, happy group but trying to coax it in a specific direction is like herding kittens. Feral kittens.

After chatting excitedly about how fun it would be to all stay close together on a mountain where those skiing could catch great laps, new skiers could snag a lesson, and those watching the littlest ones could hangout together and feel apart of things we hit a lull. It seemed too good to be true. Juggling schedules of ten adults and another ten children is daunting at best, and finding one place that would meet so many unique needs was a tall order indeed. Upon a little research though, we quickly learned Kimberley Alpine Resort makes planning a trip like this, dare I say, easy. With it’s beautiful, reasonably priced ski-in – ski out lodging including fully equipped kitchens, heated outdoor pool and hot tubs, on-mountain restaurants, and North America’s longest night skiing run Kimberley Alpine Resort was the perfect destination, and heck of a good time.

Nestled in the Purcell mountain range in the East Kooteneys, the city of Kimberley is equal parts charming and laid-back. With just over 7000 residents the city has a small-town feel, yet with it’s dedicated Bavarian style Platzl, it also has entertainment that rivals a much bigger centre. It’s a place where festivals, live-music, street dancing, and parades all meet, where one can walk from shop to shop, and hop from one restaurant to the next each specializing in some wonderful delicacy.  We definitely ate our weight at both the Stonefire pizzeria where the kids sat entranced in their, “front row seats,” watching pizza dough skillfully tossed in the air, and also at the Kimberley City Bakery. If you are wondering if it is worth the trip just for the baked goods – yes, yes it is.

The ski hill reflects a natural extension of the city – amazing snow, laid-back feel, and an odd sensation that you’ve been there before with its homey and inviting vibe.

Our group of twenty got to know the friendly staff that truly made the experience. No one was ever in too much of a hurry to lend a hand, and staff were always looking for ways to help out. The kids each received little tutorials on how to ride the T-bar more effectively by the lift operators, (unfortunately eradicating some hilarious crashes), and the experts in the rental shop willingly shared their expansive knowledge on ski-set-up. They ensured our children’s skis would indeed pop off upon wipeout instead of breaking their legs – which may have been the way we had been setting them for the last five years. MAY is the operative word in this sentence.

After taking an easy driving day out on Saturday, it was really fun to be able to get some skiing in that evening. The lights of the city below were breathtaking, and it was a perfect end to the day and start of the trip.

After excitedly jumping on the lift for night skiing Saturday evening, a few in our group decided lessons for the kids would be a great idea, which proved their weight in gold. The instructors embodied all the excellent attributes we found to be standard at the resort thus far – kind, knowledgeable, patient and confidence-inspiring. The proof was really in the pudding as we watched the kids rip down the very run that had given them trouble the night before laughing and whooping the whole way.

Beyond the resort providing a great destination for a big group to enjoy each other and the beautiful British Columbian Mountains the skiing was nothing short of epic. We found fresh turns, some beautiful glades, and lovely rolling runs that the kids (or the inner-kid within the adults) found little jumps to pop off along the way.  With an average snowfall of 13 feet and the resort sprawling over 1800+ acres, it wasn’t surprising that there was great skiing for everyone.

Those taking turns with the smallest kids spent time splashing and playing in the pool, and soaking in the hot tub watching and cheering on those getting their ski legs under them on the green chair while they waited to get tagged out and take a turn on the mountain.

If that weren’t enough already, opposite the ski mountain sat a beautiful skating pond surrounded by the breathtaking mountains, and warmly lit by lampposts to provide skating time well after dark. It was a very iconic Canadian scene.

There was one problem with our get-away to Kimberley. We had too much fun on the hill, we didn’t check out the cool little climbing gym in town, or the Lussier Hot Springs out of town. I guess I better start texting now, so our clan can get a jump on planning for next year.

Photos & Words by Chelsea Mackenzie Photography
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