Early this winter, Sun Peaks Resort rolled back the welcome mat to better opening day conditions.
Sun Peaks is the first Canadian ski hill to try Snow Secure, a technology designed to save snow that was developed in Finland and recently became available in North America. The resort’s director of operations saw the benefits of the system on an early-season visit to Europe a few years ago and thought they should try it, explains Christina Antoniak, the resort’s director of communications. “We’ve seen changing weather patterns in the fall and early winter,” like warmer temps and inconsistent snowfall, she says. “With snow storage, we reduce the likelihood of [a late opening] and hope to even bring forward our opening dates in the future.”
Insulation Tech
The project began last spring when groomers piled up 14,000 cubic metres of snow on the lower third of the OSV run and covered the snow in 18 Snow Secure mats. Each one is four metres by 15m and stuffed with an insulation technology used in Finnish homes. Attached together, the mats create a blanket that has preserved up to 90 percent of the snow when used in Europe. Levi, a ski hill in Finland, uses the technology to ensure it can host the first World Cup races of the season in early November.
By mid-summer Sun Peaks was on track to preserve at least 80 percent of the stored snow. If that pans out, the mats will allow them to more consistently open for pre-season race training in early November and open to the public later in the month with better conditions.
“The public benefits,” says Antoniak, “because some of the snowmaking resources that will be replaced by snow storage means the snowmaking will move to other critical areas in preparation for public opening.”
Ryan Stuart’s article first appeared in the Fall 2025 edition of Ski Canada magazine.
