CANADA: Glacier expeditions; Cruise ships at play in Vancouver Harbour; Victoria Island waterfront; Canadian Mounties on National Day duties in Vancouver. Photos The News Room Sutherland Shire, Ron Tindall
It’s all happening in the Canadian snowfields where, by December, you will be able to catch a gondola peak-to-peak at Whistler Blackcomb, go faster, higher, stronger cross country Silver Star, or let the youngsters carve their first tracks at Big White.
Canada does snow holidays better than most. But then Canada does everything in a tourist sense well.
Whistler Blackcomb's Peak2Peak project, due to open December 12, is an engineering marvel. It is a daring venture uniting the two towering peaks which define the destination, revolutionising visitor experience on the way, not least of all from the 28 Swiss-designed sky cabins affording a bird's eye view of Fitzsimmons Valley at 436 metres below the highest lift of its kind.
The expanse to be crossed is mind-numbing - 4.4 kilometres from mountain to mountain. The Doppelmayr tri-cable gondola promises the world's longest unsupported span of 3.024 kilometres between the farthest distance between the two towers. Total ride time on a lift capable of moving 4100 passengers an hour is 11 minutes you will never forget. Two of the sky cabins have glass bottoms.
Think of it, come summer, too! (which, these days, is more my speed). Drop by www.whistlerblackcomb.com/peaktopeak | 
