Banff’s Sunshine Village is preparing for an uncommon summer ski season following an exceptionally snowy winter.
The resort’s regular winter season is set to conclude on May 18, with summer skiing scheduled to run from June 20 to July 5.
Kendra Scurfield, a spokesperson for Sunshine Village, said the abundant snowpack gave the resort confidence to plan the 16-day summer season. “It was a fairytale season,” she said. “And the snow kept on coming and coming and coming.”
During the summer session, Sunshine Village plans to operate the Strawberry Express chairlift and several ski runs. Additional details about available slopes and schedules will be released in the coming weeks.
Sunshine Village is uniquely positioned to offer summer skiing due to its high elevation above the tree line, which helps preserve snow longer than other resorts. John Pomeroy, a University of Saskatchewan professor who studies precipitation in the Rockies, noted that higher elevations in the area receive nearly double the snowfall compared with nearby valley towns like Banff and Canmore.
This will mark only the second summer ski season at Sunshine Village in nearly 35 years. The last time was in 2022, when heavy snowfall allowed the resort to open for a brief six-day period over the Canada Day weekend. That event drew crowds eager to experience skiing in midsummer, with some visitors even hitting the slopes in shorts. “It was pretty wild and a little bit unusual and very Canadian,” Scurfield said.
The resort’s summer skiing plans highlight the enduring appeal of Banff’s high-altitude terrain and its ability to extend the ski season beyond typical winter months. For enthusiasts and tourists alike, it presents a rare opportunity to enjoy world-class skiing well into the summer, combining the thrill of the slopes with the stunning Rockies backdrop.
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