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Whistler’s family affair takes off with 85,000 visits over Family Day weekend

B.C.’s newest long weekend a plus for Whistler Blackcomb
family_day_photographer_paul_morrison
Photo by Paul Morrison

Thousands made for happy families on the slopes of Whistler, as 85,000 skiers and snowboarders took advantage of British Columbia’s newest holiday weekend.

The first Family Day long weekend, from Feb. 8 to Feb. 11, was a particular boon to Whistler Blackcomb, the company announced in a release.

“From Friday to Monday we managed to draw the kind of daily visit numbers we see over our busiest time periods like U.S. Presidents’ Week and Christmas holidays,” said Dave Brownlie, president and CEO of Whistler Blackcomb.

“As the numbers prove, this date allowed us to capture incremental visitation in the month of February, and B.C. residents were given their holiday a week before an already peak time period over the third weekend of February when Presidents’ Week and other provincial Family Days take place.”

Canada West Ski Areas Association, Whistler Blackcomb, Tourism Whistler and other tourism-based businesses successfully promoted BC Family Day to fall on the second weekend of February instead of the third week originally proposed.

The holiday will take place every year on the second Monday in February.

Whistler Blackcomb won plaudits for its family-friendly approach in 2012, including being named Top Family Resort by CNN.com, and being named Best Canadian Family Resort by both SKI Magazine and Canadian Living Magazine.