Industry News
The World Ski Awards, a sister organization to the World Travel Awards, aims to motivate the ski-tourism industry to deliver its best by recognizing the resorts that skiers truly love.
For the fifth consecutive year—and the 11th time overall—Lake Louise Ski Resort has been named Canada’s Best Ski Resort. Situated within Banff National Park, Lake Louise is renowned for its surreal scenery and consistently high-quality snow. With 4,200 acres of terrain, it is the largest resort in Alberta and the third largest in Canada, with future renovations possibly elevating that rank. Thanks to continuous improvements to terrain and infrastructure, Lake Louise maintains a firm hold on this award.
The World Ski Awards strives to bring transparency to the ski-tourism industry by rewarding excellence and encouraging ongoing progress. Winners are determined through a voting system open to both certified industry professionals and recreational skiers over the age of 16. Votes from industry professionals carry five times the weight of recreational votes, creating a system designed to be as accurate and representative as possible.
Banff National Park is a dream for both skiers and nature enthusiasts. With the SkiBig3 pass, visitors can explore all three of the park’s resorts: Lake Louise, Banff Sunshine Village, and Mt. Norquay. Cold temperatures and the high-pressure systems of the Northern Rockies produce soft, dry snow that remains soft even through long stretches of bluebird days. These often clear conditions only enhance the park’s stunning views. 360-degree panoramic views of sharp Rocky Mountain peaks and the shimmering turquoise waters of the titular Lake Louise elicit awe upon any glance of the horizon.
Lake Louise’s size and diversity ensure that every skier can find terrain they love. The resort offers 25% beginner, 45% intermediate, and 30% expert runs, giving each ability level entire zones to explore. Beginners can spend their day on Glacier and Juniper Express or even take the full run down from the top of the Grizzly Gondola. Intermediate skiers can warm up on Juniper and Larch before branching into high-alpine terrain like Boomerang off the Summit chair. Experts, meanwhile, will find endless challenges on the steep terrain accessible from the Paradise and Summit lifts.
The resort continues to grow and modernize. Over the past five years, Lake Louise has added four new chairlifts, with more expansion on the way. The newest lift, Richardson Ridge, is scheduled to debut in spring 2026, opening 200 acres of beginner and intermediate terrain serviced by a detachable quad. Further development plans include a connector lift from Temple Lodge and new advanced and expert glades. Since 2021, the resort has also introduced the Summit quad and its West Bowl terrain, the Juniper Express, and a high-speed six-pack upgrade to Pipestone Express complete with heated seats.
Lake Louise has long stood atop Canada’s ski-resort rankings and shows no signs of dropping. Its spectacular terrain, commitment to improvement, and consistent excellence embody exactly what the World Ski Awards seeks to inspire. For anyone still searching for their next ski destination, Lake Louise may be the answer.
