[manny_santos]

I've skied at quite a few places throughout Ontario as well as in Quebec; I have unfortunately never skied in Western Canada, which I would like to do. A few notes about places I've skied:

Blue Mountain - Collingwood, ON
Been here only once, though I would consider going back. I find a lot of Torontonians I know automatically assume that if you ski you only go to Blue, even though there are a dozen other places to ski within a 90-minute drive of Toronto. It's a lot more corporate than other ski areas; one of the high-speed lifts is called Silver Bullet, with lots of Coors signage nearby. Chalet food and beer is also very expensive; I paid over $20 for just a sandwich, fries and a beer. I also found it very crowded. I don't mind waiting in line for a lift, but when I'm going down I don't like there being five skiers and four snowboarders in close proximity. However it's not crowded at night from what I saw, which is a plus.

Calabogie Peaks - Calabogie, ON
I've been here four times now; it's the main go-to ski area for Kingston, even though it's at least a two-hour drive north. It's reportedly got the highest vertical in Ontario. I like it a lot better than Blue; it's relatively cheap, it's not crowded, and it's got a good mix of terrain for everyone. Only major downside is that there's no night skiing. (Strangely, among skiers I know in Toronto, nobody has ever heard of Calabogie, and are quite surprised to learn it has a higher vertical than Blue.)

Boler Mountain - London, ON
London's ski hill and the most southerly ski hill in Canada. It has gone through some major expansion in recent years; when I was younger it had a single hill with 110' vertical, one quad chairlift and two T-bar lifts, and a total of 9 runs. Today there's two hills, with the second one having over 200' vertical, a total of three quad chairlifts, and a total of 15 runs. It's a great place to learn and even today I'll go there if I'm in the London area. They have night skiing.

Snow Valley - Minesing, ON
Ski hill located just west of Barrie. Been here once; found it incredibly crowded. One of the chairlifts actually broke down while I was on it, and I was stuck up there for 20 minutes before they found a way to get everyone off. You get what you pay for here, though they have a couple good runs. They have night skiing.

Edelweiss - Wakefield, QC
One of the ski areas in the Gatineau region, located just beyond the end of Autoroute 5, and often advertising on TV in Ottawa. I've been here twice; it reminded me of Calabogie, and it wasn't too crowded at all either time I went. One observation I had there was the amount of English-only signage. They have a pretty good bar too. They have night skiing; I'd definitely go back.

Earl Bales Park - North York, ON
Many Torontonians aren't even aware that there's an operating ski hill within Toronto city limits; this one is owned by the City and is located near Bathurst and Sheppard, not far from Downsview. I have been here once, at night; it seems like a good beginner facility. It is also steeper than some facilities that have higher verticals. There are, surprisingly, two chairlifts here.