Family Day is Monday, Feb. 20, and it’s a much-needed break during what’s started off as a very busy year. There will not be another long weekend until April and everyone is brainstorming ways to make the most of this mini-vacation. So why not spend Family Day as originally intended: together as a family. And what better way than bundling up the kiddies and hitting the slopes together!

Skiing and snowboarding are two of Canada’s most exciting winter sports. They are exhilarating ways to not only spend the winter but also to spend time together as a family. Kids never tried it before? No worries! That’s where the Canadian Ski Council comes in. The council has created the Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass program specifically to make it easy and affordable for parents to get their kids skiing or snowboarding.

Apply online for a SnowPass today and you’ll get a SnowPass card that includes up to three free lift tickets at each participating ski area across Canada. There are over 150 locations coast to coast, giving your child hundreds of opportunities to ski and snowboard for free! For a full list of participating ski areas, please visit www.snowpass.ca

Getting a SnowPass is easy and registration is open to any child in grade 4 or 5 (born in 2001 or 2002). You can register them through the mail or you can visit www.snowpass.ca, upload your child’s picture and proof of age, then enter your method of payment and presto! Your child’s personalized SnowPass will me mailed directly to your home. No matter the method, the SnowPass costs only $22, taxes included.

The SnowPass program is available all across Canada and each child will receive either an Eastern or Western SnowPass card. The Western SnowPass card is valid for children residing in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Yukon Territories and can be used at 60 different ski areas. The Eastern SnowPass card is valid for Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada at 92 different ski areas. And no matter where you live, remember, each pass contains three free lift tickets for each of the participating ski areas giving your child hundreds of ways to ski or snowboard for free this year!

Grade 4 and 5 SnowPass information and applications are available online at www.snowpass.caor www.passeportdesneiges.ca.