Banff’s Mount Norquay celebrates its 100-year anniversary

No one's exactly sure when people from Banff first hiked up Mount Norquay to ski down it, but staff at the resort found records that narrow it down.

No one is exactly sure when the first Banff residents hiked up Mount Norquay and skied down, but staff at the resort found records indicating it might be 1926, so the mountain is celebrating its 100-year anniversary in the 2025/26 ski season.

“The culmination of all our events is going to be on Saturday, March 28,” said Andre Quenneville, Norquay general manager. “(We’re inviting) people who are ski patrollers and volunteers and people (from the) ski racing community, ski instructors or employees who used to work here … To join us on that day, along with general public of course.”

Quenneville got his start at Norquay in 2006 and learned about the mountain’s rich history from a book called The Spirit of Norquay: History of Skiing in Banff.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

It was written by Eddie Hunter, who’s also celebrating his 100th birthday in 2026.

Hunter is a pioneer who started skiing the mountain before it had any chair lifts.

“He had just published his book,” said Quenneville. “It was really exciting to learn all the history myself.”

In the early days, Hunter would hike up the mountain with his dad from their home in Banff to watch ski jumping, because they didn’t have a vehicle.

Quenneville says he thinks about those historic experiences when he straps on his skis for a few runs.

“The first thing that comes to my mind is when I ski the big chair, for instance, which is named the North American because at the time it was the steepest, longest ski runs in North America,” he said.

“But, (in the 1930s), they skied them in leather boots and wooden skis, and when I ski it today I get tired, I could just imagine how it was back then when they walked up and ski down in that equipment, they were really committed to this sport and enjoying themselves doing it.”

Quenneville has been collecting memorabilia from the early days of the ski hill on loan by the public to be showcased at the mountain for visitors to see.

“The most interesting item I’ve received to date is an original chair from the 1948 chairlift, which was the third chairlift in Canada – a single-seater chair – and I’ve got one,” he said. “We’re planning on having a display where we’re going to show the original chair, the current chair, and then of course our future vision, which is a gondola to replace the chair.”

Hunter’s daughter Kendall is a writer who has produced a series of blog posts about the rich history of Norquay posted on the resort’s website.

“I literally grew up on the hill, and I actually didn’t realize it until I really started writing it, how I do have a connection to so many people – like maybe it’s a close connection or a distant one -- but I have something to say about so many people that have something to do with Norquay.”

Kendall’s dad first brought her and her sister to the mountain when they were toddlers.

Kendall learned to ski here and ended up racing.

“Every sport on the hill has a memory for me, pretty much,” she said. “You know, training on the rope-tow or riding up backwards on the T-bar with my friends, goofing around or skiing through the trees you know, just every spot has a memory.”

And it’s those memories – and some from her dad – that she’s sharing in the blog.

Eddie was out at the mountain in 2025 making a few turns at 99 years old.

Kendall says the mountain has kept her dad young.

“He’s actually not saying if he’s going to go or not this year, but he’s talking about it,” she said.