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Season Opener

It’s back. An all-out celebration of winter with athletes and climate advocates making big moves to protect our planet.

Join us for film screenings, conversations with POW athletes, ski waxing and drinks by donation from local brewery sponsors, and epic prizes from our friends at Arc’teryx, Osprey and more. 

All proceeds go to Protect Our Winters Canada

Everyone is welcome – we can’t wait to see you there!

In partnership with

Event details

We’re hosting Season Opener events at nine locations. Tickets are just $20 and all proceeds go to Protect Our Winters Canada.

MEC Vancouver
October 20
Doors: 7:30pm
Show starts: 8:30pm
111 2nd Ave East, Vancouver

MEC Toronto
October 23
Doors: 7:30pm
Show starts: 8:30pm
300 Queen Street West, Toronto

MEC Montreal
October 27
Doors: 6:30pm
Show starts: 7:30pm
8989 de l'Acadie Boulevard, Montreal

MEC Calgary
October 30
Doors: 7:30pm
Show starts: 8:30pm
830 – 10th Avenue SW, Calgary

More locations added below - scroll to bottom of the page or click the link below for more info and to buy tickets

Films

Farming Turns

Film Synopsis: Chris Rubens was living the dream. As a professional skier, for years he travelled the globe in search of the best skiing, until an expedition to Greenland brought the reality of climate change and his impact into sharp focus. Forced to confront his footprint and values, he takes action, risking his career as an athlete to become an organic farmer in a quest to foster a stronger, more sustainable community and connection to the mountains.

Slides on the Mountain

Film Synopsis: “Slides on the Mountain” follows Talon (17) and Riki (15), two brothers from the Lil’wat Nation, as they decide to ski Ts’zil and set off to learn the skills they need to ride the mountain safely. Their unique personalities shine as we follow them through the winter while their mentors and Lil'wat elders shed light on why it's so significant for Lil’wat youth to be able to experience the mountains so deeply entrenched in their culture.

Meet our athlete panel

Want to become a climate advocate but don’t know where to start? We’ve mobilized our friends at POW Canada to bring you a one-on-one conversation with pro athletes, Chris Rubens (joining us in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto) and Gabriel Filippi (joining us in Montreal), lending their voices to a national movement for climate action.

Together we’ll discuss climate advocacy, the effects of climate change in the local mountains, and the importance of local activism to create positive change.

Chris Rubens

Truly dedicated to the mountains and passionate about movement in them, Chris Rubens spends the majority of his time self-propelling in the backcountry and putting down beautiful lines for both film and photo projects. Lately his pursuit of adventure has become year-round; creating quality climbing, running, hiking, and bike content. An impressive athlete, a strong chapter, and funny personality, Chris’ stories resonate with audiences because they are a window into an amazing life. He spends most of his winters collaborating with Salomon TV, MatchStick Productions, and Sherpas Cinema. Between trips you can find Chris at home in Revelstoke, British Columbia, the perfect backyard for endless opportunities for outdoor pursuits.

Gabriel Filippi

Gabriel Filippi, a member of The North Face Athlete Team, became the first Canadian to summit Mount Everest four times, including a back-to-back climb of Everest and Lhotse within 24 hours (2019). An adventurer who has traveled to over 40 countries, he has scaled technical peaks, rock cliffs, and frozen waterfalls. Gabriel is also an ultra-trail runner, completing races like the Bromont Ultra 160KM and Ultra-Trail Harricana 125KM. As a sought-after speaker and POW ambassador, he presents the educational program Hot Planet, Cool Athletes across Canada.

Epic prizes and silent auction

Your chance to win the latest ski and outdoor gear (if you’ve ever been to one of our events, you know our raffles are jam-packed).

Raffle prizes

Your event ticket automatically gets you entered into the raffle – and it’s pretty huge. We’ll have lots of gear giveaways, along with epic grand prizes per location. Prizes available:

  • MEC Label ski kit (jacket and pants)
  • Osprey packs
  • Arc'teryx Backpack
  • Arc'teryx Covert Fleece
  • A limited edition MEC x POW Toaster Suit
  • Smartwool Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer sets
  • and much more!

Want more chances to win? Additional raffle tickets are available for purchase at the event.

Prizes vary by location

Silent auction package

We've teamed up with our friends at Arc'teryx to provide you with the ultimate winter kit, which will be up for silent auction at the event:

All proceeds from the raffle and silent auction will be donated to POW Canada, in their efforts to address climate change.

Ski and snowboard wax

Get your skis and snowboards waxed by donation! All proceeds support POW Canada, helping protect our environment. Let’s kick off the winter season with a commitment to our planet—one glide at a time!

About POW Canada

Protect Our Winters Canada is a passionate community of outdoor enthusiasts, professional athletes, and industry brands uniting the outdoor community to address climate change. We believe our love of adventure in nature demands our participation in the fight to save and protect it.

Join POW Canada today and be a part of one of the world’s fastest-growing climate and environmental advocacy global alliances today.

You can also donate directly to POW and receive a tax receipt. However, donating through this link does not give you access to the event – it’s for donations above and beyond your ticket purchase.

Additional film screenings

We wanted to bring the stoke to you - so we've added a few more locations to our tour. We’re excited to welcome you in-store to meet with your local POW Chapters, catch some ski films to get you stoked for winter, connect with your local community and win some epic prizing.

Date: Sunday, November 10

Doors: 7:30 pm

Show starts: 8:15pm

Tickets: $15

Click the link below for tickets: