The 2021 Season Opener is all wrapped up, and ticket sales for the event raised an awesome $6500 for POW Canada to fight the climate crisis. Thank you to everyone who joined us! Stay tuned for info on the 2022 event – it’s the best way to kick off the snow season.
Join MEC x POW Canada for our annual Season Opener – it’s the return of our popular digital edition, plus in-person events at select stores.
The digital edition includes show-stopping lineup of films, chats with pro athletes, and giveaways to get you ready to kick off the snowy season.
The best part? All proceeds from the digital event are being donated to Protect Our Winters Canada, one of our awesome MEC Outdoor Impact partners.
In partnership with
Store events
Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal – you’re up! Check out what’s coming to your stores for Season Opener, including prizes and speaker series.
Digital edition details
Your $15 all-access household pass includes:
Snow Stoke Film Library
November 15–21
This curated library of films will get you stoked for all things steep and deep. Your ticket gets you access to the library from November 15–21 so you can watch films all week long or host a (COVID-safe) viewing party. From epic ski and snowboard films featuring your favourite Canadian athletes, to Avalanche Canada webinars to help you refresh your backcountry safety knowledge, we have everything you need to get stoked (and ready) for the winter season ahead.
AWAKEN
This is the story of three groups of winter adventurers, each dedicated to the pursuit of adventure, each loyal to their home playground. Filmed in three iconic winter locations, AWAKEN follows these adventurers as they are faced with the growing impact of climate change, right in their backyard. Contrasting the happiness we draw from the mountains with the harsh reality of an uncertain future, this film reminds us that the environmental message is truly simple; to adventure is to connect with the wild. It is this connection that empowers us to protect these fragile spaces and inspire others to follow.
Motherload
It is often said that the hardest part of any adventure is getting out the door. Planning and packing are tedious and time consuming. But the moment you cross over the threshold from the distractions of the real world to the freedom of the hills, everything seems to just fall into place. Said no mother ever. Follow professional skiers and mothers Tessa Treadway and Izzy Lynch as they carry the load of loss, life changing events, and the love of their children into the mountains where they find the moments of peace, growth and healing that help them carry on.
Other films include:
- Purple Mountains
- 12,000 KM
- … and more
Avalanche Canada 2021 webinars include:
- One-stop shop: An overview of Avalanche Canada’s fundamental online avalanche safety tools
- Recognizing avalanche terrain and trip preparedness
- Powder, power and pitfalls: leveraging social media/MIN for a safer winter: Social media and the Mountain Information Network (MIN) can be important tools in our backcountry decision making toolbox, but how do we make use of these powerful platforms while avoiding their considerable pitfalls?
The Power of Community: a pro athlete panel and climate change chat, hosted by Katie Burrell
Friday, November 19, 6:30pm PST
Join us on Zoom for a live panel with professional Canadian skiers and mountain athletes, hosted by the hilarious Katie Burrell. They’ll discuss climate advocacy, the effects of climate change in their local mountains and snowpack, and the power of community in creating change. Expect an hour of laughs, climate change chats, and stoke for all things snow.
All raffle prizes will be given out at this live event – join us to claim your prize!
Panelists include:
MEC and POW Ambassador and 2018 Olympian
Born and raised in Whistler, Yuki has been on skis for as long as she can remember. She is a two-time Olympian (Sochi and Pyeongchang) and skied on the Canadian National Slopestyle Ski team for 8 years. Having recently retired from competition skiing she looks to start spending more time adventuring in the backcountry.
POW Ambassador and pro skier
While most Calgary skiers Izzy Lynch’s age were riding the lifts and hitting gates, the Lynch family was busy building a backcountry lodge in British Columbia, an experience which fostered Izzy’s love for nature and big mountain skiing at a young age. Now a mother, she shares those same values with her son. As a storyteller, Izzy’s craft is to merge skiing with those kismet moments she has in remote areas, sharing different narratives of herself and others pushing their boundaries in films and writing. She wears many hats in the outdoor industry, merging all facets of her life – from backcountry skiing, coaching, motherhood and filmmaking, to collaborating with fellow athletes and volunteers as the Program Director for POW Canada.
POW Ambassador and pro athlete
A pro skier, filmmaker and a ski guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, Greg has made hundreds of first descents and set world records like climbing and skiing over two million feet in less than a year and 50,000 feet in 24 hours. But Greg’s biggest objectives lately are in his everyday quest to adventure in a more sustainable fashion.
Giveaways and more
Raffle prizes
Each $15 all-access pass includes 4 raffle tickets for you and your household – and great news, you can purchase additional raffle tickets for a better chance of winning one of the awesome prizes. The raffle will take place during the live athlete panel on Friday, November 19, so be sure to join us for your chance to win!
Prizes include:
- 2 x full Arc’teryx snow kits (worth ~$1600 each)
- 2 x MEC Label snow gear kit (worth ~$800)
- POW Canada swag package
- $500 MEC gift card
- An avy safety set (worth ~$490)
Want more chances to win? Join us at a Season Opener store event.
MEC ski or snowboard waxing
Want to support Protect Our Winters and get your skis or board waxed for a discounted rate? We’ve got you. Add on a $10 MEC ski or snowboard wax (value $15) and all proceeds will be donated directly to POW Canada. There’s a limited quantity available, so don’t hesitate – make sure you’re ready for first tracks.
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.
By purchasing a ticket to this event you agree to the following:
- Being contacted via email to receive event links and other event communications
- MEC website privacy policy
- MEC prize giveaway rules
