The first time Michael Cohen saw the peaks of Whistler rising above a blanket of snow, he knew he’d found his place. That was more than 25 years ago.
Since then, the founder of Blue Powder Travel has returned to Canada more than 15 times and helped send hundreds of Australians to experience the same magic.
“It was by far the best holiday I’ve ever had,” he says. “Whistler had it all, incredible snow, a buzzing village, amazing runs. I just thought, this is skiing done right.”
For Cohen, Canada is more than a destination. It’s where his lifelong love of skiing took shape, where friendships were forged, and where his passion for sharing that experience with others began.
Cohen didn’t grow up skiing.
His parents took him on beach holidays, and it wasn’t until he was 18 that he first put on a pair of skis.
“We had no idea what we were doing,” he laughs.
“We just drove to Thredbo with our mates, no lessons, no plan. We thought we’d just pick it up.
It was so much harder than we expected, but we loved every minute.”
After a few seasons chasing snow in Australia, Cohen decided to take his passion further. He booked his first overseas ski trip, to Canada. He was 22, travelling with three friends who, like him, knew little about the world of international skiing. “We went to a travel agent who thankfully knew what he was doing,” he says. “He sent us to Whistler and Banff for two weeks, and it changed everything.”
Whistler was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. The village buzzed with energy, the mountains seemed endless, and the snow was deep and dry. “It was like discovering a new world,” Cohen recalls. “Every run was different, every corner of the village had something happening. I was just blown away.” That trip sparked a lifelong love affair, not just with skiing, but with Canada itself.
Two years later, Cohen returned to Whistler, this time with a working visa. He landed a job with the Whistler Resort Association, helping travellers plan their own holidays. “I loved it, people would call from all over, and I’d help them book their trip. I realised I was good at it, and it just clicked. That’s when I knew what I wanted to do.”
When he came home to Australia, he turned that spark into a business, founding Blue Powder Travel, now one of Australia’s leading snow travel specialists.
“It all started because I loved Canada,” he says simply.
Over the years, Cohen has skied almost every major resort in Canada, from Sun Peaks and SilverStar to Big White, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse and Fernie.
Each one, he says, has its own character and charm. “Sun Peaks has become a favourite for our clients, it’s got everything Whistler has but without the crowds,” he explains. “But Whistler will always be special. It’s where it all began for me.”
What keeps him and his clients coming back?
“It’s the people,” he says without hesitation. “Canadians are so genuine and warm. You feel like you belong. And the service and infrastructure are world-class. The lifts, the villages, everything just works. It’s easy, it’s welcoming, and it feels like home.”
Cohen says around 80 per cent of his clients are families, and increasingly, multi-generational ones.
“The biggest trend we’re seeing is grandparents, parents and kids all travelling together,” he says.
“The baby boomers were the first generation of Australian skiers, and now they’re taking their children and grandchildren. It’s the one holiday where no one gets bored.”
The beauty of a Canadian ski holiday, he says, is how it brings everyone together. “During the day, people go off in different directions, the kids in ski school, the parents on the slopes, the grandparents relaxing. But by the end of the day, everyone’s happy, tired and together again.”
Beyond the thrill of the slopes, there is no shortage of adventure in Canada’s ski resorts. Many travellers take a day off skiing to experience something different, from dog sledding through snow-dusted forests to snowmobiling across frozen lakes, or snowshoeing along quiet alpine trails where it’s just you and the crunch of fresh powder underfoot. For families, these off-slope adventures often become trip highlights, offering a glimpse of Canada’s wild beauty and a deeper connection to the landscape.
“There’s so much to do beyond skiing,” says Cohen. “Whether it’s gliding behind a team of huskies or sharing hot chocolate by the fire, it all adds to that Canadian magic.”
While the ski resort is the main attraction for Blue Powder Travel clients, many extend their stay to explore more of Canada’s beauty. “Vancouver’s always popular for a few days before or after skiing,” Cohen says. “Some clients go on to Banff, or take the Rocky Mountaineer train through the mountains, even cruise from Vancouver to Alaska in summer. Canada offers so much more beyond the snow.”
Cohen has built a career out of helping Australians discover Canada’s world-class ski destinations, but for him, it’s still personal.
He returns regularly, sometimes for work, sometimes just with friends.
“Every time I fly into Vancouver, I get that same feeling I did on my first trip,”
he says. “It’s excitement, it’s familiarity — it’s like coming home.”
And that, he says, is the magic of Canada. “It’s not just about skiing. It’s about connection, to the mountains, the people, and that feeling you get when you’re there.
Once you’ve experienced it, you can’t help but want to go back.”
