What a great way for kids to learn to love skiing! The coaches are fantastic and the program…read morerepresents very good value - all at one of the best ski hills in Ontario.

I went to Pakenham this season for the first time. It was also my first time skiing at all. I…read moresigned up for the Discovery program, which is a package that gets you a one-hour beginners' lesson, equipment rentals, and a 4-hour lift ticket for $55. This was a great deal, and made skiing really accessible for me. Otherwise I would have for sure been too nervous to go try this on my own. I didn't feel like the website gave me enough information about where to go and when, but when I phoned to ask questions, the person who answered my call was super helpful. The lesson took place first thing on a Saturday morning. There was a ski option and a snowboard option. The age ranges were so varied. Some were as young as little kids, right up to adults. I was divided into a group with three other adults, and a super helpful instructor named Stew. He was a jolly, retired gentleman who was empathetic, helpful, and hilarious. Stew took us on the baby hill (like, seriously, one smaller than the bunny hill) to teach us the basics. We learned how to go up the rope tow, and how to ski on the bunny hill. I was so nervous about learning this, but byu the end was so comfortable, and actually excited about coming back to try again. I mentioned that the lift ticket was for four hours. After the lesson, I continued to practice on the bunny hill for another hour and a half. It got really old after about 45 minutes, but I hadn't learned how to use the chair lift. I ended up leaving before the pass had expired/ There's a level 2 to the discover program, which I will be excited to try next season. I hope I get to learn how to use the chair lift!

Embrace the cold, hit the hot tub, repeat. That's the point of a winter trip to Canada. We had no…read moreproblem embracing the cold...but we forgot to bring the hot tub with us to the mountain. Having just come back from a Colorado ski trip a few weeks prior to this trip, we were just here to tube. There weren't very many people on the slopes, presumably because facial frostbite sets in halfway down the hill if you aren't smart enough to bring a gator (we were not), and there were even fewer on the tubing runs. Mingling amongst a handful of tiny puffy children, we were able to get up and down a few times without issue, however, it was after that point that the magic carpet became much less magical and we had to walk up. That was less fun. Whilst tubing, unless you are wearing snoveralls, be prepared to probably get snow in your pants on the way down. No matter how much I tucked in, the sitting angle + the speed = snow up my back and down my pants. I'm usually a face-first tuber, but that angle is frowned upon here. We paid for two hours and stayed for one. When the magic carpet was as magical as advertised and I was going too fast to care about the snow making its way through all of my layers, it was fun. Not something I'd do all day, but for $20/ea, it's not a bad way to spend an hour or two.

My go to hill in the Ottawa region. Sommets Edelweiss had it all:…read moreTerrain for every level of skier. A great terrain park. High speed quad lift (giving you 6 runs per hour). Great staff. What's more, it is only 30 min from downtown Ottawa!

Great little hill. It may be small but it's got great service. They got new snowmaking equipment in…read more2012 which was nice. The lines are long there and the food is overpriced like every other ski hill but it's still pretty good.

I did not have fun because my ride was slow. The lady in front of me was going so slow, it was like…read moreshe was walking in the park. When we got to the bottom, I told the crew that I did not enjoy myself because the lady in front was so slow. The lady said, "I need to enjoy the view for the $20 I paid." Lady, if you want to enjoy the view, go for a walk in the park. Don't take the mountain coaster.

I went here skiing on a perfect Friday afternoon. Pro's :…read morenice friendly site, nice variety of runs, great vegetarian food selection. Con's: too expensive, the runs are pretty short. I think next time I will go for another site, however this is not a bad option only too expensive than what I expect to pau for a ski pass.

Lovely trails for the experienced rider. There's some great blue trails that were excellent for…read moreuphill and downhill. It was not too busy for a Sunday either. There was green trails but we did not ride those yet. I appreciated that the restrooms were open and we paid $20 per bike to ride for the day. Can't wait to go back

Took my three teenage boys skiing for the first time. Took the lessons offered. After the lessons,…read morethe boys went up the only open lift and proceeded to descend with difficulty as would be expected from novice skiers - slowly with multiple falls.. Instead of offering advice or assistance, facilities staff told one of them that they should ski elsewhere - at another resort. He was so discouraged that he ended his day.

friendly accommodating and creative staff in a beautiful modern venue. ability to bring food for…read morethe occasion and make some themes according to your needs. great experience here, affordable and highly recommended, Sandra K

We had my daughter's 10th birthday party here in September and she loved it. The wow factor was…read moregreat, everyone loved it. It felt like renting out a club, the girls were very excited. Karaoke is the main draw of course, but the room is also set up great for parties with lots of couches and areas to set up for doing presents and games and stuff. The staff was super accommodating and let the girls use the microphones to do play mafia and call bingo as well. Great spot, hidden gem, highly recommend if you're out of ideas for a birthday party!

I've eaten here three times now, and maybe it's the oil they use to cook their food or something…read moreelse but every time I've stopped by the observatory for food I've been sick right after. I usually get their chicken strips with fries, and it NEVER sits well with me. Sure, they taste good, but after twenty minutes I'm running to the washroom to toss it back up. A friend of mine has had their wrap and quesadillas and even she agrees that there's just something about the food that doesn't sit right in one's stomach. Overall, it's a really nice restaurant space - the fireplace is a nice, cozy touch. The food, however, leaves a bit to be desired. Prices are decent though, and they accept student meal plan, which is why I'm not giving them 1 star out of five.

The Observatory is run by the Algonquin Students' Association. I've been here once before for an…read moreevent where they had Perez Hilton come in, talk on stage, and sign autographs. A bunch of wooden chairs were set up facing the stage, and Perez gossiped about celebrities for an hour or so, told us how he got to be a famous blogger, answered some questions, signed t-shirts, and dropped as many F-bombs as he possibly could. The bouncers were a little too serious for the nature of the event and the guest of honour. You'd think that they'd lighten up a little considering it was Perez Hilton talking and not a concert or anything, but at least they made sure to keep everything safe and fight-free. Food and alcohol are offered at the Observatory. They are fully licensed and offer Starbucks coffee and a decent selection of sandwiches, salads, pizza, pub-fare, and breakfast, all for affordable prices. For those of you that are Algonquin College students, you can use your meal plan here. They also have couches, TVs, and pool tables if you want to hang out and/or study. It's also available for private rentals when it's not being used for other events. To contact the Observatory directly, here is their information via the website: Paul Norman, The Observatory Manager (613) 727-4723 ext. 5327 or by e-mail at normanp1@algonquincollege.com