Happy New Year!

Three … Two … One …

Whistler’s wintry resort-setting First Night New Year’s Eve celebrations focus on family-friendly festivities, complete with live music, art workshops, street entertainment and more. www.whistlerfirstnight.com

In the Kootenay Rockies, Panorama Mountain Village near Invermere promotes family togetherness with carolling, snow fort building, cosy campfires, festive menus at one of the many mountain eateries, a Torch Light Parade and a fireworks finale. At Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near Golden, an action-packed evening unfolds in the plaza with a Big Air Jam, Glow Stick Parade, Torch Light Parade and fireworks display.  For something a bit more subdued, head to the resort’s Eagle’s Eye.  Noted as the highest elevation restaurant in the country at 2,350 metres (7,700 feet), you can count down the clock with a delectable sky-high five-course winemaker’s dinner.  www.skipanorama.com; www.kickinghorseresort.com     

In the Thompson Okanagan, the party kicks off at Silver Star Mountain Resort near Vernon with a Torchlight Parade, bonfires, fireworks and a host of festivities throughout village hotspots including the Den, The Saloon, the Bulldog, and Long John’s Pub. Little ones light up the night at Sun Peaks Resort, near Kamloops, with a Glowstick Parade, followed by First Flight — a demonstration of slopestyle acrobatics, complete with spotlights and a DJ. To add the final touch to the evening, the Torchlight Descent down Sundance, capped off with fireworks, is sure to see the New Year in with a bang. www.skisilverstar.com; www.sunpeaksresort.com