anoTHer famIly TradI-
TIon Is VIsITInG grouse
MouNTaiN's Peak of
chrisTMas. THIs year
KaTe Goes wITH Her
sIsTer dapHne and nIeCe
emma To see sanTa,
reIndeer and snowy
aCTIVITIes from sKaTInG
To sleIGH rIdes.
At Grouse Mountain for
more than 20 years, Peak
of Christmas is a way for
Vancouverites from down
at sea level to travel to
Vancouver's own North
Pole, says Julia Grant,
manager of communications
for Grouse Mountain
Resorts. The volume of
general admissions (which
doesn't include skiers) for
the month of December is
triple that of other winter
months. This year a multi-
lane slide will be added
to the mainstay attrac-
tions, which include an
8,000-square-foot skating
pond, sleigh rides, Santa's
48 BCBusiness december 2015 (top) robert kenney; (bottom) courtesy of grouse mountain resorts
wITH GIfT sHoppInG ouT of THe way, KaTe
joIns franK and laura for THe annual
famIly VIsIT To dogWood chrisTMas
Tree farM In forT lanGley
hen Lynn and Gary Sawatsky
bought a Christmas tree
farm 26 years ago, they
planned to sell the trees to
landscapers. Then at Christmas
time, a few people who had bought
trees from the previous owners
started coming to the gate, "and
we still have some of those people
today," says Lynn. The farm has
expanded from the original ve
acres to 20, and while most of the
family members have day jobs
(Gary is a longtime hydro lineman),
everyone helps out during the
busy season: the Sawatskys' sons
Cody and Carson, Cody's wife,
Carson's girlfriend, aunts, uncles
and cousins. "It's a family business,"
says Lynn. "It's hard work, but at
Christmas time it all pays o¦.
It's so much fun meeting all our
guests." Do¨wood is open from the
last weekend in November until
they sell out.
SEASONAL PURSUITS
(Top) Sprucing things up at
Dogwood Christmas Tree
Farm; (bottom) Grouse
Mountain skating rink and
a Santa in his workshop
