Almost 20 years of dreaming became reality this year with the announcement of a deal that will see Revelstoke's Mount Mackenzie ski hill transformed into a major all-season destination resort (click here for Flickr photos). Revelstoke's alpine report will cost about $270 million by completion and will feature 6,400 vertical feet of ski runs, trails, a golf course, hotels and residential villages. Of course, all of this takes time to do — about 25 years, to be exact. The entire project, which is being developed by Revelstoke Alpine Village Inc., is being constructed in five stages. The first real changes will become readily apparent within the next couple of years as the first new lifts and runs and put in and construction begins on new new lodges and hotels at the base of the mountain. It will also bring new people, businesses and services both to the tourism complex at the base of the mountain, which is to be incorporated within the city's boundaries, as well as to Revelstoke's downtown. In the meantime, the community ski run will remain in place and Cat Powder Skiing will continue to operate on the mountain. "This is good for everyone," says Clyde Newsome of Cat Powder Skiing. His operation, which offers some of the best — and most affordable — high-alpine skiing in the area, will feature a new day lodge and new areas for powder enthusiasts to explore. Having fund in the snow will continue to dominate local thinking in this city that epitomizes winter. Winterfest is scheduled to get underway in February with plenty of activities on and off the mountain for people of all ages, from events downtown to the Over-the-Hump Super-G Challenge. The Challenge has no maximum age limit and no dress code. Which is part of the fun because even the team that finishes last on the fun could wind up with a first-place prize for the most colourful, most outrageous or most original ski outfit for the race.