Hahah I've actually got a family cottage there, so I've been going there every year since I can remember. The skiing out west is far better. Places like Whistler/Blackcomb, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, Lake Louise, Sunshine, Norquay, Big White, Fernie, and Panorama are all in a completely different class than anything east of Alberta. Not even close. They can be intimidating though, and far more expensive, and the only differences are the view (Jesus the view is beautiful), the amount of terrain, and the really steep stuff (Blackcomb glacier, whistler peak, Taynton Bowl, Whitehorn Gullies, Delirium dive, etc.), so if you're a new skier, there not much of a difference in terms of the terrain you're hitting. The stuff around Ottawa isn't bad though. I taught at Fortune for about 5 years, and places like St. Marie, Edelweiss, Cascade, and Vorlage can be great fun to ski after a day of school/work.