Shames mountain

hello friends, so i was going to put this in the regional forums, but seeing how it is not the interior, or vancouver/whistler...  and definitly not alberta - so what the heck, i'm putting it here.

so i'm down in the kootenay's (rossland to be specific) and life is good.   i would be lying if i said life is great, so it's just good.   after around a handful of years ski bumming around the southern half of this province i am slowly running out of the kind of terrain/weather/lack of crouds combination that will satisfy my needs on skis.      this has led me to look north in search of that which i desire.  

now, i've never been skiing up north, only planting, and even then - never been further west then fort. st. james.  as far as powder king goes, i don't think it's my cup of tea (due to the fact that there's no town near the hill and it's not open all week), so that leaves me with smithers and shames.  i know a few people from smithers (or who are currently in smithers) and it seams good...   they seam to have a good park, and some good bc access...    but it doesn't seam that amazing. 

shames on the other hand is intriguing for the fact that it's relativly close to town, and seams to sit right on the main spine of the range as opposed to smithers which sits on the leeward side...   this would make me assume that the snow is more plentiful and the bc terrain would be bigger and better.   although shames (in bounds) is lower in elevation and that much closer to the ocean, the snow might be heavier and most 'coastal' then smithers...    

so i guess my purpose of this thread is:    what's the town of terrace like (keep in mind i'm living in rossland, so i'm not looking for a big whistler/fernie like scene), how's the touring around shames, and is it enough to warrent a season there, or even just a trip up to see.   

thanks.