It鈥檚 customary for performers to say 鈥渂reak a leg鈥� before stepping on stage. But for Dan Quinn, founder of the Snowed In Comedy Tour, that joke could hit a little too close to home.
As the driving force behind a comedy circuit that blends stand-up with snow-soaked adventures, Quinn and the tour got their start on the ski hill circuit.
In fact, the idea for the tour was born after a blizzard in Fernie, the first show was at Sun Peaks 鈥� and the idea, well, it just snowballed from there.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had a lot of adventures, for sure,鈥� Quinn recalls. 鈥淩oads, safety, highway closures 鈥� all kinds of things add to it. That鈥檚 part of trying to make a living in Canada in winter.鈥�
Now in its 16th year, the Snowed In Comedy Tour has grown into Canada鈥檚 largest comedy showcase, featuring 70 performances in 2025 across the country, including Vancouver Island stops in Victoria, Nanaimo, Duncan, Courtenay, Port Alberni and Campbell River.
From intimate venues to sold-out theatres, the tour brings together four seasoned comedians 鈥� Quinn, Pete Zedlacher, Paul Myrehaug and Erica Sigurdson 鈥� for a high-energy night of personal storytelling, characters and cultural commentary.
The 25-minute sets hit a broad range of comedic styles: Broadly speaking, Quinn draws from personal experiences and relationships, Zedlacher leans into characters, accents and act-outs, Myrehaug delivers anecdotes with a twist of outlandish humour and Sigurdson offers her sharp, witty perspective on relationships and daily life.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e doing 25 minutes each, there鈥檚 no real lull,鈥� Quinn says. 鈥淵ou get a reset before the next comic, and we even take a full intermission. That way, the energy stays high for the whole show.鈥�
What started as a passion project has evolved into a nationwide phenomenon, with the tour branching out to include urban theatres and non-ski destinations. Recently, the team has added a travel docuseries element to be aired later, capturing some of their adventures in communities across Canada, from backcountry snowboarding in Smithers to showcasing local culture.
And the tour 鈥� with shows from Prince Rupert to the Bay of Fundy 鈥� is like a living embodiment of trains, planes and automobiles. The travel logistics, all done in a cold Canadian winter, are stunning. Myrehaug lives in France and performs internationally, particularly in Norway, where he has a growing fanbase. Zedlacher is a top cruise ship comic, entertaining audiences worldwide, while Sigurdson is a familiar voice on CBC鈥檚 Laugh Out Loud and a frequent guest on The Debaters.
Despite the massive tour schedule, TV and other performances, Quinn and his crew don鈥檛 really get the rock star treatment when they perform. In fact, audiences barely recognize them until they get on stage.
And then they laugh until their sides hurt 鈥� in a good way.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really positive 鈥� feelings of enjoyment,鈥� Quinn says of the audience experience. 鈥淲e connect with people. And after the show, we鈥檙e there, we鈥檒l shake your hand, we鈥檒l get a photo taken with you. We鈥檙e very real.鈥�
