Antiques in The Annex

Group reunited with pieces of history after renovations

The Sun Peaks Antiques and The Annex share a close connection. Not only has the Annex been
the seniors’ skiing club’s meeting place from its earliest incarnation, it has also historically showcased memorabilia of the mountain and Antiques’ shared histories. This season the group was reunited with objects they feared lost after renovations to the building last year.

Despite having only brandished their name and logo since 2005 the Antiques first started as a
group of friends skiing together in the 1970s, before The Annex existed.

Sigi White, an original member, recalled after the Burfield Lodge became too small a supposedly temporary lodge at the base of the Sunburst Chairlift was built and this became the new meeting place for the group.

“It was a day lodge where the roof leaked and there were buckets all over to catch the water drops…we would take off our outer pants and dry them by the wood stove, and then go out and ski some more,” White said.

The advent of GORE-TEX discontinued much of this practice, but little else has changed with the Antiques. The group continues to ski and meet together in the same building for lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and periodically off-mountain too.

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The group became a Sun Peaks’ stalwart early on and have seen the lodges and resort evolve over time. Notably the leaky daylodge became Bento’s cafeteria and, after renovations in 2017, The Annex.

But a large glass-encased display of Tod Mountain and Sun Peaks Antiques memorabilia mounted on the back wall of Bento’s went missing during the latest renovations.

Among the lost items was a pair of 80-year-old skis that belonged to Bill Thomson, one of the
group’s founders.

After the memorabilia failed to reappear once the building reopened, the Antiques made it their
mission to track down the missing items and restore them to the walls of the eatery.

“It was a journey of many phone calls, requests and legwork,” said White.

Flo Thomson recalled having her formal enquiries to find her late husband, Bill’s, wooden skis,
ignored, only to find success after completing a guest satisfaction comment card and being
contacted by guest services.

Peter Nixon, real estate manager for Sun Peaks Resort LLP, said he was pleased to help the Antiques get their quilt reframed and mounted.

“When we did the renovation we gathered up all of the memorabilia in the display case and on the wall and placed it in secure storage,” he said. “Unfortunately due to the new design of the restaurant and the need for cubbies along the back wall we are pretty limited on wall space to place things. I think the location of the Antiques’ logo, skis and quilt works pretty well.

“I am not sure who Flo initially tried to contact but she and Nick contacted me in the spring of 2018 about the quilt and plaques and I was happy to coordinate it…I thought the little ceremony Flo organized for the unveiling was very nice and appreciated.”

After a year’s efforts, all the memorabilia was recovered and is now on display in The Annex with new commemorative plaques.

White encouraged visitors and locals to check out the items, especially Bill’s skis.
“The bindings alone required a mastery of skiing that would simply not be contemplated now…they used to be called ankle breakers,” she said.

The display also features the original Antiques logo, designed by Thomson, and an embroidered
quilt created by master quilter Victoria Gray which is adorned with a collection of old Tod Mountain pins and encased in a new glass box.

A dedication of the restored showcase took place on Jan. 21. White said the group was pleased with the celebration.

“(We were) happy and proud again with a few of our precious memorabilia back up on the wall, where they belong.”

The group now boasts 150 members from all over the world, and have few requirements on who
can join.

“You can have grey hair, white hair, or no hair, so long as you admit that you’re a senior,” White said with a laugh.