When the last mountain bikers roll down the trails in early fall and before the first skiers arrive in December, Sun Peaks enters what locals call the “shoulder season.” But for many in Sun Peaks, the in-between months aren’t just downtime—they’re opportunities.
Matthias Schmid, owner of McSporties, said the term shoulder season doesn’t always capture the value of spring and fall.
“It’s not a dead season; it’s just different,” Schmid said. “We do see fewer visitors, yes, but we also see families, locals and travelers who prefer a quieter village. Our role is to support businesses and highlight activities that still draw people in, whether that’s golf in the fall or hiking in the spring.”
For business owners, the slower pace is both a challenge and a chance to reset. Gemma Harris, who runs Alpine Images Photography Inc., shared that while traffic drops, she sees it as an important period for catching up.
“We get a chance to deep clean, reorganize and prepare for the next rush,” Harris said. “It’s not glamorous, but it’s essential. We’ve learned to budget and plan with those dips in mind.”
Rob O’Toole, mayor of Sun Peaks and owner of Vertical Café & Bistro, takes it a step further—he doesn’t even use the phrase shoulder season.
“When my kids were young, we had a swear jar at home.If you said a bad word, you paid 25 cents. A few years ago, we decided that in our business, shoulder season was a swear word. It carried too many negatives.
Instead, O’Toole reframed those times as opportunities for renewal and transition.
“Businesses are refreshing, painting, maintaining. There are positives to that.”
For O’Toole, that mindset shift even shows up in small things, like how he sets hours.
“We used to call them shoulder season hours. Now, they’re just our spring and fall hours,” he explained.”We open at 7:30 year-round, but close an hour earlier in those seasons. It’s smart business, but it’s also about language — you speak things into existence. If you call it slow, it’ll feel slow.”
His café is one of the few spots in the village that doesn’t close when the tourists thin out, providing both stability for staff and a gathering space for locals.
One of those staff members is Sophie Meek, who has worked at Vertical for two years and is now a supervisor. She first arrived in November 2023, just as the winter season kicked off.
“The atmosphere in Sun Peaks was amazing,” she said. “It’s such a great place to ski, socialize and be part of the community.”
But when April came and the lifts shut down, the change was immediate.
“The hardest part is that not as many establishments are open, so it can be tougher to socialize and meet people,” Meek said. “Work hours also drop, so you’re trying to save money while still wanting to get out. Most of us take advantage of the trails, basketball courts or the few places that stay open.”
For Meek, Vertical Café’s decision to remain open makes all the difference.
“We have consistent work and income, which is huge for staff and for locals,” Meek said. “Sun Peaks is still beautiful in fall and spring — you really get to see the seasons change. It’s also a good time to travel when you want to.”
For Sun Peaks, the in-between months are unlikely to disappear. Tourism Sun Peaks laid out a desire to make the village a year-round destination, and continues to build on that strategy offering festivals, concerts and free events during the resort’s off season.
Whether those months are viewed as a lull or a fresh season depends on who you ask, and how the community continues to shape its story around them.
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