OUR STORY
After 25 years of Jeff working for large corporate companies, we accidentally found Sun Peaks on a ski vacation. The school was let out for the day as we skied through the base and noticed a dad “strongly suggesting” to his daughter that it was her last run. 😣 Thinking that this stress was a little bit lower than Jeff’s corporate life, we thought maybe purchasing a location and living here may be an interesting idea. After researching the school and learning the kids ski to school in the morning, at lunch, after school and twice a week for physical education class we decided to buy a commercial location and start a business.
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After considering numerous business ideas, the company Sneaky Scallywags opened with 98% of our products not already available in Sun Peaks.
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We sell primarily Sun peaks Branded products with a focus on higher quality Canadian made or sourced products.
Why start a life and business in Sun Peaks?
Simply because of the feel of the resort and the existence of a school would allow our kids to ski to school.
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We chose our Sun Peaks home at Snow Creek Village because our kids walked out the back door and headed down a run to the main lifts, then up the platter lift to school. With the store opening mid-morning and the platter lift open into the evening this means a commute on skis. With the store located in the centre of the ski through village, it means five runs before opening and grabbing the skis to heat through the village again to take the platter lift home. A commute on skis is pretty awesome!!!
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We considered Whistler Resort but a quieter, less busy resort was an easy choice. Less people meant friendlier locals and visitors to us. We joke in the store that we do not have the opportunity to get in a bad mood. Stand in line at a busier resort and you start getting cold, people cut in front of you, hit your skis in line and after 30 or 60 minutes your pressure goes up. We believe Sun Peaks is simply a more enjoyable experience!
Why a pyjama, candy and toy store combination?
We wanted to create a store that was a fun, family-oriented atmosphere that people would want to come back to. In our first year we were recognized by an Aussie travel magazine as the “must see” if you are in Sun Peaks.
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We sell Sun Peaks branded products which families love as the kids’ products typically last a couple of years and when compared to low end clothing it is nice to look people in the eye and know it will last.
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The candy wall has morphed over time and started as mainly Jelly Belly (the best you can buy) and a little bit of retro candy. Our store now has 10 candy suppliers and we are proud that our offering is focussed on interesting, hard to find and international candy.
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Our toys and puzzle selection provides activities for all ages when customers are not outside enjoying all of the activities our mountain community has to offer.
Why our product lines?
We first experienced Sun Peaks in 2011/2012 when our older child was two years old. We scoured the stores for something for our little one and ended up leaving with nothing. There was simply nothing for little kids in the resort at that time. At opening, 98% of our product offerings were not already in Sun Peaks. While this has changed over the years, we continue to pride ourselves on providing brands not available elsewhere in the resort.
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Our focus was preference for higher quality products that were Canadian sourced or made. When purchasing products from international sources such as Melissa and Doug and Tegu, we continued our focus on quality.
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When we launched, we looked at a variety of clothing lines and decided to focus on the high-end brand, Hatley, for our pajamas and clothing. While Hatley’s cost is about 25% higher than computing brands, but we believe it is a significantly better product. To remain competitive, we absorb the costs involved in putting Sun Peaks Canada on our products. We continued to honor our philosophy when introducing Canadian brands such as Stonz and Gusti.
What Volunteering Opportunities we have become involved with because of the lifestyle we created?
In a small community volunteers are extremely important. There are a lot of proud ambassadors in this resort community and many opportunities to help out. In our 10 years, we took the approach of family and community first versus maximizing profits. The mission statement of the resort is “To Provide the Finest Mountain Experience” and our personal goal was to operate our business in a way that could support this mission.
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Jeff spent many years as a Sun Host volunteer, guiding visitors around the mountain. He sincerely enjoyed all groups of skiers ranging from green to black diamond skiers wanting the most extreme or deepest powder they could find. We are proud that, in the years he sun hosted, he was typically in the top group for positive customer comments. While he no longer volunteers with this program, he continues to meet up with returning visitors he has guided in the past. Sharing this mountain is a passion of Jeff’s!
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The flexible lifestyle has allowed both Liz and Jeff to be very involved in volunteering with their children’s’ school and the local Scouts Canada groups over the years. This connection with their kids will last a lifetime!
Why start a life and business in Sun Peaks?
Within the next few years, we will be selling the store to move on to another fun venture. Until then we will continue to serve our community and enjoy the amazing lifestyle we have created for our family!
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If interested in additional information, please speak Jeff in the store.