The Living History Built Into Whistler's Retail Landscape
By Caroline Egan | Images by Joern Rohde
Long before Whistler became a global village, it was a collection of ski bums and dreamers who built a community on the edge of the wilderness. Since then, the town has transformed. Still, the spirit of those early days (and beyond) is alive and well in shops you pass through every day.
These are some of the stores that define Whistler's character — run by the people who helped build it, carried forward by the next generation, and reformed by the original First Nations stewards who have called it home for thousands of years. These retailers are curating a living history.
Getting the Goods and Getting Off Your Phone
Tucked into Whistler’s Creekside Village, Get the Goods was built on a deceptively simple premise. “Everything in our store is [intended] to get you off your devices,” says Lisa Morrison, chief operating officer. “It’s about communication and spending time [together].”
That mandate has been clear since the gift shop opened. Every product on the shelves is curated to pull people toward each other, not away. That includes handcrafted, wooden games and toys, natural skincare from Canadian companies, and the store’s best-selling Mason Pearson hairbrushes. Each item is selected with thoughtful purpose by the same people you meet face-to-face, working in the store.
Recently, the team has shifted its product sourcing closer to home by leaning into Canadian brands and women-owned businesses. “People are looking for things that are made in Canada to bring home,” Morrison says. “We really are trying to be more intentional.”
That sentiment extends well beyond the shelves. Several years ago, a regular patron came into the shop looking for the right Christmas present for his wife. He ended up taking home a hand-carved wood chess set made by Purling from London, England. But during his family’s excitement of gift giving, a new puppy chewed a chess piece to bits. As soon as Morrison found out about this, she contacted the manufacturer directly. A single piece was arranged to be hand-carved and shipped to the couple’s home on Vancouver Island. “He still comes by and talks about that,” she says. “In those cases, you kind of feel like you’ve become a little part of somebody's family.”
Creekside Village’s quieter pace makes that kind of service possible. Morrison calls Get the Goods “browser-friendly,” a place where you’re welcome to spend hours just looking or chatting with local shopkeepers who want to connect. getthegoods.ca
IMAGE COURTESY AMOS & ANDES
When Apparel Becomes Something More
Amos & Andes, The Whistler Sweater Shop, has occupied the same 188-square-foot space in the Village since the 1990s, having grown from selling exclusively South American-made sweaters into one of Whistler’s most specialized natural-fibre sweater and accessory retailers. Owner Hilary Davison has watched the Whistler retail landscape shift around her while staying true to what she knows: Norwegian, Irish, Danish, and Canadian wool sweaters chosen for quality and tradition rather than trend.
“We appeal to the global village,” Davison says, “because what we sell is tradition [and] heritage, things [that will last] forever.” In an era of fast fashion and synthetic fibres, a hand-loomed Norwegian sweater can last decades and only grow more meaningful over time.
A few years ago, a woman in Saskatchewan called the shop with a deeply personal request. Her son, Cody James Strass, had worn his favourite sweater every time he went fishing. He was an avid angler and relied on his “lucky sweater” to help bring home a big catch. After he died in a car accident, his mother wanted to give his brother a version of it.
“She shared the story with us,” Davison says, “and it’s written on the sweater’s tag. We still call it the lucky sweater.” Its design is a fixture on the Amos & Andes website alongside Cody’s name and story. It’s a wool sweater made in Canada, but it’s also something much more: an homage to grief, memory, and a parent’s enduring love.
Davison’s own connection to Whistler now spans three generations, with her kids and grandkids living here. “People come in and say things like ‘I’m so glad you’re still here. I was here 10 years ago — I love this store.’”
After more than 30 years, Davison says she believes that Amos & Andes will be here for decades to come and that the store will continue to hold a piece of the community’s retail history. whistlersweatershop.com
IMAGE COURTESY SLCC
Indigenous Culture Through Commerce
At the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC), the gallery and gift shop are part of something larger. It’s a uniquely special space where Indigenous culture is actively passed on, not just preserved behind glass. For Christian Levine, retail lead ambassador, the Centre is also where he finally learned more about his own heritage. Levine grew up in Lillooet when access to cultural teachings was limited. “I never knew much about my culture until I started working here,” he says. Today, he introduces himself to visitors in his own language and performs welcoming ceremonies to help them understand that they are visiting his Nation’s traditional territory. He says it was nerve-wracking at first, but it is now second nature.
The gift shop is an extension of that education. The Centre’s Indigenous Youth Ambassador Program brings in nine or 10 youth each season — drawn from both the Squamish and Lil’wat nations — to complete a 10-week rotation covering the gift shop, café, and cultural programming. For many of them, it’s often their first work experience. They learn to engage with guests while representing their heritage. “Once they start getting the hang of it,” Levine says, “they really know what they’re doing.”
IMAGE COURTESY SLCC
The Thread That Holds
These local shops prove that retail, at its best, isn’t a transaction at all. It’s an act of care, preservation and belonging. As Whistler continues to grow, its independent, locally owned and operated stores serve as the town’s soul. They keep mountain culture alive through their stories, woven into every product they offer.
Next time you’re out shopping in Whistler, ask for the story behind what you’re holding. Chances are those details will stay with you long after you’ve gone home.
whistler.com/shopping