feature - Tod Mountain — 45 years old and getting better with age

Tod Mountain —
45 years old and getting better with age

DECEMBER 2006 — VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12

When visitors arrive at Sun Peaks Resort they pass by the lonely Burfield Lodge and the Burfield Chair that stretches up Tod Mountain beyond view, before speeding onward toward the new village further down the road. What many of them don’t know is that Sun Peaks was truly born at the base of the Burfield, and this year marks the ski hill’s 45th birthday.

Before there ever was a Sun Peaks Resort, there was Tod Mountain, a steep challenging peak with few amenities. Several Kamloops and area outdoor enthusiasts and investors saw the potential for a ski hill at Tod Mountain and in 1961, the hill opened to the public. There was originally only one lift—the innovative Burfield Chair, at the time the longest chairlift in North America. The founding fathers, among them Harry Burfield and long-time ‘Todie’ Bill McLaren, also invested in a log cabin-style lodge which still stands today. Bill recalls the early years of Tod Mountain with fondness.

“We were spoiled by having the place to ourselves so much,” recounts Bill with a chuckle. “I was one of 11 directors who were all local people. Each of us put in some money and we purchased the Burfield lift for just over $100,000. Then we realized that we would need some sort of lodge. Somebody found the Burfield Lodge pre-cut in Edmonton and we got it for a reasonable price. One of the difficulties that we realized was that at any ski resort, you need to have a bar. Provincial regulations were such that you couldn’t have that unless you had accommodation for about 40 people. We actually did have that—everyone [who had a cabin] just gave up their particular building. The basic thing was to get the bar open!”

Bill’s son Ian McLaren, a Sun Peaks resident and business owner, remembers skiing on Tod Mountain’s opening day with his dad.

“I skied the first day the hill opened in November 1961,” recalls Ian. “I was 11 when Tod Mountain first opened. It was a pretty imposing mountain back when I was 11! I remember going up the chair . . . the whole thing was awesome. I was a little overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. I don’t remember much about the skiing but I do remember the initial views from the chairlift. The first day we might have been skiing in the Crystal Bowl area and the Chief,” he recounts.

Bill and Ian have been around to see many of the changes that Tod Mountain has experienced over the last 45 years. They both agree that the transition from Tod Mountain to Sun Peaks has been a positive one.

“The changeover was very positive,” explains Ian. “It was good to see some expansion because [the mountain] went through its growing pains. Once it got some good backing, and Nippon Cable came on board, it got the investment it needed to make the whole thing come together. Those were the beginning steps to make it a world-renowned resort.”

Nippon Cable bought Tod Mountain in 1991 in a multi-million dollar deal, and began some major upgrades. By the end of the ’90s, Tod Mountain had a new name—Sun Peaks—and a whole new look, with state-of-the-art chairlifts, a brand new village and dozens of homes for a new generation of skiers and snowboarders.

One of the youngest members of the McLaren clan is part of the new generation that‘s currently enjoying the latest and greatest that Sun Peaks has to offer. Bill’s 18-year old granddaughter Mackenzie doesn’t share her grandfather’s memories about the hill, but she does share his passion for it.

“I like going to Sun Peaks,” Mackenzie says. “You’re never waiting in lines for long. You can get in at least eight runs a day. I like to go out on the Burfield area runs, Highway 22 and ski the trees. We go out with Gramps [Bill] at least once a year and do the runs he likes to do. The Ridge is his favourite run. It’s fun.”

After 45 years, the resort is barely showing its age. Every year seems to bring something new, be it fresh runs, a new chair or maybe just smiling faces that weren’t here last year. So raise a glass this season and toast a special anniversary. Harry Burfield would be proud!

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