In 1995 as South Africa won the Rugby world cup, Sony launched the Playstation and Macaulay Culkin took his parents to court, something was stirring in a small ski town on the West coast of Canada. Back in the 1980s when cycling shorts were in vogue and perms were still a head turner, Annie and Dave Erwin spent their yearly family holidays in Whistler. Time and time again they returned; and so seduced by the mountains they decided to pack up their kids and pack in their jobs to move to the town full time. In a resort filled to the rafters with ski gear, they wanted to do something different. They scratched their heads, umm-ed, aah-ed and that’s when it came to them, what did they buy when on holiday? Brimming with ideas they sourced hats from far and wide. From the dusty plains of Australia came the Outback hat, from the stylish streets of New York the fedora, chic Borsolinos strutted in from Italy, and from their own backyard the grab and go Canadian toque. Many predicted the shop would flop, but they knew better and the hats flew off the shelves.
10 years later, Nicole an out-of-towner from Australia set up camp for the season with backpack in tow. Tipped off from a friend that The Whistler Hat Gallery was the best shop in town, she went to work there for the winter. Little did anyone know that this begun the second era of the store. A brief attempt to return to Australia only made her realize that the Whistler way, was the only way for her. So in 2006 when Annie decided it was time to pass on her wisdom, she did the unexpected and became a partner in The Whistler Hat Gallery. Over the next two years Nicole was shown the ropes and in turn breathed fresh, new life into a an already exciting and bustling hat store. In 2008, after providing Whistler’s holiday makers and thrill seekers with hats for 12 years, Annie finally hung up her own hat. Leaving Nicole with a unique store known far and wide for its variety and hospitable staff. Today The Whistler Hat Gallery continues to showcase an array of hats and styles ranging from the funky to the traditional and of course the crazy. Nicole and her staff continue to maintain fun and friendly service for their loyal and new customers alike, all while holding strong to The Hat Gallery’s original roots and honoring Annie’s legacy. So if you’re ever in town please come by the old Hat Gallery and come and join in on the fun……
