Vintage galore at Den Of Antiquity

By Irene van der Kloet

Second-hand stores may have some antiques, but the Den of Antiquity only has antiques. And not just a few: a former school that housed 48 children and was completely restored into an antique store on the residence of Robert and Sophie Swiderski is fully stocked with antiques and items our parents and grandparents used in the olden days. “It’s pretty pristine,” Sophie says as she talks about the building’s history, “There used to be a big stove here and a little porch on the front where the kids would leave their coats and boots. We know the guy who used to get two dollars a week; he came here an hour before the children and had to light the fire, sweep the floor and bring the water in”. The antique store has existed for fourteen years, and Sophie loves telling people about it. She gets calls from people saying, ‘my grandmother is moving into a home. Can you come and look at her stuff?’ The former school building is not the only place where Robert and Sophie have antiques: they have multiple other storage buildings, too challenging to access in the wintertime, containing hidden gems for the antique lover. They have furniture, a 150-year-old butcher’s chopping block, and many other items, all set up in the five other buildings where they store their goods. “During the pandemic, it was hectic because people were at ease, they didn’t want to go to busy places with lots of people, so they came here,” Sophie laughs. “Many people come here for Christmas because they don’t want to fight with traffic and long lines in the stores.” Sophie then shows the cabin behind the house used as a guesthouse. This little gem is furnished with antiques that are all for sale. She points out a big shelf of grain-worn elevator wood. It is visible where the grain wore out tracks on the wood for more than 100 years. “Antiques give one such intense pleasure. If you find which catches your eye, it gives you pleasure. It also reminds you of the occasion of why you bought it in the first place. It’s an ongoing pleasure. That’s why antiques work”. They also have a beautiful place on their property for wedding ceremonies on a cantilever deck overlooking the North Saskatchewan river. Besides antiques, they sell artwork. “We plan on putting up special picture rails, so we don’t have to hang them.” Sophie talks about her antique shop with love and passion. “There is a pig scolding cauldron sitting there; it is great for a fire pit,” she points out. A little further is a little red sleigh; they also have the tack to go with it. The Den Of Antiquity is located on the corner of Highway 38 and the Victoria Trail between Bruderheim and Redwater (signs on the highway) and can be reached at info@denofantiquity.ca or 780-990-7794.