Local company turns Toronto's dying trees into artisanal household items
Inside a former abattoir in downtown Toronto, new life is being given to some dead wood.
"I think there's a natural beauty and affinity with wood generally" Robert Jarvis told CTV News Toronto on Friday.
Jarvis, is one of the co-founders of "Just Be Woodsy," a local company that's taking trees from Toronto’s parks and city streets and turning them in to one-of-a-kind pieces.
Jarvis says the idea sprouted several years ago, after learning that most of the trees being taken down by the city were simply turned in to mulch or firewood.
"You have about a two per cent die-off naturally and that's about 100,000 trees, think because there's almost 11 million trees in the City of Toronto, so you have a huge amount just naturally coming down."
The company bid for and won, a contract with the city. It is now the recipient of trees taken down in the core.
There are nearly 220 types of trees growing in the city. Jarvis says, each year, for a variety of reasons, including disease and rot, thousands are taken down.
"There's certainly a lot of Norway maple coming down these days, there's a lot of silver maples coming down that are a 120 years old and they're getting too big and their limbs become liabilities and so the city has to take them down,” he said.
“But there's also a lot of beautiful oaks … beautiful black and red oaks and old white oaks. A lot of ash coming down, used to be a big part of the canopy and it's getting attacked by the emerald ash borer."
"I think most people in the city don't realize what a resource that the trees around them are," said Alex Budding, the company's arborist and the man in charge of supply. "We have such a large selection of trees, we're able to source and kind of cherry-pick the ones that are the best logs."
And those logs are given a new life inside the company's downtown facility. The wood is milled, and kiln-dried, and then turned into a variety of products. From coasters to charcuterie boards, plates to play logs, and a variety of tables. Craftspeople have been cranking out just about everything you can make from wood.
"We've made beehives out of it, chopsticks, there's just tons of things that you can do with it really," Jarvis said.
“I think there's just that natural affinity to renaturalize our spaces. I think that when you're confronted with a lot of concrete, a lot of noise, a lot of busyness around you in the city, a bit of chaos, there's something really grounding and beautiful about a natural material like wood."
Each hand-made piece is also laser engraved with the type of tree/wood, as well as the location it came from, including in some cases the neighbourhood, and in others, the exact geographic co-ordinates where the tree once stood.
For co-founder, Sinead Wills, it's all part of allowing people to feel connected to their environment.
"Having people understand that the tree grew right around them. There’s a real sense of connectivity and it’s really important these days. You know a lot of goods are imported, and it’s just a table but to have a table that you know grew right in your area or your city, it’s one of a kind. It’s a very beautiful and unique piece."
The pieces, which range from $20 to a several thousand dollars, can be ordered through the company's website. They're also accepting ideas as to what products they could try and tackle next.
For Budding, the best part of the job is seeing a fallen tree he's collected end up as a new item in someone's home.
"It just so means so much for them to have it living in their house in a variety of different forms and it'll last forever that way. It's really special for us."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Alleged gang member driving from U.S. arrested at Canadian border after making wrong turn
An alleged gang member coming from the United States was arrested at the Canadian border after reportedly making a wrong turn onto the Peace Bridge border crossing.
Negotiations between Canada Post, union still on hold
Canada Post says it's waiting for a response from the union representing some 55,000 striking workers after it offered a new framework for negotiations over the weekend.
Trump demands immediate release of Oct. 7 hostages, says otherwise there will be 'HELL TO PAY'
President-elect Donald Trump is demanding the immediate release of the Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, saying that if they are not freed before he is sworn into office there will be “HELL TO PAY."
Kingston, Ont. doctor ordered to repay $600K for pandemic vaccination payments
An Ontario health tribunal has ordered a Kingston, Ont. doctor to repay over $600,000 to the Ontario government for improperly billing thousands of COVID-19 vaccinations at the height of the pandemic.
Nova Scotia lawyer suspended following ugly courtroom fracas
A Nova Scotia lawyer who had to be restrained by deputy sheriffs during a court appearance earlier this year has lost his appeal of a suspension following the bizarre incident.
After multiple data breaches, Yahoo settled a class-action lawsuit. The deadline to file compensation claims is approaching
Yahoo and Rogers customers in Canada have until the end of the month to claim up to $375 cash from a data breach settlement.
AC/DC announces North American stadium tour, Vancouver lone Canadian stop
Big news for AC/DC fans as the heavy metal bigwigs announced Mondat they will hit the road next spring. But as of now, there’s only one Canadian show on the docket.
Wind chills of -50, snowfall of up to 50 cm: Canada's weather forecast
As the second day of December unfolds, Canadians from coast to coast are experiencing a range of wintry conditions. Here's what's happening in different parts of the country.
Neighbours who sheared tops of B.C. man's bamboo plants ordered to pay $1K in damages
A B.C. man whose neighbours lopped the tops off of four of his bamboo plants has been awarded $1,000 in damages by the province’s Civil Resolution Tribunal.