shops on Vancouver Island

Reyd,

I'm nowhere near Vancouver Is., but speaking in a more general sense, it seems that most locales have wood shops of one nature or another. They are virtually ubiquitous. My family produced custom hardwood kitchens for well over 100 years, and we employed nearly 600 craftsman (a term not used loosely) at the peak of company's operation. Sadly there is little market these days for custom kitchens of the quality we produced, and the company closed its doors a few years back.

That said, there are still numerous small woodworking shops in our area, producing myriad products ranging from cabinets to furniture to toys. A little footwork should reveal similar small firms in your area, I would think.

Another area you should explore is the wooden boatbuilding industry. Most locations on or near water these days have tiny boatbuilding shops. The resurgence in interest in wooden boats has been nothing short of phenomenal. This is an area where true craftsmanship shines like a beacon on a foggy coastal night. Top notch woodworkers are NOT a dime a dozen in the boatbuilding industry. They are valued highly and paid well. For this reason, some of these shops will employ youngsters in apprenticeships, aiming at permanent employment eventually. I'd certainly think Vancouver Is. would have at the very least a few of these shops.

A little footwork is in order. Good luck

Max

already visiting the places I found in the yellow pages of the phone book, resumes and hat in hand:) not all places are well know or in the yellow pages, so thats why I'm asking.

Hi Max, I'm continually surprised at the diverse backgrounds of woodturners, esp. RCW posters. Any company run by the same family for over a century, esp. a woodworking one, ought to have its history recorded. Your ability to write plus your knowledge of woodworking and the industry make you a natural to preserve so many anecdotes that will be lost to us. Maybe this has been done or the demise of a quality family owned company might be painful to write about? I wish someone in my family had done that for my familiy's long gone naval stores business. As for wooden boats, down here they are sort of like some beautiful women we have all known, lovely to look at but often a PITA. Bad humor for the women, salt water worms for wood hulls. :( Arch

Fortiter,