Ontario Wood Makes Amazing Gifts this Holiday Season
THUNDER BAY – BUSINESS – This holiday season why not consider a uniquely designed and artfully crafted gift from wood grown right here, in Ontario.
Artisans and craftspeople across the province are choosing to use locally-grown wood to make a broad selection of products, including jewelry, pepper mills, serving boards and platters, candle holders, bottle stoppers, fine desk pens, home accessories, canoes and toboggans, to name a few.
Some give new life to salvaged, fallen locally-grown trees or recycled wood for their woodworking, woodturning and carpentry projects, while others work with milled wood or combine the sources. The artisans use various techniques and processes to bring out the best and most beautiful qualities of the wood, ensuring an ideal gift for even a person with the most discriminating taste.
“The reasons for buying artisan products made from locally-grown wood are compelling,” says Bill Mauro, Ontario’s Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. “In doing so, Ontarians are helping to support businesses in their community and by extension, the economy of Ontario. What’s more, wood is the only major material that grows naturally, is renewable and is managed sustainably.”
Adds Robert Keen, Chief Executive Officer of Forests Ontario, “Wood also requires far less energy than other materials to manufacture into products, generates less air and water pollution, has the lowest carbon footprint, and in Ontario is harvested under some of the highest environmental standards in the world.”
Decorative or functional or both, Ontario Wood products will solve your what-to-buy dilemma for any age; like the infant dual sleighs made by Streamridge [streamridge.ca] in Wallenstein, near Waterloo, or the ash bowls designed to hold wool for knitting enthusiasts, made by Michael’s Wood Workshop [michaelpinto.ca] in Scarborough.
The two are among a number of artisans who are partners in Ontario Wood, a Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry program that helps build awareness of the benefits of locally-grown, sustainable wood products.
Says Mauro, “Whether your choice is based on quality and price, support for local producers and communities, what’s best for the environment, or simply because you love the natural beauty of wood, an Ontario-grown wood product can meet your gift-giving needs, any time of year.”
To find a local Ontario Wood artisan, producer or supporter near you or to learn more about Ontario Wood, visit Ontario.ca/wood.
When out shopping, “Look for the Leaf” to ensure you’re purchasing a locally-grown wood product, or ask the retail vendor where the wood for the item was sourced.
