It makes perfect sense that in a province that has one of the highest proportions of land covered with forests and in a town surrounded by trees, with a rich forestry history, there would be a wood-enthusiast meet-up group.
What is a bit surprising is that such a group, the Sea to Sky Wood Network, just had its first meeting this month.
Squamish’s Lenny Rubenovitch, owner of furniture crafting business Rubenovitch Furnishings & Co., launched the local chapter of The Wood Innovation Group (TWIG), a B.C. wood networking and innovation organization that started in 2012.
For the Sea to Sky branch, Rubenovitch said the monthly meet-ups aim to be about community, collaboration and “creating a culture of wood” in the corridor.
"I've been working with TWIG out of Vancouver for a while, having them facilitate opportunities to grow my furnishings business. I was thinking it would be cool to have a wood club locally. One thing led to another and I’m glad to be a part of TWIG and starting up a branch for our corridor," he told The Squamish Chief.
"It aims to connect wood professionals living and working in the Sea to Sky Corridor on a monthly basis to share knowledge, connections and ideas."
As the name suggests, the group is open to those passionate about value-added wood crafting throughout the corridor, such as in Whistler and Pemberton.
“I think creating space, while informal, is crucial for innovation,” said Rubenovitch.
The organization’s members will have access to grants, and also help spur innovation and economic development, he added.
A collaboration with the Centre for Advanced Wood Processing (CAWP), which helps fund TWIG, could also be very beneficial to participants, Rubenovitch said.
Based out of the University of British Columbia, CAWP is the national centre for education, training and technical assistance for the wood industry.
The first local meet-up took place on Dec. 6 at Howe Sound Inn & Brewing.
Twenty-three participants from various backgrounds who work with wood showed up.
The participants included Squamish Men’s Shed members, local wood experts, new wood artists from various disciplines, construction company representatives, hobbyists, and a wide mix of professionals from various fields.
“We're really excited,” Rubenovitch said. “I think we have a group of super strong passionate individuals who work with wood.”
The next meeting will be on Jan. 10, location to be announced.
To keep up to date with the Sea to Sky Wood Network, follow Rubenovitch’s business Instagram account @rubenovitchfurnishings and TWIG’s event page at twigbc.ca/events.
