Our process begins with the earth and with the forests of Cortes Island, a small island in the Discovery Islands archipelago on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. This is the traditional unceded territories of the Homalco, Tla'amin, and Klahoose First Nations. This land is also home to the big leaf maple that grows here covered in moss and ferns huge and outstretched, reaching for the heavens. When there is blow down in the forest, or someone needs to take down a danger tree, such circumstances provide a supply of maple to local sawyers where the lumber for these boards is custom cut for our unique process.

 

We begin by kiln drying the lumber at the shop before precision machining and carefully joining the peaces into boards of various sizes. We use Titebond III a certified food safe glue of the best quality. The next stage involves carefully shaping and sanding each peace to perfection. We then water treat our boards, this is to 'raise the grain' before a final hand sanding. The boards are then liberally anointed with several generous coats of oil. We make the oil ourselves from a blend of certified organic hemp seed oil, bees wax and other essential oils. By carefully applying heat, we blend together the bees wax, and oils in a pot on the kitchen stove. We don't use any mineral oil or other petroleum products. Once the board is polished smooth and oiled to perfection, we use a stainless steel screw to attach high quality, non slip rubber feet to the base of the board. The final touch is the magical laser engraving of our logo!

 

If you are ever here, on Cortes Island BC in the summer, you may find me at the local market with these and other wares. They are in some local stores as well. If you choose to buy one of our boards online, we will send it to you packaged in burlap and sealed with a thin layer of plastic wrap, so that it arrives safe and in style. The larger boards come in a burlap bag, our best solution so far toward reusable packaging.

 

With the proceeds from the business, I support my quiet lifestyle and spend mostly locally. The amazing people who are hired to help also spend locally and our business supports other local businesses in the community. I am grateful to this land and this community for supporting this venture and as a gesture of giving back to community and to the forests of the earth we pledge 3% of profits to be donated to the Tree Sisters organization. I hope this business can create a basis for harmony and love in my own life and that this venture is a gift for the lives of all those that are touched by this. 

 

All my relations.       

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