The Woodcarvers Museum

A Carver's Classic

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

March 15, 2001

Having just spent a week of furious wood carving in Michigan I was in the mood to see something creative along those lines. Our Canadian friends, who we met in Michigan, had told us of a woodcarving museum in Windsor, some 100 or so miles to the southeast. We arrived without incident as driving in Canada is just about the same as in the U.S., excluding the distance and volume measurements that are in metric. The museum is actually in the public library, in a room which serves as a gift shop, carrying basic carving supplies and a good selection of carving books. I actually bought one on walking sticks. Just inside the door, working on a small table sat Bob Christmas, carving entrepreneur and self styled museum aficionado. He had been finishing up a sculptured figure with a small power sander when we arrived. Within seconds we were engaged in a lively conversation on various woods and carving techniques. We were joined by Ches Reid, another carver, and spent the next hour discussing the various examples presented in the museum. The center of attraction is a life size three dimensional carving of Tecumseh, chiseled out of a solid section of black walnut. Much of the work in the museum has been created by local carvers, of which there are many. Many different techniques were on display. Fine relief carving depicting the Voyageur era of this part of Canada were on display along one wall, while busts of prominent figures were mounted on the tops of the display cases which contained an assortment of pieces. Not everything was current. Ancient wood implements were on display including bowls and cups. Some of the old carving tools were available. It would appear that no one has improved on the basic knife in quite some time, as they really haven't changed over the years. After completing our tour of the museum we all gathered at our truck as Bob and Ches had not had the opportunity to carve on a piece of Alder wood, since it is not available in this part of Canada. One last picture and we were off, heading home after a very enjoyable afternoon

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