Kootenay Made: Crawford Bay's Village of Artisans

Barefoot Handweaving

Janet knows her loom inside and out. She also knows the history of weaving inside and out. She showed me ancient weaving tools, talked about the way the fibres were created, and shared how she taught her mother to weave. She told me how women within the community were brought together under her roof, to blend their various skills and create the products she shelved and hung around her store.

The yarns she uses at Barefoot Weaving, stacked in cubbies from floor to ceiling, are more beautiful than any wallpaper. Their colours echo throughout the pieces in her shop, a strawbale structure that Janet’s husband designed and built himself.

Back at her loom, it was incredible to listen to her describe how one piece of fabric—such as the one she was currently (and so painstakingly) creating—would eventually be used. As pieces are cut, each progressively smaller piece is turned into something ingeniously creative. Even more impressive is that every part of each product’s journey is completed in-house by Crawford Bay women, from weaving to binding.

Fireworks Copper & Glass

The details Helene works with are tiny.

A scattering of glass rods, hardly thicker than a strand of wire; miniature spoons and sieves; pots of coloured crushed glass as fine as sand: from these she decorates metal bases before sliding them carefully into a glowing kiln next to her desk.

At Fireworks Copper & Glass, Helene works quickly to keep the kiln’s internal temperature steady. Using the tip of a long metal “stick,” she drags the colours of the now-melted glass, shaping it into swirls and zig-zags.

Against the warm glow, it’s mesmerizing.

She draws the pieces out, and as they cool, the colours of the enamelled glass change until they are hardened into their final form and colour. The pieces she creates may adorn anything from necklines to iron works created by her neighbours at Kootenay Forge.

Merv the Woodcarver

By the time I finished talking with Merv, I felt like we were old friends.

Walking into the shop, you’re greeted by his wife, Donna, and surrounded by Merv’s work sitting side-by-side with the work of local artists who don’t have shops of their own. It’s the kind of community spirit I’ve noticed throughout the village shops, but here in particular is a display of Crawford Bay talent. There’s a generosity in that. And as soon as you speak with either Donna or Merv, you know exactly where that generosity comes from.

Merv leads me through to his woodcarving area. It’s filled with tools, oils, and figures in various states of completion. There’s an eagle in flight, a sweet owl looking surprised by my visit, and a little black bear with a curious nose sniffing up toward me. The carvings, he says, are decided by the timber. As he carves, he lets the wood dictate what it will become.

Some become larger-than-life depictions of human struggle and human beginnings, such as Eve picking the forbidden fruit. These are showstoppers, glowing with an internal warmth, Merv’s refined handiwork evoking powerful emotion.

If You Go:

Visiting all these shops will take you well through breakfast and lunch. Stop in at the Black Salt Cafe—also located right on the main street—for some creative dishes and flavourful mouthfuls.

All photos by Gina Begin