Tiny Township business reclaims damaged wood

CTV Barrie: Reclaiming wood A Tiny Township business is making headlines for turning wood destined for the landfill into lumber. K.C. Colby shows you how.

A local woodworker has found a way to deal with trees damaged by insects and its gaining interest all across North America.

Trees damaged by insects, like the Emerald Ash Borer and the Asian Longhorn Beetle, have new life thanks to a project created by Sawmill Sid.

Sid Gendron owns Sawmill Sid, a milling company out of Tiny Township that is rescuing forests of damaged trees that would have otherwise been worthless.

“In the beginning stage the logs would have been cut down and laid to rest in the forest because they didn’t want to get into the cost of removing them or they would be sent to a quarantine zone and chipped,” says Gendron.

But Gendron realized the insect damage was limited to just below the bark and after convincing major forester companies and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that the wood was safe. He then started offering up the wood to designers who though the intricate patterns cut by bugs was something unique.

“They love this look and they’re saying I want that live edge because you can’t replicate this, this is nature,” adds Gendron.

Now cities all over North America looking to cut costs are calling Sid Gendron and his portable sawmill to cut down damaged trees and Sid wants to bring the wood back to Tiny Township to the Midland Timbermart and build the furniture onsite – giving old milling equipment new life.

“Some of the equipment is centuries old, we’re going to be using those machines to help tailor some of the products that a customer needs to be done,” says Midland Timbermart owner Steve Bray.

The first pieces of equipment will be available at the Midland Timbermart around the beginning of the summer.