Project Information
Project Location:
Athabasca, Alberta, Canada
Wood Species:
Douglas Fir
Photographer:
Jerell Friesen
Project Description:
This 24x36 timber frame park pavilion stands next to the mighty Athabasca River in the town of Athabasca, Alberta, Canada. It is constructed in the traditional style with mortise and tenon joinery and wooden pegs. There is no glue, screw, or nail in the entire super-structure of the frame.
The Douglas Fir timber used for this project was reclaimed from two local decommissioned grain elevators. The old beams were re-sawn and repurposed for a new life. The timbers were hard and dry, tight grain, old growth and easily close to 100 years old.
The pavilion also echoes the area's rich history. As the Athabasca Landing became a critical gateway to Canada’s North during the fur trade and Klondike gold rush, local builders made the scows, sternwheelers, and riverboats needed to carry people and supplies onward. The traditional timber frame here honors that same heritage of skilled woodworking in a new century.
