Canvas is the medium for this Timmins tentmaker: Indigenous cultural resurgence driving demand for sewn home crafts custom, handmade canvas structures.

• Date: 01 February 2020
• Author: Kelly, Lindsay

Growing up in London, Ont., working with canvas became second nature to David Lundberg.

While still at a tender age, he and his father crafted their first teepee together. He later spent time in the historical re-enactment and ceremonial communities where he helped with setting up, taking down, and repairing canvas wall tents, teepees, wedge tents and ceremonial lodges.

It made sense, then, that after meeting his partner and moving to Timmins seven years ago, his expertise would lead to establishing his current business, Sewn Home, through which he designs and handcrafts custom canvas structures.

"Every step along my life has been sort of culminating in this," Lundberg said. "The universe just told me, 'This is what you're going to do,' and everything just kind of fell into place."

Though he started off repairing sewing machines, he soon found himself taking on small projects --"a boat tarp here, some cushions there"--until the volume of requests overwhelmed the repair end of the business.

From his 1,000-square-foot shop in downtown Timmins, Lundberg conceives and assembles his custom creations from scratch, doing all the design work himself, and even sourcing and...