Paul Kazak is a local artist from the Ottawa Valley. Deep in history, the Ottawa Valley timber trade or Ottawa River lumber trade, was the nineteenth century production of wood products by Canada on areas of the Ottawa River destined for British and American markets. It was the major industry of the historical colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. The trade in squared timber and later sawed lumber led to population growth and prosperity to communities in the Ottawa Valley, especially the city of Bytown (now Ottawa, the capital of Canada). The product was mainly red and white pine. The industry lasted until around 1900 as both markets and supplies decreased. (Disclaimer: Information sourced from Wikipedia.)  

An Engineer by trade, Paul’s career began in Semi-Conductor Manufacturing (SCG) group with Northern Telecom Electronics, followed by joining a small start-up, i-STAT Canada, which was later acquired by Abbott Laboratories. Thirty-two years later and still manufacturing biosensors, Paul enjoys providing engineering support to the manufacturing teams. In the fall of 2020, Paul came across a new passion of creating custom chainsaw carvings. Inspired by natures beauty, Paul transforms salvaged lumber into beautiful pieces of art, each carving with its own unique distinction. Commissioned carvings are always welcomed.