John Crawford

John Crawford was a humble craftsman. He found great joy in shaping and handling wood, and recognized the true depth and beauty of its grain and colour.

“I’ve been fortunate in my life to have had an opportunity to work with wood in different ways,” he said.

John began his relationship with wood as a wood cutter—working along side crusty old men who’d spent their lives cutting trees and living simply. He learned a lot from them and spoke fondly of his time ‘in the woods.’

The next chapter began with an offer to work as a carpenter. This opportunity provided John with an abundance of knowledge and experience that he would value for the rest of his life. Finally, his destiny was sealed when John met a fellow lover-of-wood, Rick Lair.

Rick moved to the Sackville area in 1974 to teach woodworking at the Community Arts Centre, and he and John became very good friends. Rick was a very fine craftsman and John was fortunate enough to apprentice under Rick for a number of years. Under Rick’s tutelage, John honed his skills in the fine details of joinery and finishing that would help him establish his own reputation as a builder of fine furniture.

John set up his shop at his home in Dorchester Cape overlooking the mighty Bay of Fundy. He was happiest there, surrounded by the smell of wood and wood dust. His first shop was a retrofitted barn building which unfortunately burned to the ground in 1989. With the help of many he was able to rebuild a new structure and continued to design and create beautiful wooden art works and furniture until his death in 2023.

“Over the years I’ve had the chance to work on many projects making and designing solid wood furniture for offices, public buildings, and homes. Each wood has unique qualities. The rich dark tones of cherry or the subtle beauty of satin birch each give to the character and design of the finished piece. Each task brings its own challenges and rewards, the greatest reward is the pleasure each piece brings to its recipient.”

—John Crawford, 1990