Timber frame outdoor theatre

Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park, Ont. – September 2001

When Wise Owl Joinery was still in its early years, we would sometimes travel to work with our former colleagues at Northern Timberhouse in Minden, Ontario.  This particular project was a treat.  First of all, the structure was to be an outdoor theatre for summer camp on a private island in Algonquin Park, Ontario. 

Because this would be a public building, building code required that there be metal fasteners applied to the scissor trusses in the vaulted ceiling.  Care had to be taken to drill accurately for the metal hardware.  The wood used was Eastern White Pine.  This is a classic example of the marriage of traditional mortise and tenon joinery with metal fasteners – a good compromise which created a beautiful timber structure to be enjoyed for years to come.

We wish we could be kids again so that we could attend this summer camp.