Reclaimed Wooden Entry Bench

Some of you may remember the big fire on Queen Street West back in 2008, which gutted 3 long-standing businesses on the popular strip between Spadina and Bathrust.
In 2010 I explored the boarded-off rubble, and pulled out this amazing old beam from a pile of debris. It was sheared off and twisted, and one end was completely burnt to charcoal. A real beauty, and a piece of local history. While cleaning it up it still smelled like a campfire, and had bits of half-melted old pipe stuck to it.
I carved and worked the wood into this two-level bench (the lower level for my young children to sit on), allowing the shape of the remains to dictate the final shape of the bench. You can still see bits of the original paint, and the way the wood split apart during 100 years of service, and there are still marks from the flames.

The feet were from another smaller piece I found in the ruins, cleaned and cut to size, making this entirely reclaimed from the original site. It’s about 10” square, and approximately 5’-0” long.