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They Don't Teach This at School

They Don't Teach This at School

Lake Country Log Homes is a family-owned custom log home builder in British Columbia. Our team spent a week out in the field with the crew to understand their work. Jamie and Rob Gervais took over their dad’s business more than 15 years ago, but they’ve continued to work the same way he taught them—using skills passed down through their family. The work they do can’t be learned anywhere else than on the job. And to get the job done well, this team is prepared to do whatever it takes.

“It's hard to teach traditional style building. It's not a job you can really go to school for.”

From hand-selecting each log to delivering custom blueprints, the team’s pride and respect for the art of log home building is what sets them apart. As Jamie puts it, to join the Lake Country crew “you gotta really love wood and love the work.”

“A lot of our tools are handmade. Whatever works.”

When it comes to getting the job done, the Lake Country team knows how to get creative. “Sometimes they’ll take a garden shovel and sharpen the end to peel the bark off,” says Jamie. Peeling the logs is a tedious task that requires a heavy blade and hours of repetition. For this part of the process, each crew member has a handmade blade customized to their size and work style.