It all began with an idea that represents our love of being in the outdoors. Spending time in the forest made both of us inspired by the natural world. It became very important for us to do what we could to live and work in a way that was environmentally sustainable. We wanted to create a way to help protect the natural beauty around us. We purchased a beautiful property in the West Kootenays with a rocky hillside, a beautiful wetland area and lots of possibility for off-grid development. Woodland Hillside became a reality. We are working to rebuild a forest that was damaged and protect a wetland area that is home to many forest animals. In the future we hope to have off-grid cottages so that others can explore the regenerated forest we are developing.

After finding many dead standing and fallen trees wherever we went, we started making wood products to utilize the varieties of trees that were quickly decaying. We mill, dry, and create our wood products ourselves. Each piece is crafted to bring out the characteristics of the trees we are rescuing at any given time. We are excited to share our creations with you!

Woodland Hillside Gift Crates are filled with a selection of high-quality locally handcrafted goods. The items chosen are made by artisans’ intent on creating products that are environmentally friendly, fairtrade (where applicable) and use good quality ingredients. We use Canadian made 100% recycled Kraft paper for our packaging. We created a lid for our Gift Crates that can be used as a trivet. Our crates can be mounted on a wall as a decorative shelf to match any home decor. We don’t want anything to go to waste so we strive to create new products with the wood resources we have.

Last year we planted 150 tree seedlings, that we grew from seed, in areas around our property damaged from previous logging practices.

We only used wood from trees that are not viable for commercial lumber. Dead standing, fallen and danger trees. We look forward to creating special gifts and keepsakes for you!

We now drive an EV and enjoy that we can move around with less impact on the planet.

Melissa and Ghislain, Owners of Woodland Hillside at Waneta Plaza in Trail BC