When Matt was five years old, his father took him and his brother on a two-week volunteer project to help build a log church in far-North Ontario. It was there that he first caught a glimpse of the unique beauty found in log structures, and sensed the satisfaction that can come from using your own hands to build them.

When Matt was older, he pursued his passion of becoming a master craftsman, in college where he met his now-wife and business partner Alison in the same cabinet-making program. They bonded over their fascination in handcrafting, married shortly thereafter, and built their very first home together — a log home, of course. It took them over a year to hone in on their crafting skills during their free time. With each hand-hewn log carefully placed, it became clearer that this was how they wanted to spend their lives.

To gain experience building handcrafted homes, Matt spent many years apprenticing under veteran handcrafters in the Ontario log home building industry. From these masters, he learned the intricacies of the trade and refined his skills and creative talents. Matt’s master craftsmanship established a well-deserved reputation that opened the door to turn his passion into a thriving business.

In the black fly season of 2000, Matt and Alison bought 130 acres of land in rural Ontario, just South of Muskoka. They and their four children have called Washago, home ever since.