During a freakish coldsnap in the winter of 2018, temperatures outside plunged to -46C. Co-founders Michael J. Bainbridge and Brigitte Gall said ‘holy mother of all things holy, but that’s cold!’, and then they started a puzzle company. Well, first they told their friends who were visiting for the holidays not to leave that night or they might die. Then, they watched their friends walk around and around their kitchen table doing a puzzle. And then they started a puzzle company.
Going through the photos amassed by Michael in his decade long career as an award-winning mineral photographer, they set about to create original jigsaw puzzles and nerd gear. The duo’s two young daughters and Michael’s mom were not spared, and by that spring the whole family was pulling the sled. Their guiding philosophy is to question everything while being mindful of our interaction with the planet and each other. Also, never let friends drive home when it’s -46C.
$32.99
The perfect family activity for when you are stuck inside over winter, family game night or for rainy days at the cottage.
‘namaxsala is inspired by a story told to the artist, Mary Anne Barkhouse, by her grandfather Fred Cook. In the story, her grandfather helps a wolf cross a treacherous piece of water in a boat, on the West coast of Canada. “My grandfather’s stories always offered an alternative view for considering the world around me,” the artist remembers. “And so, I relate one of them here, to help negotiate cooperation with the ‘other’ and inclusion of the wild.”
The photograph, taken by Michael J. Bainbridge captures Barkhouse’s installation, locked in a perpetual gaze with Parliament. In the image, we also see the flags on Parliament Hill at half mast in recognition of the unmarked graves across the country of residential school children that never came home.
This deceptively simple image evokes a shared fate and highlights our need for critical introspection as a country.
‘namaxala is a Kwakwala word meaning ‘to travel in a boat together’. The sculpture of 'namaxsala can be seen and admired in person at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec.
Mary Anne Barkhouse is an Indigenous artist belonging to the ‘Namgis band of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation of British Columbia. She currently resides in the Haliburton Highlands of Ontario.
Reproduced in vivid wide-gamut colour, and mounted on genuine Eska board.
Piece Count: 504 unique shapes (if 500 is good, 504 is better!)
Finished Size: 42.0 x 59.4 cm (16.5 x 23.4")
Made by TheOccurrence in Merrickville, ON
$36.99
The perfect family activity for when you are stuck inside over winter, family game night or for rainy days at the cottage.
The Hangdog Channel is nestled in the world’s largest chain of freshwater islands. Rock faces scraped bare from the wind, twisted white pine, and the wide, wild water of the 30,000 islands are woven into the Canadian identity. The rugged beauty of the Canadian Shield requests the observer to be still, and listen to the heavenly chorus of nature.
Wendy Wood is a Canadian landscape artist who lives and paints in the Haliburton Highlands of Ontario. When she’s not painting, she weaves, makes maple syrup and likes to do puzzles.
Reproduced in vivid wide-gamut colour, and mounted on genuine Eska board.
Piece Count: 1008 unique shapes (if 1000 is good, 1008 is better!)
Finished Size: 68.6 x 48.3 cm (27" x 19")
Made by TheOccurrence in Merrickville, ON
$36.99
The perfect family activity for when you are stuck inside over winter, family game night or for rainy days at the cottage.
For as long as there have been road-trips, kids have been doing their part by proudly announcing passing road signs to the adult behind the wheel. These lowly sentinels hold vital information that is faithfully proclaimed from the catbird seat in order to avoid catastrophe as the road unfurls ahead. Local Traffic Only! Windy? Don’t Light! Brake for Snakes! Join us on this road-trip through the Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario. Sweet Corn Ahead! Welcome to Lanark County.
Stunning photographs and design by Micheal Bainbridge, reproduced in vivid wide-gamut colour, and mounted on genuine Eska board.
Piece Count: 1008 unique shapes (if 1000 is good, 1008 is better!)
Finished Size: 68.6 x 48.3 cm (27" x 19")
$36.99
The perfect family activity for when you are stuck inside over winter, family game night or for rainy days at the cottage.
This peaceful scene was created by Kurt Swinghammer, who is a Toronto based artist and musician.
Piece Count: 1008 unique shapes (if 1000 is good, 1008 is better!)
Finished Size: 68.6 x 48.3 cm (27" x 19")
Made by TheOccurrence in Merrickville, ON
$32.99
The perfect family activity for when you are stuck inside over winter, family game night or for rainy days at the cottage.
Original painting by artist Andrea MacLeod.
Piece Count: 504 unique shapes (if 500 is good, 504 is better!)
Finished Size: 68.6 x 48.3 cm (27" x 19")
Made by TheOccurrence in Merrickville, ON
$36.99
The perfect family activity for when you are stuck inside over winter, family game night or for rainy days at the cottage.
Artist Lori Meeboer brings classic cottage country scenery to life with this colourful, nostalgic puzzle!
Piece Count: 1008 unique shapes (if 1000 is good, 1008 is better!)
Finished Size: 68.6 x 48.3 cm (27" x 19")
Made by TheOccurrence in Merrickville, ON
$36.99
The perfect family activity for when you are stuck inside over winter, family game night or for rainy days at the cottage.
Did you know that for more than 240 nights a year, the best place to view the Northern Lights is the Northwest Territories?
If you've never experienced the magic of the Aurora Borealis,this puzzle is an invitation to immerse yourself in the swirling cascade of colour that illuminates the night sky, no matter where you are.
Piece Count: 1008 unique shapes (if 1000 is good, 1008 is better!)
Finished Size: 68.6 x 48.3 cm (27" x 19")
Made by TheOccurrence in Merrickville, ON
$36.99
The perfect family activity for when you are stuck inside over winter, family game night or for rainy days at the cottage.
Did you know that for more than 240 nights a year, the best place to view the Northern Lights is the Northwest Territories?
If you've never experienced the magic of the Aurora Borealis,this puzzle is an invitation to immerse yourself in the swirling cascade of colour that illuminates the night sky, no matter where you are.
Piece Count: 1008 unique shapes (if 1000 is good, 1008 is better!)
Finished Size: 68.6 x 48.3 cm (27" x 19")
Made by TheOccurrence in Merrickville, ON
$36.99
The perfect family activity for when you are stuck inside over winter, family game night or for rainy days at the cottage.
Multi-media artist, Alice Hinther is known internationally for her extra sassy greeting cards (Canada, USA, Europe, Australia).
Her work is infused with artistry, the quiet parts said out loud, and unfettered joy.
If you’ve ever imagined falling into a painting where everything is just right, or wished that life could be filled with simple pleasures - the ‘Lost Glebe’ by Alice Hinther is the magic carpet ride you need to take! (please don’t drink and fly).
Piece Count: 1008 unique shapes (if 1000 is good, 1008 is better!)
Finished Size: 68.6 x 48.3 cm (27" x 19")
Made by TheOccurrence in Merrickville, ON
$32.99
The perfect family activity for when you are stuck inside over winter, family game night or for rainy days at the cottage.
Original painting by artist Andrea MacLeod.
Piece Count: 504 unique shapes (if 500 is good, 504 is better!)
Finished Size: 68.6 x 48.3 cm (27" x 19")
Made by TheOccurrence in Merrickville, ON
$36.99
The perfect family activity for when you are stuck inside over winter, family game night or for rainy days at the cottage.
Multi-media artist, Alice Hinther is known internationally for her extra sassy greeting cards (Canada, USA, Europe, Australia).
Her work is infused with artistry, the quiet parts said out loud, and unfettered joy.
If you’ve ever imagined falling into a painting where everything is just right, or wished that life could be filled with simple pleasures - the ‘Town of Perth, Ontario’ by Alice Hinther is the magic carpet ride you need to take! (please don’t drink and fly).
Stunning photographs and design by Micheal Bainbridge, reproduced in vivid wide-gamut colour, and mounted on genuine Eska board.
Piece Count: 1008 unique shapes (if 1000 is good, 1008 is better!)
Finished Size: 68.6 x 48.3 cm (27" x 19")
Made by TheOccurrence in Merrickville, ON
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