Your New OWCA

ONTARIO WOOD CARVERS ASSOCIATION is excited to introduce to you a brand new Board of Directors. There are new faces and valued experienced returning members. The great thing about this board is that the members span the province and will provide representation for all areas of Ontario. With this change we are reinvigorated and ready to bring exciting new changes, including modernizing the organization and adding value to our members.
OWCA Board of Directors:
President: John Lemay
Past President: Murray Lincoln
Treasurer: Karen Walker
Secretary: Steve Hibbard
Insurance Director: Lynn Burnett
Education Director: Lloyd Thomas
Director at Large: Jeff Hewitt
Director at Large: Kevin Reid

OWCA Mission Statement:
1. Help the interested public get started in woodcarving.
2. Help current carvers increase their carving skills
3. Assist and promote all carving clubs within Ontario in order to direct new and experienced carvers to their locations
I’d like to take a minute to introduce myself. myself. My name is John Lemay and I was elected as the New President of OWCA on January 7, 2025. I’ve had a passion for carving for over 30 years. I have received several awards across Canada and the United States for my carvings. I enjoy sharing my love of carving with both new and experienced carvers. One of the things I enjoy most is teaching the art of carving and seeing the excitement and joy and the “a-ha” moment on the faces of the carvers. My Working career has given me a vast knowledge of business and project management. Using this experience, I will work with the Board and membership to move OWCA forward to meet the needs of current and future wood carvers.
You may have heard that there were struggles to keep the OWCA organization running and there were concerns that it may even shut down. I am here to tell you that OWCA is alive and well and we are committed to being stronger than ever, going forward.

Where are we going? As I mentioned above, the Board and I are working to modernize and revamp OWCA to better serve our membership. Some of the projects we are working on are:
– On-line interactive magazine (COMING SOON!),
– Insurance coverage for wood carving clubs,
– Updated Website,
– Seminars and workshops,
– Links to carvers, retailers and other carving related sites,
– Carving Round-ups,
– A full list of all carving clubs in Ontario,
– OWCA Directors Dedicated to your area in Ontario,
– Carving patterns, tutorials and helpful hints,
– A buy and sell marketplace for OWCA members and
– Expanding our educational footprint in the community, such as schools and colleges.

Our goals may seem high, but they are achievable, with your help. Your membership to OWCA will not only give you availability to all of our offerings but will also help OWCA introduce the general public to woodcarving, help our existing members and help carving clubs throughout Ontario (as per our Mission Statement) . To become a member of OWCA go to the Menu on the top right corner of the website, click on Membership and follow the instructions. If you prefer to pay by cheque, rather than electronically, contact me at the email address listed below.
We welcome all your input and ideas and encourage you to reach out to us via my email: president@ontariowoodcarvers.com.

Sincerely,
John Lemay
OWCA President