Turney Family History

    Carpentry and construction is a family tradition. Shortly after starting my business, my aunt sent me a picture of my great-great grandfather George Fletcher Turney and his construction crew in front of the Brighton Public School (circa 1914). He was a window maker by trade, and worked for most of his life as a general contractor in Northumberland County, Ontario.

    It was my grandfather, David Turney, who sparked my interest in carpentry. He was a civil engineer, and general contractor. He was also an early pioneer in environmentally conscious building and helped found a sustainable building design and construction program at Fleming College in early 2000s. Throughout his career he built several green buildings around Southern Ontario, including the Lily Ann thrift store in Haliburton (pictured above), which was constructed from staw bales, pop bottles, hempcrete, and strawboard wall panels among other materials.