Articles

Earthrise 2024

A fresh perspective can be life changing. Fifty-five years ago, this image met the crew of Apollo 8 as they orbited the moon. The astronauts were in awe as they scrambled to find a roll of colour film for Bill Ander’s camera…

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Inside Our Shops

Cornerstone’s roots run deep in the soil of traditional timber framing. From the company’s inception in 1991, the founding Peters brothers maintained a steady focus on technical excellence and quality. Complementing their deep respect for traditional skills and methods, an interest in finding “better tools”, allowed them to see that new materials, digital design and state of the art equipment did not threaten the craft but freed it to be so much more.

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Noise in the Neighborhood

While visiting Germany this spring, I found myself standing at a busy intersection, waiting for the pedestrian signal to change. A large group of motorcycles approached, went past, then accelerated as they cleared the intersection. It took several seconds before I realized why the experience felt so odd… the motorbikes were all whisper quiet.

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“Must See” Timber Connections

Whenever two pieces of timber meet in timber framing, they need to be connected. Carpenters call this connection ‘joinery,’ which involves cutting specific details into two pieces to keep them together. These joinery details are usually hidden from view once the timber frame is assembled.

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US – Canada Free Trade Turns 35

Free trade between the US and Canada will celebrate its 35th anniversary on New Year’s Day, 2024.

In 1982 the US unemployment rate reached 10.8%, the highest level in the entire post-war period. Over 12 million job-seeking Americans were idled. In Canada unemployment reached 13%. There was sharp disagreement about the best course of action to address the underlying economic stagnation. Unions and employment advocates called for higher tariffs and stronger trade barriers as the only effective way to protect jobs.

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