HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-03-24, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2011.
“See us for all your
building and
renovating needs”
155 Anglesea Street,
Goderich
519-524-1778
1-800-667-0357
❥Fences and Sheds
❥Azek or Trex Composite Decks
❥Cedar or Treated Decks
❥Santerra Stonecraft Pavers and Stones
❥Flagstone and Armorstone
Landscape Rock
By Linda
Campbell
Call
357-2188
PEOPLE AROUND
BELGRAVE
Belgrave birdhouse business a worldwide successJohn Looser, owner and operatorof Extreme Birdhouses in Belgrave,
has a lot to be happy about lately.
Within six years he’s gone from
making birdhouses to keep himself
busy to selling them all over the
world and being featured in
magazines, newspapers and
television shows at all four corners
of the map.
Looser moved to Belgrave roughly
two years ago, but had been running
his birdhouse business from outside
of Cranbrook for four years before
that.
Originally, Looser built regular
sized houses for people, but after 20
years, an injury sidelined him with
chronic pain.
“I did my own thing for about
three years, but then I needed to find
something to do,” he said. “So I built
some birdhouses for my own yard.”
Looser stated that he never
planned on this being his business,
but it just kind of grew like that.
“I built a few for my own yard,
and people came and looked at
those, and it just kind of grew from
there,” he said.
From those humble beginnings,his business has become the featureof television shows like AnimalKingdom, which is viewed world-wide, and it has brought him
customers from all walks of life.
His appearance on Animal
Kingdom’s Most Outrageous Pet
Digs, a show that highlights the best
of the best when it comes to pet
palaces, was just one more step on
Looser’s runaway business success
path.
In March of 2011 alone, Loose
estimates he will be in more than
100 periodicals across the world,
most of which will be from one story
printed in a French publication.
“One organization does the story
and it gets picked up all over and
spreads like wild fire,” he said. “I’ve
received contacts from people
reading these stories from Scotland,
England, Russia, France and all
over.”
Looser also stated that his Animal
Kingdom appearance has been
featured on cruise ships, bringing his
craft to yet another customer base.
Another big part of Looser’s
business has been the internet and
social media.
“The people at Animal Planet first
heard of me through the internet, andI’ve also maintained my own webpresence,” he said.Looser said that, between hiswebsite and Facebook group, his
web presence has become somewhat
self-sustaining.
“I have 800 members connected to
me through Facebook, and that
community puts up pictures of my
work,” he said. “I don’t have to do as
much work as I once did in
maintaining that information.”
The birdhouses themselves are
unique both in appearance and in the
materials they are made from.
Looser uses hemlock and cedar
wood when using new wood, but
also uses barnwood when available.
He has built birdhouses with wood
that is more than 150 years old.
Smaller units can take a day or
longer to create, while larger models
Having ears isn’t enough, they need to be used
By Denny ScottThe Citizen
For the birds
John Looser, owner and operator of Extreme Birdhouses
in Belgrave, stands on an elevated deck to pose alongside
one of his massive birdhouses. Held nine feet in the air, his
houses can hold dozens or hundreds of birds and have
been the focus of television shows and hundred of articles
worldwide. (Denny Scott photo)
NEWS
FROM BELGRAVE
Michelle Burr and Cassandra
Carter greeted worshippers and
handed out the service of worship at
Knox United Church on Sunday,
March 20 Lent 2.
Rev. Tom Murray welcomed the
congregation followed by the
opening to worship and lighting the
Christ Candle and Caring Candle.
The congregation sang the Song of
God’s Steadfast Love which was
“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”.
Based on Psalm 121 the morning
prayer was read in unison. The
senior choir sang the anthem, “I
Find My Peace in You” by Besig
and Price.
Rev. Murray read a personal
meditation from Psalm 121. We
Meet You, O Christ was sung by the
congregation as the song of the tree
of life. The word for Today’s People
was heard from James 1: 22-25
(New International Version) and
from Matthew 18: 1-5, 10-14 from
the message.
Rev. Murray’s God’s Word to Us
was entitled, “Hearing God’s
Music”. We are reminded eight
times in the Gospels and eight times
in Revelation that it’s not enough
just to have ears – it’s necessary to
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