Harrison spreads his canvas on Saskatchewan Avenue W.

Posted By Daily Graphic Staff

Posted 2 months ago

Staff photo by Rob Swystun...Gord Harrison, owner of Portage Canvas Works, sews a backpack at his shop along Saskatchewan Avenue W. across from Tim Hortons Tuesday. Harrison has been in his current shop since September.

Portage Canvas Works' new location has all sorts of advantages over its old spot below Keystone Sports.

The new location along Saskatchewan Avenue West across from Tim Hortons has more room and it's more visible.

"Plus we're on the ground floor," owner Gord Harrison said while taking a break from manufacturing backpacks for local industry Tuesday.

Being on the ground floor means not having to haul large objects, such as the huge leather chair that was lying on its side in Harrison's shop Tuesday, up and down stairs as he had to in his old workspace. Now he just brings the big items through the large overhead shop door.

The large sign on the side of the shop also brings in customers who wouldn't normally notice it when the business was underground.

"We get a lot more walk-in (traffic) now," the owner said.

And, to top it all off, it's a short commute to work now as he lives in the residence that is attached to the shop, which used to house DC Securities, which means he also doesn't have to pay rent for space anymore, either.

Harrison, who used to be in the grocery store business and once owned the now-closed Tim Hortons on the corner of Third Street S.E. and Saskatchewan Avenue, started Portage Canvas Works six years ago and just moved into his new place in September.

There, he makes boat tarps, truck tarps, specialized backpacks for various industries around the city, bumper pads for loading docks and items to unload rail cars, repairs shoes and zippers on clothing, and re-upholsters furniture.

"We're not really into alterations too much because our (sewing) machines are too heavy," he clarified.

Summer sees the company making a lot of boat tarps, which can be made with any of three grades of rubberized canvas.

Once the customer picks the type of material he or she wants, Harrison will order it. They then schedule a day for the customer to bring the boat in, and he spends that day making the tarp.

"Everything is custom fit," he said. "We can pretty well cover anything."

Harrison's business isn't generally affected by the weather. Although he doesn't do many boat tarps throughout winter, there are other things to keep him busy.

"It doesn't slow down," he noted.

Repairs alone keeps him busy and promise to keep him busy in the new shop, just like they did in the old place.

"There's very little we haven't done when it comes to repairs," he concluded.

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