Not every kid can be tucked in at night in a three-story bunk bed their dad built just for them but the kids of one family in Oshawa can.
Craig Lessard, a carpenter for 10 years, is happy his three daughters, age three to five, can go to bed each night in a custom bed he built with his own hands.
He believes homes should be unique and has built many additions for his home in south Oshawa from beds to fireplaces.
“I like to be around pretty things to be honest with you. I hate having an ugly house,” he says.
“I’d never want to live in a box. I know looking at the outside of this home it doesn’t look like anything special but the inside is special to me.”
The father of four says becoming a carpenter wasn’t in his plans but when he was 18, his now wife became pregnant.
“I never originally wanted to become a carpenter but going to college when you have a child on the way is not what you can do. You have to support your family.”
He says he knew he could keep a job and get good money with carpentry but it has turned into something more.
“Over the years it has gone from something to support the family to a career,” he says. “I enjoy working with my hands.”
It has given him the ability to add many improvements to his own home, one of his personal favourites being an eight-foot fireplace that hides the water heater in the basement.
“You go downstairs and see the fireplace on, it looks gorgeous when you are going down the steps,” he describes.
Lessard’s skills aren’t just for home improvement. He says the job has given him opportunities to contribute to many projects, including the Abilities Centre in Whitby.
Lessard says he is happy where he is now but will continue to pursue whatever is interesting.
He adds, “maybe I’ll work on something like the top of the CN Tower someday. I might get lucky enough to do that.”
