| Jelinek Cork Group of Oakville, Ontario announced the opening
of CORK HOUSE,
a museum and product showroom wrapped into one. "The idea behind the Cork House",
says Henry Jelinek, president of Jelinek Cork Group, "is to introduce people
to one of the most remarkable natural resources on earth, and to preserve a part
of Canadian heritage by saving and renovating the oldest building in Halton.
I believe we have accomplished both of these goals". The house itself was erected in 1816 by Amos Biggar, a United Empire Loyalist, in the Classic Revival Style and is a good example of a Loyalist farmstead. The Town of Oakville recognized the building's rich history and deemed it a historic home. The town bylaw states the house has "historical, architectural and contextual value and interest under the Ontario Heritage Act". States Jelinek, "We were very conscious of this and during renovations we took extreme care to preserve the pioneer spirit of the house". "The Jelinek Cork company was founded in 1855 and we feel fortunate to be able to tie the traditions of our old company to the history of this wonderful house", says Jelinek. Additionally the product itself is naturally compatible to the old home since both the home and the cork products within it present a "warm and woodsy, yet modern and elegant" feel. There is no other material - whether manmade of natural - which possesses all the characteristics of natural cork. At the same time it is an environmentally and ecologically friendly renewable resource. It is the bark of the cork oak tree which grows and flourishes in countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The cork bark is stripped off the trees every nine years without damage to the trees. CORK HOUSE will surprise visitors with the vast assortment of products made of cork including cork floor and wall coverings, unique furniture pieces made of a combination of cork and wood, cork upholstery, gift items, cork shoes, and much more. The items are all for sale to the public at factory prices. Special terms and conditions are granted to Designers, Contractors, and Installers. Floor tiles - Wall tiles - Wall Paper - Cork furniture - Acoustical cork - Stoppers - Hot pads - Place mats - Custom printed coasters - Wedding favours - Gift items - Corks shoes and insoles - Cork fabrics |
