Wood carving has been a lifelong passion for the Valley Carver. Delbert — Dub — Juby learned early how to transform blocks of wood into moose, ducks and loons. In the one-room Lochwinnoch School, Dub learned to identify the habits of wildlife and to recognise every tree not only by its leaves but also by its bark and grain. To Delbert, wood is a living entity from which he pares away the excess to reveal people, animals or historical objects.
From a long line of shanty men who worked the Ottawa River, Dub followed his father in working the log booms. Life, though, had other career plans for him. Following Canada’s Centenial in 1967, a heightened awareness of, and, interest in “Canadiana” grew to a demand for artifacts that interpreted Canada’s history and culture. With his intimate knowledge of historic lumbering and agricultural life, Delbert and his wood carvings/sculptures were in demand.
Over the years he:
Delbert still carves every day. Recently he has been carving replicas of tugs and crafts that once plied the waters of the Ottawa River. An avid motorcyclist and dedicated driver of vintage bikes, he has painstakingly recreated, in miniature, his precious collection.
Delbert lives near Braeside, Ontario in an A-frame home designed and built by himself. Home, shop and studio are a wonderland of wood carvings surrounded by beautiful gardens and natural landscape. All is inviting and open to visitors whenever the artist is home or by appointment.
Newspaper clipping showing the Valley Carver with one of his wood sculptures
Member of Ottawa Valley Wood