Pearl Lorentzen
Lakeside Leader

A travelling blacksmith is coming to Slave Lake in September to teach a blacksmithing class.

Will Leonard, from Beaumont, AB, owns The Forge Co. He’s been a blacksmith for four or five years.

“I was a millwright before, and I had some friends that were doing it,” he says.

This summer Leonard expanded his business by becoming a travelling blacksmith. He has taught classes and done presentations around Alberta and BC, with many in the north.

“It’s the first summer I’ve done this,” he says.

It’s going well and will extend into the fall. Leonard also plans on doing it again starting next spring.

At workshops in Grande Prairie and Sexsmith people asked him if he was going to go to Slave Lake, so he did.

“It (the Slave Lake class) sold out very quickly,” says Leonard. “I think I’ll end up putting another one on soon. There seems to be a lot of interest in the smaller communities.”

The sold-out workshop is September 11. For information about potential upcoming workshops go to www.theforgeco.ca.