| There is nothing like the warm ambiance and enduring | | | | charming-suited to meet their clients' needs. Eco-Log |
| quality of a Log Home. Eco-Log Building Concepts is a | | | | Building Concepts and Haliburton Forest have teamed |
| unique Builder and supplier of Log Home and Cabin | | | | up to offer the best nature has to offer-preservation |
| Kits. Unlike other Log Home Builders, Eco-Log Building | | | | of forests and wildlife. The foundation is built on the |
| Concepts has tapped into an un-discovered market | | | | theory, "good forestry is good business." By carefully |
| by constructing environmentally-friendly, "state of the | | | | selecting the timber used on the Log Home Building |
| art" Log Homes. Furthermore, this Log Home | | | | Kits, preventing wasted materials, and selecting |
| Construction company seeks out high-quality wood | | | | high-quality, long lasting wood such as hemlock, the |
| from the 60,000 acre, privately-owned Haliburton | | | | eco-system is able to be protected and preserved. |
| Forest Wildlife Reserve, located about 2.5 hours north | | | | "Because hemlock is often overlooked by today's |
| of Toronto Ontario to develop various, charming Log | | | | builders, the price is lower than many other species, |
| Home designs. Haliburton Forest Wildlife Reserve ( | | | | an advantage we pass on to our customers for their |
| got started when owner and Forestry graduate | | | | Log Home Construction," says Schleifenbaum. |
| Peter Schleifenbaum moved to Ontario from his | | | | Eco-Log Building Concepts ( was a natural fit for the |
| native country, Germany, in 1987. He moved in an | | | | Haliburton Forest Reserve. There are specific |
| effort to take over and manage the land left to him | | | | quantities of mature hemlock that come due for |
| by his father. A quarter of a century earlier, in 1962, | | | | harvesting every season - some measuring up to |
| the elder Schleifenbaum purchased the large tract of | | | | thirty inches in diameter. Each tree is individually |
| wilderness from a Logging Company that had | | | | selected, carefully felled and skidded by horse before |
| depleted the timber resources and moved on. Over | | | | transportation to the nearby Haliburton Forest Mill. |
| the past four decades the land has been | | | | Using state of the art saws, each board is squared |
| transformed to become a thriving operation. Today, | | | | for timbers or sawn into boards for planking. The |
| Peter Schleifenbaum continues to contribute | | | | Eco-Log Home and Cottage Building Kits utilize the |
| economically and environmentally to the long-term | | | | Haliburton Forest hemlock. The Log Homes boast |
| ecological stability of the forest. As a leading provider | | | | steep pitched roofs, spacious lofts, and heavy timber |
| of conservation and sustainable resource | | | | walls. Standard logs come 8" x 8" squared but there |
| management, in 1998, under the stringent guidelines | | | | are other options for seasonal buildings. Although |
| of the International Forest Stewardship Council, | | | | Eco-Log has many standard plans available from 100 |
| Haliburton Forest was certified as the "First | | | | to 3000 square feet, Log Homes can be built to any |
| Sustainable Forest" in Canada. This recognition was | | | | design. "We have developed many Ontario Log |
| certified by the Boston based Smartwood / | | | | Homes and have shipped a number internationally. All |
| Rainforest Alliance, the agent at that time. Eco-Log | | | | of our customers agree that Log Homes look like a |
| Building Concepts has tapped into the resources and | | | | home should-welcoming, comforting and enduring", |
| ecological preservation theories of Schleifenbaum and | | | | says Gord Higgins, Sales Manager for Eco-Log. One |
| Haliburton Forest. They have gone to the heart of | | | | thing is for sure - Log Homes are back in fashion. |
| the Wilderness to develop Log Homes that will be | | | | There are many Internet based resources for Log |
| environmentally-friendly, attractive, and | | | | Building Construction techniques. |