Timberland Canada has recruited a trio of Atlantic Canadian artists to turn hurricane debris into household decor as part of an effort to provide relief to communities that continues to recover a year after being hit by the devastating storm.

The initiative, called “Made From Fiona,” was devised with Toronto-based creative agency King Ursa and taps into Timberland’s longstanding values – particularly those concerned with sustainability and the greater community good. It aims to drive fundraising for recovery efforts for the communities impacted by Hurricane Fiona, while also raising awareness about those efforts, which are still ongoing a year later.

“Timberland has always been rooted in the outdoors, making sustainable products that help people move the world forward,” explains Josh McKellar, head of marketing for the brand in Canada. “Rather than letting downed trees become wood chips, we seized the opportunity to create something beautiful and help the community rebuild. Partnering with local artists who were already fans of our brand made it a naturally impactful endeavour.”

For the effort, the company recovered a number of trees felled by the hurricane, and has enlisted the talents of master furniture maker Jonathan Otter, wood sculptor Adam McNamara and visual artist Kalen Roblee to turn them into works of art. Those works will then be auctioned off to raise funds for recovery efforts across the province.

Fiona left a trail of destruction, including nearly $4 billion in damages, when it blew across the east coast in late September, 2022. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia bore the brunt of that destruction, with forests, trees, homes and infrastructure left destroyed along the hurricane’s path. Many of those homes still await repair today, while several devastated industries are still trying to recover.

The effort is entirely driven through social and OLV, with a nearly four-minute hero video anchoring the effort and airing on Timberland Canada’s YouTube channel. A 30-second cutdown trailer has been shared across Instagram, while individual carousels featuring the work of each of the artists will be featured across Instagram and Facebook. All of the material links back to a microsite, which hosts the auction for the creations as well as drives interested parties to donate directly to the United Way Halifax.

The United Way Halifax is also sharing the material across its owned social channels.

“To know the east coast of Canada is to love it. Experiencing its natural beauty and meeting its people is like finding a second family, so being able to continue to support these communities by working with exceptional artists has been incredibly meaningful to us,” says Grant Cleland, executive creative director at King Ursa. “It’s important that we do what we can to help our East Coast neighbours rebuild and show them the same kindness they extend to everyone who visits.”