Riverside’s Newest Shop, Oso Viejo Imports, Blends Sustainability, Fair Trade and Art in its Unique Wood Products
Oso Viejo Imports Inc. landed in Riverside in mid-September, at 700 Queen Street East. Visit them in their beautiful space to experience their exquisite yet super durable wood products. In the meantime, check out more on Instagram: oso_viejo_imports and Twitter: @OsoViejoImports.
Here’s the inside scoop about Oso Viejo from shop manager Onai Sharif:
Why the name ‘Oso Viejo’?
Oso Viejo literally means “Old Bear” and the name was chosen because it was a way to pay tribute to Mexico where our first product came from and also, our producers have a big wooden carving of a bear as a good luck charm in their shop…and we thought it would be interesting to call the company Oso (bear) Viejo (old).
The story of Oso Viejo Imports
One day in 2014 while on holidays in Mexico, we stumbled upon a small “Ma and Pa” shop in a small village outside of Mexico City specializing in antique furniture pieces. While browsing the store, beautiful pieces of Mesquite wood tables captured our eye and we immediately became fascinated with their rustic-inspired craftsmanship. The owners of this small shop make a living by acquiring the raw wood from damaged or old trees that need to be cut down for reforestation and turn them into hand crafted furnishings. Each one of these sustainable whimsical creations is crafted from 100-200 year old trees, and each has its own distinctive charming characteristics that will warm your heart. Mesquite wood being one of the toughest woods around is hard to damage and so it is sure to be around for generations.
Naturally, after a short time Oso Viejo Imports Inc. was born and with a creative vision of bringing unique, artistic home furniture and accessories from around the world to Canada. Our mission is to bring family and friends together with our quality one-of-a kind products. We hope you enjoy Oso Viejo Imports as much as we enjoy introducing interesting design elements to your homes and cottages.
About the Owners and Onai
The owners are a group of investors whose passion is to bring new and innovative, artistic pieces from around world to Canada – essentially uniting cultures in Canada. I am here because I believe in that vision. My goal is to make that vision into a reality starting with the first product, the mesquite table tops.
About the product
The table tops are made out of Mesquite wood, which is native to Mexico and southern parts of the USA. On the Janka Hardness scale, mesquite scores 2345 which makes it one of the toughest and hardest woods around. In other words, it is difficult to damage the wood. Where we source the wood from is a small village well outside of Mexico City, Mexico. The product is fair trade, ethically sourced and sustainable. Due to the labour, and intensity that goes into each slab of wood, we make sure that our producers are well compensated for their hard work, as each item is hand crafted. Also, a portion of sales will go back to the villages to help with re-plantation of trees. We see it as the only way to do business in developing countries: Fair prices and giving back to the community that helped us get here.
If you are looking for a unique, durable piece for your home or office, this is the place to go. Please spread the word!!
