What’s old is new again in the Bridge City

Watch the video above: What’s old is new again in Saskatoon

SASKATOON – A growing trend in Saskatoon is taking historic items and reusing and refurbishing them.

One local business owner, Brian Michasiw, is taking an old gymnasium floor and re-using it in his new store.

“We have to pry off 2x4s, we have to buzz the nails off with a grinder, we have to scrape both ends of the tongue and groove and then they have to square it,” said Michasiw, the owner of Brainsport & Pedestrian.

It’s not just any hardwood, the 2x4s were part of the old gym at Bedford Road Collegiate.

“I went to Bedford, played basketball, went to dances, ran laps in the gym. To have that piece of history come to my new running shoe store seems like a really awesome fit,” said Michasiw.

It isn’t a new concept, taking something historic and re-purposing it has become a common trend in the Bridge City.

“The next generation is really seeing that’s their connection to their grandparents and their great grandparents, being able to tell a bit of the story from their past and at the same time bringing something new in,” said Lenore Swystun, a community planner with the Saskatoon Heritage Society.

Taking reusable items out of old buildings and restoring them has turned into a successful business for Habitat for Humanity.

“Anything you can think of can be made out of older materials and it’s very creative, it’s a way to tap into your creativity and it also keeps it out of the landfill, which to us is really important,” said Saskatoon Habitat for Humanity CEO Barb Cox-Lloyd.

Michasiw hopes to have his new Brainsport & Pedestrian store open in September, with the floor possibly being the most labour intensive part of the whole move.

“New is nice but sometimes new sometimes leaves you feeling a little bit… there’s no emotion. There’s no history and here we have the best of both worlds,” said Michasiw.