👋 Meet Ron and The Birdhouse
At 82, Ron turned downsizing into a full-blown passion—handcrafting over 300 birdhouses from reclaimed wood and selling them every Sunday at the Morrisburg Flea Market as “The Bird House.
"I have made over 300 bird houses. I had a man from Ottawa order 25 bird houses."
When Ron , an 82-year-old retired Domtar worker from Ingleside, decided to downsize a few years ago, he never imagined his next chapter would involve building over 300 birdhouses and feeders —but that’s exactly what he’s done. What started as a way to stay busy has turned into a full-on passion project, known at the Morrisburg Flea Market as “The Bird House.”
Now in his fourth year , Ron can be found at his booth every Sunday from 8 to 4 , rain or shine, selling handcrafted birdhouses made with love, reclaimed wood, and a little help from the birds in his backyard. He’s met old coworkers, made new friends, and even hugged a woman from Maxville who bought four in one visit. His advice to other retirees? “You have to do something.” And as he puts it: “They’re not hard to make—but they are hard to sell.”
❤️ We’ll continue shining a spotlight on neighbours like Ron who make our community special. If you know someone we should feature—whether they’re creating, giving back, or simply doing something quietly meaningful— hit reply and let us know! We’d love to hear their story.
And because we believe it’s important to share these stories in our neighbours’ own words, we’ll also include Ron’s original message , just as he wrote it. It’s honest, heartfelt, and 100% authentic—just like him.
Enjoying this content?
Subscribe to our weekly free newsletter to stay in the know for what's happening in the SD&G area!
Let's hear it from Ron...
I never thought, that I would ever be making bird houses, in my lifetime ...I worked at Domtar for 36 years , had a hobby farm, and raced horses.. so there was always , something to do .. I had trouble getting help, to take the hay off, and i was getting older, I am 82, so decided to sell and down size. Bought a house in Ingleside, and it had a little work shop, in the basement. It didn't take long, before i was getting bored ..lol. I bought some tools, and started making bird houses for the back yard.
This will be my 4th yr, making bird houses & feeders. I buy my material, locally... and some time, people will give me some wood ..I took down a long fence, for a guy... and at the time, I said, I'll never use all that wood, well i have 3 pieces left. I am sure, I have made over 300 bird houses. I had a man from Ottawa order 25 bird houses, with stands, that went in the ground. He was celebrating his 30 wedding anniversary, and was going to give, everybody a bird house.
I have a booth (outside) at THE MORRISBURG FLEA MARKET open, every Sunday from 8 to 4. I have over 100 bird houses & feeders for sale. I meet a lot of nice people, and old coworkers from Domtar, that i hadn't seen in 20 years. And it is funny.. you never know , who is going to buy something... just yesterday, this elderly lady came in from Maxville, she bought 4 bird houses, and said, she will be back for more .....I gave her a big hug...lol
In the back yard, i have several bird houses & feeders , and it buts up against a bush...we get wild turkeys that come in and pick off the ground, that the cardinals, bluejays, robins etc. drop, from the feeders.. It is always nice to see I think it is the same 15 every day .. one day , we had over 50, I don't know why ...lol
When you get older and retire, you have to do something, either a part time job, volunteering, or gardening, but don't make bird houses ,,to sell, everybody is doing it...lol ..,. I tell people, they are not hard to make, but hard to sell . If you have never been to the flea market in Morrisburg, you should take it in, you will be surprised , in what they have there, I know, I was.
Ron