Instructors
We like to showcase the skills of industry professionals, as such, there may be occasions when their busy schedules require a substitute, to which we reserve the right should the situation arise.
James Mitchell, ISBA School Founder, Instructor and chief advocate of the Island way. In the preface of his book ‘The Craft of Modular POST & BEAM’ he writes. ‘I was born and raised where big trees, Rocky Mountains, and the sea were my playground. Building has always been a passion for me. When I was a kid I loved to build forts…on the ground, underground, in the trees, on the water, out of sand, snow, hay bales, wood or whatever I could find. Later as a young man in the 1970’s I subscribed wholeheartedly to the philosophy of going back to nature, living debtless. I became interested in domestic architecture in general and log and timber in particular’. James never lost focus of that philosophy, for over thirty years he has been building, teaching and writing about building construction, helping people toward the independence of building and owning their own home, in one form or 
another, from the Arctic to the Tropics. He built his own 5000 square foot Timber Frame home, cutting out and storing the 16,000 board feet of jointed timbers for three years before purchasing the property! A graduate of the University of British Columbia in Industrial Education James has produced manuals/videos on construction and contractor development for the federal Government and initiated a recourse management school for First Nations. He was one of the founding members of the Canadian log builders association (now the International Log builders association). Later he worked as a director of the board for the Log and Timber Industry of BC Association developing the curriculum for the Apprenticeship Training Program.
Chris Bell, born in the South of England and apprenticed with Stone Masons registered with the guild of Master Craftsman for four years. With 20 years experience he Worked on projects in the UK for the Duchies of Cornwall estates (Prince Charles), and the National Trust. Chris eventually brought his trade to Canada, winning awards for best restoration on a heritage home in Vancouver, BC. Chris continues his art on Gabriola Island, where he is in demand for his skill in this traditional craft.
Naomi Melnyk, registrar and student advisor at ISBA has worked and lived on Gabriola for over 16 years. She will help you get enrolled in the course(s) that are best suited to you, as well as make sure that you time on Gabriola and ISBA is as fun and fulfilling as you can imagine. With an intimate knowledge of the local community Naomi can help get you hooked up with suitable accommodation, recreational activities and connections with any necessary services or community events. Email or call Naomi at the ISBA office she would be happy to see what we can do for you.