CBBAG - Southwestern Ontario Chapter

05/30/2026

Paste Papers Workshop

Paste paper is a centuries-old decorative technique used in bookbinding, collage, and mixed media. By applying pigmented paste to paper and manipulating it with simple tools, you can create vibrant, expressive patterns and textures. In this hands-on class, students will learn the history, materials, and techniques of traditional and contemporary paste paper, while exploring colour, pattern, and experimentation. The class also includes a demonstration on making paste bookcloth. By the end of the session, students will leave with a sample book and a collection of original paste papers.

All materials and tools are provided. Feel free to bring your own specialty papers or mark-making tools, and wear clothing that can get messy.

Dates:  Saturday June 27th & Sunday June 28th, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: London ON
Cost: $140 & $35 material fee

For more information or  to register visit cbbag.ca/southwesternontario or the link in our bio.

Registration deadline is June 19, 2026.

05/16/2026

CBBAG SWO will be at next Saturday (May 23) from 10am to 1pm

Come stop by to visit us and many other local clubs and societies, there is something for everyone!

05/12/2026

Need a fun adventure this week? Come check out Biblioarts in Owen Sound! CBBAG SWO will see you there!

BiblioArts Print and Book Arts Fair returns to Owen Sound on May 14-17, 2026! 🥳 BiblioArts (.os) is an annual teaching and marketplace event supporting Grey-Bruce artists and fundraising for the Georgian Bay School for the Arts ().

One of the highlights is the free, outdoor event: BIG PRINTS! Watch artists from across Ontario create large-scale relief prints made using a steamroller on Kozuke Ivory Heavy washi.

Don’t miss the celebration, enjoy workshops, vendor marketplace, and more!
Workshops require pre-registration; costs vary.

🎨 BiblioArts Print and Book Arts Fair
May 14–17, 2026
in downtown Owen Sound, Ontario

BIG PRINTS!:
Sunday, May 17, 12:00 – 3:00 PM
on 1st Ave., behind GB Arts, beside the boardwalk along the Sydenham River
(Rain date is Monday, May 18th)

More info
🔗 bochordbookbinding.ca/biblioartsos

04/24/2026

The SWO Chapter will be representing CBBAG at Wayzgoose, tomorrow (April 25) from 9AM to 5PM! Come out to Grimsby Public Art Gallery and say hello! 👋

01/29/2026

https://harrisfuneralhome.ca/obituaries/janis-kay-van-fleet/

It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our chapter member, Jan Van Fleet. Jan served previously as the chapter secretary and was a member of the CBBAG National Education Committee. She was a valued part of our chapter, and will be greatly missed.

Janis Kay Van Fleet December 25,1942 – January 16, 2026 Jan Van Fleet passed away at Victoria Hospital, London, after a brief illness. Predeceased by her parents, Kemp and Virginia Shacklett, and her first husband, Fred Van Fleet. Survived by her sister, Jayne Sinicki (Montrose, Colorado), and her...

01/28/2026

Attention: Looking for locally made bookbinding materials!  Do you make your own bookbinding materials to sell?   

The SWO chapter of CBBAG is having an exhibit of books with the theme of local. (Interested in participating? Visit cbbag.ca/southwesternontario for more information.)

Participants are looking for locally made supplies such as: handmade paper, decorated papers, bookcloth, thread, ink, etc.

Please comment with your available materials and how you would like to be contacted for potential sales. You can also DM us if you'd like to be included in our chapter newsletter.

01/14/2026

Bookbinding 1 - Durham, ON

Bookbinding I is considered the fundamental course of the CBBAG curriculum by teaching terminology, materials, tools, techniques, and basic concepts. The course includes six components: setting up the shop and tools; materials and techniques, making a picture frame; sewing variations, endpapers; book cloth and board; making the case; hanging-in the text block, adhesion; and expansion and contraction. This course includes pamphlet sewing, lap stitch sewing, quarter, half, and full cloth case binding; and concepts of grain, warp and pull, swell, and the joint.

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Dates: 6 days running Saturday to Monday: March 21-23 and 28-30, 2026
Location: Durham, ON
Prerequisites: Current membership in CBBAG
Cost: $495 + $50 material fee

Registration Deadline: March 13, 2026

For more information and registration visit cbbag.ca/southwesternontario or the link in our Instagram bio.

01/14/2026

Self-Publishing via Chapbooks

In this two-hour workshop, participants will learn how to self-publish their writing in the form of a chapbook. The session will include a demonstration of digital typesetting and pagination for poetry and short stories, using a free imposition program and any standard word processor. Participants will also be guided through creating blank chapbooks, giving them all the skills needed to publish their own writing in an economical and straightforward format.

This class is offered in preparation for the book exhibit Handbound & Homegrown, scheduled for May 2026 in London, Ontario. It is open to members of the Canadian Bookbinding and Book Arts Guild and the London Writers Society.

Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Date: February 21, 2026
Location: London, ON
Prerequisites: Current membership in CBBAG or the London Writers Society
Cost: $55 + $5 material fee

Registration Deadline: February 13, 2026

For more information and registration, visit cbbag.ca/southwesternontario for the registration form or see the link in our bio on Instagram.

12/03/2025

We’re excited to share that we are hosting a 2026 chapter exhibit, Handbound & Homegrown: Bookbinding in Our Backyard Exhibit, happening this May—and it’s got a beautiful home! Attic Books in downtown London, Ontario, is opening up their storefront windows to showcase our work.

The theme is simple but wide open: Local.

What does local mean to you? Maybe you make your own inks from plants in your garden, maybe you’ve got handmade paper from a nearby papermaker, or maybe you want to bring new life to the words of a local poet or author.

This exhibit is all about celebrating the creativity, resources, and inspiration we can find right in our own backyard. We can’t wait to see how you bring local to life in your bindings and books.

This exhibit is open to CBBAG members in the SWO and GTA chapters.

If you’d like to participate in the exhibit, you can find more information and the submission form, visit the link in our bio or our website: cbbag.ca/southwesternontario

The deadline for entry is April 17, 2026.

10/02/2025

This is a prerequisite for Bookbinding III. The workshop is a comprehensive introduction to the different types of leather and explores a variety of paring techniques used in bookbinding.

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Dates: 2 days; October 25 and 26
Location: London, Ontario
Prerequisites: Current membership in CBBAG (if you aren't a member, please fill in the membership application form), Bookbinding 1, and Bookbinding 2

Cost: $160
Materials Fee: $10 + cost of leather

Registration Deadline: October 17, 2025

For more information and registration, please view the registration form found in our bio or on cbbag.ca/southwesternontario.