Photography by Thom Fougere
What marble is to Florence and travertine is to Rome, Tyndall stone is to Canada. The cream-coloured limestone, quarried exclusively in Tyndall, Man., incorporates contrasting dark veiny mottling that is fossilized remains of arthropods that swam in Lake Agassiz, which covered the region at the end of the last ice age. Tyndall is the noble stone of choice in our country for significant public buildings, from the Saskatchewan and Manitoba legislatures, and Parliament in Ottawa, to the Banff Springs Hotel and Toronto’s College Park. Yet the stone remained largely unexplored in furniture design until former EQ3 design director Thom Fougere launched his Tyndall Vessel collection in 2014, followed by his Tyndall vase, park bench and side and coffee tables. What thrust him into the spotlight was the Government of Canada commission for these twin 1,400-lb. display tables and a side table incorporating a vase for the 2025 G7 Summit at Alberta’s Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge.
“Simplicity is powerful and the designer’s choices here show expertise in their craft. The weight of the stone is balanced with refined yet raw details. No unnecessary ornamentation competes; instead, the details highlight the beauty of the material itself. The stone has a stunning mottling pattern, with fossils of ancient marine life throughout, preserving a one-of-a-kind mark of a moment in history. I love that each precise cut, the negative space created between the tables when side by side, and the sharp angles where the stone slabs meet work to create a powerful finished piece.” — Kaylyn Belcourt, president, Copernicus Educational Products, and president, ACIDO.
“Rooted in the material language of our Canadian landscape, this table transforms a familiar resource into something quietly monumental. Crafted from Manitoba stone, the design embraces locality not as a gesture, but as a design ethic, reducing transportation impact while foregrounding the richness of what exists within our own backyard. Its strength lies in restraint: an exercise in “less, but better,” where simplicity becomes both the aesthetic and the philosophy. Modular in nature, the piece performs with equal confidence as a singular object or as part of a larger composition—reflecting the idea that collective strength amplifies individual presence. There is an inherent generosity to the design. Solid, grounding, and enduring, the table stands as a quiet symbol of support, resilience, and togetherness, values deeply embedded within the Canadian identity.” — Marti Gallucci, design director, Mason Studio.
“What ultimately set this submission apart was that it used simplicity and restraint in design to make a much bolder statement. There’s a timelessness to the work that feels considered, not imposed. The pairing of the two tables and their intentional simplicity, creates a quiet dialogue that feels intentional, resolved and raw. This tells an understated story of being immovable through periods of turbulence, with a weight and permanence consistent with a true statement piece.” — Tessa Bain, president and co-founder, House of Digby.
As appeared in the July/August 2026 Best of Canada Awards issue of Canadian Interiors magazine.
See all the 2026 Best of Canada Awards winners
