Black bears holding bouquets of blueberries. A frog sporting a polka-dot bikini. An osprey keeping guard over its prey. The Museum on Tower Hill has all of this and more in its new exhibit: People Around the Sound.

Parry Sound’s own Dave Chantler is the artist responsible for these imaginative, yet still somehow realistic, creations. It’s easy to forget that his carvings are made of wood and not actual bikini-wearing frogs, fresh in from the Miami beach.

The exhibit showcases more than just Chantler’s carvings though. Experience the tale of how he and his late wife, Ruth, bought and managed Deer Horn Lodge – twice. Picture yourself as their children, attending classes in the one-room schoolhouse at Sans Souci on Georgian Bay. Learn about Chantler’s early years, before he made the move to Parry Sound, and follow his journey from once aspiring journalist, to business owner, to woodcarver extraordinaire.

Original, smart, and with a sense of whimsy thrown in, Chantler’s collection is a must-see. “You make a mistake in clay and you reshape it,” Chantler says. “You make a mistake with wood and you begin again.”