THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
Over the years, Corwin Hann - a handyman in Fort Smith - has had to expand the kind of work he does from mainly painting and plastering.

Corwin Hann is a handyman in Fort Smith and owner/operator of Corwin's Painting & More. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

And that's partially because of the do-it-yourself movement - often just shortened to DIY - that has been promoted by some television shows and even certain hardware chains.

"With those DIY programs, I guess everybody feels now that they can paint and plaster themselves," Hann explained. "I think a lot of people do feel it, and they don't want to pay money to get somebody to come in. Of course, that doesn't pay the bills if I don't work, so I have to do everything else."

So he gives his customers more.

Actually, 'more' is right there in the name of his business - Corwin's Painting & More.

While painting has top billing, Hann said that is not the main part of his business and hasn't been for a while.

"You do everything," he said. "There are not too many jobs I won't tackle."

Along with painting and plastering, his work includes such things as hardwood flooring, millwork, ceramic tiling, siding, bathroom renovations, window replacement, decks, kitchen renovations, roofing, flooring and cabinetry.

"That's why I have the 'more' part because it's more of the other stuff than the painting aspect of it," Hann said.

The 42-year-old independent contractor, who is originally from Newfoundland, has lived in Fort Smith on and off since 2007, especially during the summer, and has resided permanently in the community for the past two-and-a-half years.

Hann also occasionally travels to projects elsewhere, including to other NWT communities, and in Alberta and B.C.

His career as a painter and plasterer began about 25 years ago and he has been doing handyman work for about 15 years, beginning in Nunavut.

"I was working for a company in Iqaluit and basically I got to the max of payment I could get working at a wage and they suggested being a subcontractor," he explained. "So that's how I started."

Hann has learned on the job the various skills he needs.

"I've been at a lot of construction sites over my career," he noted.

If he needs some specialized work, such as by an electrician or plumber, he hires those tradespeople as required.

Hann said being a handyman also involves being a problem-solver as new and different jobs arise.

"I like what I'm doing because it's variety," he said. "Like if I was a mason, I'd be doing stone and brickwork all day long. If you were just a painter, all you would be doing is painting. I get to go in and all my jobs are different. I really enjoy doing it because I get to see it from tear-out to brand new again."

Plus, specialized tradespeople sometimes don't see the happy customer at the end of a project on a home, he added. "I like the fact that I get to see what it used to look like and make the customer happy."

Hann said Fort Smith is a busy place for a handyman like himself, noting most of his work happens in the spring and summer.

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