Our Team

 
 

Wilson Edgar
Co-Founder / Principal

 

Driven to create winning solutions in all aspects of his life, Wilson’s career in business development includes a focus on working with teams and individuals to develop solutions and overcome challenges. Wilson is a life-long lover of the great outdoors and spends his free time skiing, hiking, mountaineering, running, and mountain biking - with whoever will join him, but almost always with his dog, Ace. He is an active contributor in the outdoor enthusiast community, sharing his enthusiasm with like-minded individuals and groups, and in his past role as the President of the BC Mountaineering Club. 

Wilson developed the initial concept of The Backcountry Hut Company as a solution to the demand for exceptionally designed recreational shelters. A strong believer in working with the best people to solve any challenge, he chose to collaborate with Co-Founder Michael Leckie to develop the company’s vision and design offering. 

 
 

Michael Leckie Architect AIBC, M. Arch
Co-Founder / Principal

 

Michael is a registered Architect in the province of British Columbia, and Principal at Leckie Studio, an award-winning multi-disciplinary design practice based in Vancouver. His work with clients across North America includes modernist single- and multi-family residences, heritage and industrial rehabilitations and conversions, and large-scale institutional projects. An outdoor enthusiast, Michael enjoyed seven adventurous years managing sustainable forestry projects in remote sites across Canada before pursuing his passion for architecture. He is an avid snowboarder and all-weather surfer, and has spent decades exploring the West Coast, from Haida Gwaii in the North to the bottom of the Baja peninsula. 

Michael’s deep appreciation for the outdoors, hands-on approach to design and creativity, and belief in living Dieter Rams’ ethos of “less but better” led him to collaborate with Wilson in co-founding The Backcountry Hut Company.

 
 

Cyrill Werlen
Manufacturing Partner

 

Cyrill discovered his love of woodworking early on, as a teenager in his brother-in-law’s mill shop in Switzerland. He went on to complete a Swiss Cabinet Maker apprenticeship program, and earned his BSc in Wood Science & Processing. Cyrill has a deep knowledge of woodworking and brings a solid background project management through immersive experiences in the industry in Switzerland. He came to Canada to learn more about North American manufacturing processes, and fell in love with the wild spirit and rugged landscape of the country.

Cyrill founded Cascadian Wood Tech on Vancouver Island in 2015 with a focus on developing enduring high-quality wood-based structures. He joined The Backcountry Hut Company as manufacturing partner after discovering the natural alignment in vision. 

 
 
Martin Mansikka

Martin Mansikka

System S Manufacturing Partner

 

Martin is a LEED Green Associate, member of the Canada Green Building Council and Principal at Talo Green Build Project Management. An advocate of prefabrication and sustainable construction processes, Martin has partnered with BHC to support the prefabrication of the BHC sauna.

Growing up in a family of Finnish heritage, Martin had an early understanding of the significance of sauna within Nordic culture. Talo incorporates traditional Finnish saunas in many of their projects, so it was a natural fit when the opportunity arose to work on a prefabricated sauna concept with childhood friends Michael and Wilson.