Photo courtesy Open Air Options Facebook

By Erika Rolling

2022 Made in Alberta Awards

Beaverlodge RCMP Sergeant’s ‘hobby’ nominated for a 2022 Made in Alberta Readers Choice Award

May 15, 2022 | 12:45 PM

What started out as a drone photography business, now specializes in all things leather. Open Air Options in Grande Prairie has shifted into a new type of ‘craft’ and has been nominated for a prestigious, Alberta-only award.

Ash Browne, a Sergeant with the Beaverlodge RCMP wanted to focus on something in his spare time but decided to make leather crafting more than just a hobby.

Browne says “During Covid, my transfer to Grande Prairie (from Hinton RCMP), and a few other things that happened, the drone business didn’t work out.”

“So what I did is I took my new love for this hobby of leatherwork, took the structure of my drone business and amalgamated them into a leather business!”

Browne says he did not know about the nomination for the 2022 Made in Alberta Readers’ Choice Awards in the crafts category for his Open Air Options: Leather Wallet until Everything GP contacted him.

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“I’m definitely humbled by it and I think it’s absolutely great!”

“I decided when I started making leather items that I was going to try and make 100 of them just to get a feel for it and get good at it before I started selling them. So now I’m pushing probably around the 400 mark which is quite a bit when you consider that everything I do is handmade.” Browne notes.

Browne is working on his retirement from the RCMP and his last position was Detachment Commander for Beaverlodge. Most things he crafts cater to a more niche market; first responders.

“I make of course wallets that you can put a challenge coin in or a police badge. I make badge holders that are attached to a chain with clips on them” Browns added he is in the midst of making prototypes for some firearms parts.

He says with recognition gaining, it has been growing slowly out of his capacity and he now has a part-time employee that works alongside him.

There is currently no storefront, but Browne is looking for a place to sell his items.

“I look forward to more followers and if anybody has anything custom made, an old saddle to be fixed or oiled up, I can do almost anything that comes to leather right in Grande Prairie.” He says.

Open Air Options can be found on Facebook, Instagram, their website, and an online Shopify store.

You can vote in the Made in Alberta Readers Choice Awards until May 24.