About Storia

We are Oakville's premier auction house and appraiser.

Our Goal
Our mission at Storia is to bring the past to life by curating the very finest antiques, showcasing the fascinating stories behind them, and creating the means through which these unique and valuable objects can be given a new home and appreciated for years to come.​

Our Team

Jed Gardner
Owner & Manager
​Senior Arts Specialist

​Jed Gardner was born in Dundas, Ontario. He moved with his family to Oakville in 1972. He attended Appleby College. Upon graduation from Grade Thirteen he studied fine Arts at Laurier University. His first venture into business was when he established an import export business into Guatemala. In the early nineties he established Antique Interiors in Bronte, Ontario. He moved to the present location of his enterprise when he purchased the Church and Manse of the Turner Chapel African Methodist Episcopalian Church just across the bridge from Old Oakville. Over the years he has established important contacts with Sotheby’s, Christies, and major Canadian and foreign auction houses. While most of his collection of antiques is from Southern Ontario, he regularly buys in England and Italy.  The inauguration of Storia was the fulfillment of a dream to create an independent auction platform which would provide a superior experience to current sales models.

Robert Gardner
Head of  Research
​

As the Head of Research Dr. Gardner examines each acquired object and determines its provenance and  establishes a possible evaluation.  He holds earned degrees from Ryerson University, McMaster University, and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto Graduate School in Education.

Tegwen Lewis
​​Head of Web Design and Digital Marketing
Associate Specialist,  Clothing & Accessories

Tegwen Lewis was born in Luxembourg to British parents. She moved to England when she was two and then to Burlington, Ontario when she was four. Upon graduating from Aldershot School, she attended Victoria College, University of Toronto where she completed a BA as a Specialist in History, with minors in Material Culture and French as a Second Language. She later concluded her education with an MA in Cultural Heritage Studies at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. Her first work experience in the field of history and culture was as a Collections assistant at the University of Toronto Art Museum, with a focus on the Malcove Collection. She has also held a position as an archival intern at the Royal Botanical Gardens archive in Hamilton. Her interest in antiques and historical objects grew from a fascination with social history, women's history, and material culture. At Storia, she works with everything tech-related and also specializes in antique/vintage clothing and accessories. ​

Parrish Crawford
Senior Specialist, Book & Print
​Retail General Manager

Parrish Crawford was born in New York City and moved to Oakville, Ontario in 1975. While earning her English degree from York University, she worked in bookstores new and used and, upon graduating, spent many years as a course materials specialist helping academics research their book choices and aiding book sellers in achieving their maximum profit.  With over thirty years of bookselling experience in stores and online all-over North America, Parrish brings her passion for connecting people to the books they love to Storia Turner Chapel.

Ray Irving
Senior Specialist, Art & Paintings 
​

In 1964, Ray Irving was brought to Canada to work as a cataloguer and appraiser by Ward-Price Phillips Ltd. (now Bonhams Auctioneers & Appraisers) specializing in original works of art and antiquities, as well as conducting appraisals for probate, division, and current market value etc. When Ward-Price Phillips was sold in 1974, he became self-employed as an independent appraiser, and acted as an agent for mainly English and Scottish 19th c. art dealers.

Gregory McKinnon
Head of  Logistics 
​Supervisor, Photography & Imaging

​​Gregory McKinnon has been a life-long entrepreneur. He conceived of the idea of The Running Company and in the course of nineteen years made it one of the most successful shops in downtown Oakville. At Storia Auctions he is the Head of Logistics and supervises Photography and Imaging. When a precious item is sold, Greg coordinates shipping, insurance, and oversees the delivery, nationally and internationally.

Anna Galuppi
Senior Specialist, Furnishings & Decorative Arts
Senior Consultant

Anna Galuppi has lived her life with fine antiques. She developed a passion for Fine Arts when she was a young woman and she gained a reputation as a gifted generalist. In the late eighties she helped manage Antique Interiors (Oakville) and in the nineties she opened her own shop, AG Antiques.

Our Sister Stores

Turner Chapel Antiques
AG Antiques & Appraisers

About Our Location Turner Chapel & Manse

Turner Chapel was an African Methodist Episcopalian Church located at 37 Lakeshore Road West in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1890. An earlier structure, built on the east side of Sixteen Mile Creek, had burned down. The west side of the river, where artisans lived, was a more welcoming environment for Oakville's "Black Church". The church was given the honour of being named after Bishop Henry McNeal Turner, as he was an advocate of the back-to-Africa movement, and the first black chaplain, appointed by Abraham Lincoln, during the American Civil War.

​African Americans had arrived in the Oakville Bronte area as early as the 1830s. With the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act 1850 a significant increase was noted in the number of former slaves leaving the northern states and following the North Star into Canada West (Ontario). Among the arriving fugitives was James Wesley Hill who later would be responsible as an agent of the underground railroad for assisting many former slaves into Canada and giving them temporary employment on his farm to help them get established. About 1860, Samuel Adams and his brother-in-law, Rev. William Butler (ordained in the A.M.E. church) set about organizing an estimated three or four hundred fugitives in the vicinity. After many set-backs, suitable land was acquired on the present site for a church. The corner-stone for the building was placed in 1891. On January 1, 1892, the doors of Turner Chapel A.M.E. church were opened for service under the leadership of Rev. William Roberts. A salute was tendered to Bishop Henry McNeal Turner the first black chaplain in Armed Forces of the U.S.A, and a dedicated community worker, when his name was applied to this sanctuary. The church remained open until the end of the twentieth century.

In 2002 Jed Gardner, a prominent antique dealer in Oakville, decided to move his established shop to this site.  He purchased the Church and the associated Manse for his burgeoning antique business.  Jed worked with the Oakville Historical Society to preserve the structure and maintain a “respectful use” of a place of worship. Jed sees himself as a custodian of an important part of the history of Oakville and he continues to conduct research on the early years of the church and its contribution to this community.​
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