The Occurrence

Punctilious jigsaw puzzles for art geeks and science nerds.

Our promise

During a freakish coldsnap in the winter of 2018, temperatures outside plunged to -46C. Co-founders Michael J. Bainbridge and Brigitte Gall said ‘holy mother of all things holy, but that’s cold!’, and then they started a puzzle company. Well, first they told their friends who were visiting for the holidays not to leave that night or they might die. Then, they watched their friends walk around and around their kitchen table doing a puzzle. And then they started a puzzle company.

Going through the photos amassed by Michael in his decade long career as an award-winning mineral photographer, they set about to create original jigsaw puzzles and nerd gear. The duo’s two young daughters and Michael’s mom were not spared, and by that spring the whole family was pulling the sled. Their guiding philosophy is to question everything while being mindful of our interaction with the planet and each other. Also, never let friends drive home when it’s -46C.

Proudly Ontario Made

TheOccurrence is a 100% owned, operated, and unreasonably proudly Canadian jigsaw puzzle manufacturing company located in the Haliburton Highlands.

We design, print, cut, and box in our Haliburton, Ontario location (no manufacturing ‘partners’ outside of Canada here). Images are true photographic-quality prints using museum-grade pigment inks on Satin paper, and glued with archival adhesive onto 100% recycled Eska board. We offer high quality jigsaw puzzles in 77, 192, 504 and (soon) 1008 pieces.

Our work is informed and inspired by our passion for Canadian geology, geography, and our collective cultural history. Our goal is to appeal to fellow science nerds and like-minded art geeks.

And finally, we’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that if your 72hr. preparedness kit doesn’t include a jigsaw puzzle, you’re not prepared.*