Leading edge usually means computers, multimedia, biotechnology, even the infamous Infobahn. So how can a leading edge company be called Happy Harry's be located in a non-descript industrial area and who's owner says his business philosophy is to "wheel and deal -- we'll bargain on anything."

That's Ray Banville talking and he's the owner of Happy Harry's Used Building Materials at 125 - 61 Avenue S.E. It used to be called salvage, or the junk business. But now it's moved uptown and it's recycling in a big way.

Banville's 7,000 square foot neatly ordered warehouse and large yard is a supermarket of used building materials. A new $600 patio door can be found here in good condition for $200. A complete bathroom set which might mormally sell new for over $500 can be picked up here for under $150. There are hundreds of doors, including some solid wood old timers. Rare hardware. Windows of every size and description. Wooden beams. It's paradise for any suburban do-it-yourselfer.

"We have a lot of regulars who come down here and spend hours poking around," says Banville. "We also have people call us with their requests and when the exact item arrives, we let them know."

The name Happy Harry derives from Banville's long-time friend in Winnipeg, Harry Bohna. Together, they have developed the salvage business into a state of the art enterprise with outlets in Winnipeg, Toronto and Calgary. A second Happy Harry's has opened in the northeast and a new store is going up soon in Edmonton.

The Happy Harry's chain exchanges material between stores in order to meet customer demand.

"Winnipeg is older than Calgary so if someone here wants a special antique door or moulding and I don't have it, I can source it from Winnipeg or Toronto," says Banville.

Used building materials stores are springing up all over Canada and were recently the subject of a feature article in Harrowsmith magazine, the bible of the back-to-the-landers -- both rural and urban. They'vd sprung up because people like Ray Banville realize there is a value to the goods someone else is throwing out. And it's caught on with the public because the prices of some building products are very expensive. In addition, many people are no longer comfortable with the philosophy of the disposable society. The burgeoning landfills of the nation could be reduced if more people re-used the products of our consumer society.