08/15/2026
THEN & NOW —
A Family Tradition That Crossed Continents 🇳🇱 🇿🇦 🇨🇦
This old photograph from Haarlem, Holland represents the beginning of a family tradition that stretches back more than a century.
Gary van der Leek’s great-grandfather was an architect and builder in Holland, establishing a reputation for fine home construction in the early 1900s. Many of the homes he constructed are still standing today.
The tradition continued with Gary’s grandfather in Cape Town, South Africa, where he manufactured quality steel products and developed early roll-forming equipment used to produce metal roofing and cladding panels.
Gary’s father, Cornelis van der Leek, brought those skills to Canada in 1967. He worked in sheet metal before becoming a trades teacher, passing his knowledge and craftsmanship on to another generation. His interest in metal construction continued throughout his career, including a sabbatical devoted to the study of insulated metal, which became the subject of his thesis.
Gary carried that combination of craftsmanship and innovation forward. After receiving his roofing training on Vancouver Island in 1989, he established Vanderleek Roofing Inc.
And the family's connection to metal continues today. Building on generations of knowledge, Gary went on to develop an insulated metal shake roofing panel — another step in a family history centred on creating durable, quality products designed to last.
The materials and technology may look very different today, but the principles haven't changed:
Quality workmanship. Innovation. Reliability. Longevity. And pride in building something that lasts.
From Holland ➝ South Africa ➝ Canada, this is more than roofing history.
It’s our family history — and we're still building on it.
Vanderleek Roofing Inc.
Old World Workmanship. New Age Technology.
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