The Manitou Beach Chainsaw Carving Festival is underway and runs until Sunday afternoon. (Angie Rolheiser/northeastNOW staff)

By Angie Rolheiser

Wooden masterpiece

Sask. Chainsaw Carving Festival at Manitou Beach kicked off Thursday, continues through weekend

Aug 13, 2021 | 12:51 PM

Saskatchewan’s only chainsaw carving festival has the resort Village of Manitou Beach buzzing this weekend.

Ten artists from around Canada are showcasing their carving skills over four days where they turn a log into their very own masterpiece.

Community development officer and event coordinator Vickie Clarke told northeastNOW this is the first year the festival hasn’t been able to host carvers from the United States due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We do have carvers from Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and B.C. and some have competed at worlds,” Clarke said. “We have really got some high-end carvers here.”

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The bi-annual event began on Thursday morning and will run until Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. when the awards are given out.

“There is the people’s choice award of first, second, and third, there is the committee’s choice award, and the carvers each choose and award within their peers as well,” Clarke said.

According to Clarke, Saturday afternoon is when things get really exciting at the festival.

“When people come in they are actually going to be able to see what these carves are really starting to form into,” Clarke said.

Voting for people’s choice begins on Saturday morning. Raffle tickets are being sold on the first place carve and will be drawn following the awards ceremony.

Quick carves as well as some of the large carves are auctioned off. A few of the larger carves from previous years have stayed within the village and can be found in different areas of the community.

There will be live entertainment on Friday and Saturday evening at the festival. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., is open mic, followed by local band Full Tank of Freedom. Saturday will feature the Beach Cats and Hired Gun.

Marina Cole from Medicine Hat, Alta. is a returning carver to the festival. She took home first place, the people’s choice award, and was in a three-way tie for carvers choice in 2019.

“This is the only carving festival that is close to where I am, we don’t have a lot in Alberta, so I’d have to go way out into the coast or to the interior of B.C.,” Cole said.

On top of commission work, Cole tries to make it to a couple of competitions per year since she began chainsaw carving in the spring of 2016.

Her inspiration came from a carving of a dragon.

“I was mesmerized by how someone can take wood and put every scale of a dragon into it, it was beautiful,” Cole said.

After watching countless YouTube videos on what can go wrong while using a chainsaw, Cole almost talked herself out of even trying to carve with a chainsaw. She eventually got lessons from a carver in B.C. and hasn’t looked back.

“At first I just thought I was doing it for myself, and it has spiraled into something that I had never imagined and I feel so blessed,” Cole said. “Being able to create something that people look at and love, it does so much for myself and others.”

Cole said coming to festivals allows her to create something within herself since she is typically busy with commission projects.

Northern Sask., artist Gary Dennis Natomagan is also competing in the festival.

Natomagan was born and raised in Pinehouse Lake, Sask. and has been creating art his whole life but only started chainsaw carving about three years ago. His work has been showcased throughout Prince Albert over the years with his snow sculptures.

“First it was paddles for family or friends, and then it was wildlife,” Natomagan said.

Gary Natomagan makes his first appearance in a chainsaw festival. (Angie Rolheiser/northeastNOW staff)

Wildlife from the air, water, and land inspires Natomagan in his art.

He has been commissioned to do murals on canoes, rocks, semi-trailers, school, and business walls and has also illustrated a series of booklets. It is Natomagan’s first time at a chainsaw carving festival.

All of the carvers are on site at the Manitou community hall working on their pieces from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. Finishing touches will be completed on Sunday morning.

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angie.rolheiser@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser