Chainsaw diplomacy: Chetwynd, B.C., is giving away its chainsaw carvings to other municipalities

Hanna Petersen · CBC

· Posted: May 19, 2025 11:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 hours ago

A bluish B.C. assemblage whose road is lined with elaborate chainsaw carvings is starting to springiness immoderate of the statues distant to municipalities passim the province. 

Each year, 12 of the world's champion chainsaw carvers question to Chetwynd — a assemblage of astir 2,300 successful the northeastern B.C.  — to vie successful the yearly Chetwynd International Chainsaw Carving Championship. 

The title is now in its 19th year, and it has near a bequest of much than 150 chainsaw carvings scattered passim Chetwynd. 

"We springiness smiles away," said Chetwynd Mayor Allen Courtoreille. 

He says Chetwynd has been giving immoderate of its excess carvings arsenic a motion of goodwill to different communities successful the province. In May, Chetwynd talented a carving of an eagle and salmon to Prince Rupert and 1 of a dolphin and turtle to the Village of Fraser Lake. 

Last year, they gave a statue to Smithers and person besides sent carvings to Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and Tumbler Ridge 

"If you smile, past you get a grin back. So it's precise important, and that's wherefore the chainsaw carvings are precise important to america due to the fact that we bash interaction different communities with our donation," said Courtoreille. 

He says the determination to commencement giving the statues distant precedes his election as mayor.

"I deliberation receiving this chainsaw carving from Chetwynd is much than conscionable a acquisition to us," said Sarrah Storey, the politician of Fraser Lake. 

"It's challenging for a batch of communities successful the region, truthful showcasing the value of collaboration, I think, is genuinely important, and it conscionable shows that we're each successful this together." 

Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond says he's blessed to person a small portion of Chetwynd successful his community. 

"It's conscionable a beauteous portion and wherever it sits now, determination is conscionable an unthinkable presumption retired implicit the Prince Rupert Harbour,' helium said, noting that helium besides enjoys travelling to Chetwynd with his grandchildren to look astatine the carvings. 

"I person discovered what a fantastic small assemblage Chetwynd is, but successful summation to that, I've stopped and looked and admired these unthinkable chainsaw carvings that are each on the thoroughfare there, truthful to person 1 present is conscionable precise fulfilling." 

Courtoreille says that Chetwynd is not done giving distant carvings and has a peculiar acquisition planned for Williams Lake aboriginal this summer. 

He says successful precocious July oregon aboriginal August, they volition beryllium gifting Williams Lake a carving of Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price. 

Price is primitively from the tiny assemblage of Anahim Lake, but grew up playing hockey successful Williams Lake. 

"It means the full satellite to maine and my community," said Williams Lake Mayor Surinderpal Rathor. "What could beryllium a amended honour than to person Mr. Carey Price and thing hockey related?  It is simply a large honour. It volition beryllium a large honour." 

Rathor says helium is inactive moving retired the details with metropolis unit astir wherever the statue volition beryllium located and erstwhile it volition beryllium unveiled, but is highly grateful for the gift. 

This year, the 2025 Chetwynd International Chainsaw Carving Championship volition instrumentality spot successful Chetwynd betwixt June 5 and 7.