Times are tough but Timber Days goes on

By David F. Rooney

Loggers will once again pit their skills against each other at the Timber Days celebration of all things logging this weekend.

Logging sports competition for local men, women and children will be held on Saturday at Centennial Park and the international pros will be out in force on Sunday to show spectators how it’s really done — especially when there’s $10,000 in prize money up for grabs.

“There have been inquiries from competitors in the US and New Zealand so we expect high-caliber professional competitors,” said a statement published in the Revelstoke Forest Workers Society’s newsletter, North Columbia Forest Workers Voice.

It also said that this year the BC Interior Forestry Museum “is working closely with Timber Days to add historical touches to the celebration.”

“On Saturday they are hosting an old-fashioned loggers’ breakfast at the museum site (on High 23N near the Revelstoke Dam),” the statement said. “At Centennial Park they will demonstrate historical logging activities: two-man chainsaws, tie hacking with a broad axe and old-fashioned shake splitting.”

As an added bonus, snowboarding enthusiasts will have an opportunity to meet Olympic snowboarder Crispin Lipscomb who will gamely show his stuff in some of the logging events

Here’s the schedule for the two-day event:

Saturday, July 4

Forestry Museum

7 am- 9 am — Old-fashioned loggers’ breakfast

Grizzly Plaza

8 am – 1 pm — Farmer’s Market

10 am — Logging sports demonstration

Centennial Park

10 am – 4 pm — Food vendors, adult beverages, kids’ activities, educational and equipment displays

11 am – 12:30 pm — Berry cook-off and pie-gobble contest

1 pm – 4 pm — Local logging sports competitions, kids’ races and fun events for men and women

Sunday, July 5

Centennial Park

8 am – 10 am — Pancake breakfast

10 am – 4 pm — Food vendors, adult beverages, kids’ activities, educational and equipment displays

10 am – 12 pm — Professional logging sports competitions

12 pm – 1 pm — Musical entertainment by the band, Franco

1 pm – 4 pm — Professional logging sports competitions