In what is becoming a May Long Weekend tradition, the Chainsaw Wizards took over the downtown plaza, carving out a place in the valley.
This is the third year for Chainsaw Wizards. The event began as a way to honour some of the trees that were cut during the Flood Mitigation project and has turned into an event that attracts all-star Canadian carvers, as well as hundreds of spectators. The result is some incredible art that will live in the community.
One of the organizers, Tony Miglecz, tells the Mail, that this year, the carving projects are based on the mining and rail history of the valley, and the six carvers are making benches for the Rails to Trails project. They also carved logs into art as trailhead barricades.
“What you're seeing is functional art that tells the story of the valley,” said Miglecz.
Carver Tyler Welfing of Carve Well Creations said they toured the Atlas Coal Mine, and he found inspiration in the tipple, which he incorporated into his design.
“I saw that tipple and thought, ‘That’s a challenge, I’m gonna do it!’ I’ll tie everything together with the hoodoos and railway crossing sign, and on the other side, I am going do a seam of coal running through and a couple of fossils,” said Welfing.
