One of the best things about a long road trip is coming across cool places that you hadn’t planned. Chetwynd, British Columbia was one of those. It was a motel stopover, chosen simply for the lowest price in the Peace River area between Dawson Creek and Prince George.
At first glance, it’s nothing special. A small town that serves as a hub for the logging industry, full of freight trains and transport trucks. But, there’s more. The carvings have been around since 1992 but the international competition started in 2005.
The town is filled with amazing wood carvings from the annual competition they host. What makes these works of art even more amazing is that they were done solely with chainsaws. The fine details on these works makes it look like they were done with precision tools over a long period of time.
Chetwynd Chainsaw Carvings Image Gallery
Chetwynd Chainsaw Carving Competition
As mentioned, the first carvings started to appear in Chetwynd around 1992. These were commissioned in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the construction of the Alaska Highway. Completed in 1942, the Alaska Highway actually runs from Dawson Creek to Delta Junction, Alaska and not through Chetwynd.
In 2005, the town held their first international chainsaw carving championship with just seven competitors. Since, carvers have come from as far as Wales and Japan and there are some 120 carvings throughout the town.
The competition is held every year on the second weekend of June and draws spectators from around the world. Have a chainsaw in the shed and want to give it a try? Sorry, you’re out of luck. These championships are by invitation only.
Chetwynd, British Columbia
Settled in 1918 as a trading post, Chetwynd, British Columbia was originally known as Little Prairie. Just before incorporation as a village in 1962, the name was changed in honour of B.C. politician Ralph Chetwynd.
Currently, the population sits at around 2,600. The town borders on the Pine River, a tributary of the Peace River, in the B.C. Interior foothills of the Rocky Mountains. By road, the town is at the junction of B.C. highways 97 and 29.
29 heads northeast, where it meets up with 97 again just outside Fort St. John. Highway 97 going east out of Chetwynd will take you to Dawson Creek and the Alberta border. Going south will take you to Prince George, where you decide either to go west to Vancouver, east to Jasper National Park or south to the U.S. border with Idaho.
Resources
Chetwynd Court Motel (This is where we stayed – nothing fancy but clean with friendly owners. A great view of the townsite and surrounding landscape and carvings start just outside the front door). For current pricing or to book a room, check out Travelocity – you just might find a deal!
