The song of the saw will serenade the Round Lake area soon. An upcoming festival there will pay homage to the region’s logging roots.
The Killaloe Hagarty and Richards Logger Sports Festival is on Saturday, Sept. 23. It runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., by the outdoor rink at 545 Albert St.
The municipality’s Community Development Coordinator Chris Neff says both kids and adults can compete in competitions that show off their logging skills. There’s a wood stacking competition, axe throwing and, Neff’s favourite, a competition to see who can quickly carve a chair with a chainsaw.
“We take a block of bass wood, about three-feet tall. The contestants have 15 minutes to carve it with a chainsaw,” he says. “It, literally, sounds like NASCAR going off. It’s really cool. There’s sawdust everywhere.”
“We have judges there who pick the best one and you would be amazed what some people can do with 15 minutes with a chainsaw.”
Neff says he’s expecting hundreds to attend the festival, as this year is its milestone 20th anniversary.