A popular feature at this year’s Yorkton Exhibition was the West Coast Lumberjacks (WCLJ).
It has been about a dozen years since the show has been to Yorkton, but owner Darren Dean says they love coming to Saskatchewan.
“It gets a pretty good reception everywhere we go, but in the prairies it’s a bit more of a novelty and people like to see soemthing they can’t see in their own backyards,” he said.
Dean is a forest engineer by trade. He still does contract work in the off-season mainly supervising harvest planting, but show biz is in his blood.
“This is way better, I get to travel around and meet all kinds of nice people,” he said. “It’s a fun job.”
The show is on the road from about the end of May to mid-September on the fair circuit across Canada and dipping down into the United States.
Events include traditional forestry practices such as log rolling, sawing, tree climbing and axe-work, as well as, some chain saw events, a nod to current times.
The show combines comedy with mock competition for an exciting family-friendly experience that has garnered West Coast Lumberjacks awards and attention from TV producers including shows such as The Bachelor Canada and Canada’s Got Talent and The Amazing Race Australia.
In addition to the show and his winter job, Dean has been involved in competitive lumberjacking for nearly a quarter century.
WCLJ is also available for private booking and has various configurations of the show to accommodate different types of venues.
