The city is looking for that special someone to carve out a lasting legacy.
The City of Campbell River put out a call this week for any carvers interested in creating a new Logger Mike – a replica of the original.
The long-time fixture in the community was taken off his spar pole in Tyee Plaza last month after city council approved his replacement last November.
Ross Milnthorp, the city’s general manager of parks, recreation and culture, said the city, in partnership with the Shoreline Arts Society (which runs the annual carving competition at Frank James Park) is looking for a chainsaw carver to produce the replica before July 1.
“Both the old carving and the new will tour downtown as part of the Canada Day parade, and this year’s Transformations on the Shore carving contest will offer a unique opportunity to have a photo taken with the new carving,” Milnthorp said.
Shoreline has proposed that the original Mike could be sold at a silent auction or taken to the Museum to go on a permanent display.
City council, in its 2016 budget, approved $25,000 for the project which involves costs to take down Logger Mike, ship him, secure and insure the carving area, hire a carver and secure the proper materials.
The statue, which pays tribute to the city’s forestry roots, is made of yellow cedar and has withstood more than 15 years of weathering.
The Shoreline Arts Society proposed replacing the old logger after the city determined the fixture to be near the end of its serviceable lifespan.
Logger Mike first appeared on the city’s skyline in the summer of 1984 when he was carved by Dean Lemke as part of a downtown revitalization project.
Since then, the iconic figure has been taken down for repairs several times, most recently in February of 2008 when he came down from his spar pole for restoration purposes.
Logger Mike reappeared in October, 2009 next to a brand-new Spirit Square after a nearly two-year hiatus from his spot in Tyee Plaza.
Prior to that, Mike was taken down for an outfitting of rope, bolts and support brackets in 1999 and in 2005, for repairs.
Logger Mike pays tribute to the industry that helped carve out the community and is outfitted in a Santa suit each year at Christmastime.
It was during one such outfitting that the city became aware of the deteriorating condition of Logger Mike, which prompted a call to the Shoreline Arts Society to see if there was any interest in carving a new one.
Now, the city is looking for a carver to carry on the tradition.
Requirements to apply are:
- The carving must be completed by June 26, 2016
- Final touches can occur on site at Frank James Park, June 27 to 30, following the Transformations on the Shore carving contest
- Wood for the carving will be supplied
- The selected carver will be paid $7,500
Interested carvers should direct questions and applications (with references and photos of previous work) to Linda Nagle, the city’s recreation programmer, by calling 250-923-7911 or emailing linda.nagle@campbellriver.ca
The successful carver will be chosen by a committee made up of members from the Campbell River Shoreline Arts Society and city staff.