Powell River Logger Sports is back for the first time since 2019! Head to Powell River & qathet from July 14 - 16, 2023 for a weekend of competition and fun.
Read on for details on logger sports and this much-anticipated event.
What’s the deal with logger sports?
The pole climb, the underhand chop, the axe throw: these events started more than a century ago in logging camps up and down the Coast, including in the Powell River and qathet Region. In the evenings, loggers would entertain each other, showing off their skills.
By the 1950s, Logger Sports became public entertainment; for generations, urban British Columbians got a taste for it at the PNE showgrounds in Vancouver. In 1971, Premier WAC Bennett issued a proclamation stating that Logger Sports is BC’s Official Industry Sport, recognizing the labour and skills of loggers in this province.
Out of the woods, the only place you’ll see these made-in-BC skills displayed is at Logger Sports.

Event dates & location
Powell River Logger Sports takes place from July 14 - 16, 2023 at the Loggers Memorial Bowl in Powell River. The amphitheatre is located in Willingdon Beach Park, on Marine Avenue, and overlooks the beautiful Salish Sea.
The event kicks off on Friday, July 14 with the chainsaw carving competition. The opening ceremony for the event is at 11:00am on Saturday, July 15, and will kick off two jam-packed days of competition at the Loggers Memorial Bowl. Stay tuned for details on the full schedule.
Attending Powell River Logger Sports is free—although donations in the form of food or money are being accepted for the local Food Bank. We encourage you to help support this great local organization.

The Competitors
The competition is expected to be fierce! This is a sanctioned event through the Canadian Loggers Sports Association (CANLOG). This region is hosting several World Championship, North American Championship and Canadian Championship events, with prestige and prize money attached. That’s why you’ll see both the Canadian and American National Teams in attendance, with the Norwegian team represented as well. World-renowned champions Stirling Hart, Nate Hodges, Mel Lentz, and many others will be there, including many local loggers who can swing an axe or build a hot saw with the best of them.

Vendors & activities
Looking for more? There will be other fun things happening at the beach, including an adjacent vendor market featuring local food and crafts. Or you can stretch your legs on the Willingdon Beach Trail, which begins right on the grounds. It’s a one-kilometre-long outdoor museum featuring heritage logging equipment.
Across the road you’ll find the qathet Museum & Archives, which features displays about local logging history and much more. Putters Mini Golf & Ice Cream is also located across the street, and downtown shopping and restaurants are just a quick walk away from the event grounds.
How has the local forest sector been changing?
Logger Sports brings together nearly everyone who works in the woods, and who has a connection to the industry. It’s a unique moment to learn about what’s happening today.
In Powell River & qathet, much more of the forest is managed locally than in the past. Tla’amin Nation and its forestry wing, Thichum Forest Products, is growing. And the Powell River Community Forest continues to fund major capital projects in the region.
Two years ago, the Powell River Paper Mill was shuttered after 110 years—the end of an era for what was once the biggest newsprint manufacturer in the world.
So much is changing so quickly. If you want to learn more, come out to Logger Sports!

Plan your trip to Powell River & qathet
BC Ferries offers daily ferry service between the Southern and Northern sections of the Sunshine Coast, as well as service between Comox and Powell River. Daily flights and charters are also available from Vancouver International Airport, downtown Vancouver (via Harbour Air), Comox, and Victoria. Click here to learn more about getting to the Sunshine Coast.
Looking for a place to stay or more things to do during the festival? Click here to learn more about Powell River.