Master Wood Carver: Hope’s Pete Ryan

Reasons abound for heading up the Fraser Valley to Harrison Hot Springs. This time, we attend the International Woodcarvers Competition in Hope, Canada’s Chainsaw Carving Capital. Before the big event, we visit one of the competition’s famed woodcarvers.

Unlike other contestants, Pete Ryan resides on the edge of Hope, BC. Skirting his roadside gallery, we cut through his backyard strewn with eclectic artwork and enter his large barn-cum-workshop. There, this rugged and down-to-earth guy is cutting out an eagle using a small chainsaw. Behind him stands an almost finished red cedar bench. In the middle sits a carved Sasquatch, his long hairy arms extending atop both sides.

Spying us through sawdust-speckled goggles, Pete pauses to chat. Following some brief introductions, we ask him about the bench. “I’m making that bench for Hope City Hall,” he smiles. “It’ll be our friendly welcome to visitors!”

Master carver Pete Ryan displays his latest progress in his workshop. Photo by Chris and Rick Millikan.

We ask how he got into woodcarving. “My father worked in an Ontario sign shop, hand painting billboards and trucks. I learned a lot from him,” Pete recounts. “Eventually, my jobs in that province became pretty ho-hum… so I moved to British Columbia.”

“Native work, especially totem poles, immediately impressed me. Then in some mall, I saw Don Colp’s spectacular creation of art. I decided this was my kind of work,” Pete grins. “Colp was a pioneer in chainsaw art… a prolific carver earning a good living selling elegant fine wood sculptures. Starting in the early 1960’s, Don continued carving into his 80s. He encouraged his son to become a carver, too. You’ll be seeing Mark competing tomorrow.”

“I fashioned rifle stocks for friends, so I did have some skills, but Don inspired me to become a serious artist. This led me to enroll in a four-year course at Minneapolis Art School. The classes were great! Jack Unruh, an illustrator for Field and Stream Magazine, was even one of my instructors,” Pete recalls. “And I just applied what I learned to woodcarving.” According to his website, Pete has carved on the west coast for over 43 years… one log at a time!

Inside his gallery, Pete initially points out his backroom’s taxidermic critters. “These lifelike models help me portray realistic details,” he says and shows us the accuracy of his sculpted animals. We examine the number of eagle feathers; the lengths of bear claws and shapes of fish scales. Other artwork, like Miss Piggy wearing a white karate robe, reflects his vivid imagination. Thanking Pete for sharing his story and perspective on this unique art, we set out on a 30-minute drive to our accommodation.

Leaving Hope, we cross scenic Seabird Island, wind through Agassiz and skirt Harrison Hot Springs to the edge of Sasquatch Provincial Park. There, at Rockwell Harrison Guest Lodge, hosts Kristy and Roy welcome us into their dream home.

Huge yellow cedar trunks form support beams and posts, rustically framing walls and high ceilings. The den, kitchen and dining area flow together as an open bright, airy space. A hospitality room stocked with juices, tea, coffee and snacks includes a plate of home-baked goodies. The fresh scones prove delicious!

The first of two pre-arranged dinners utilizes veggies from our hosts’ garden, delicious local salmon and fresh baked bread. Over dinner, our hosts share fishing tips, hiking advice and tell us village tales. We later schmooze with their lovely dog, Luca. Stairs made of lustrous reclaimed planks lead us up to our spacious bedroom for a restful sleep.

Pete shows off his carved bear seat during the 2018 Carving Competition. Photo by Chris and Rick Millikan.

Following a hearty breakfast, we return to Hope and locate Memorial Park, home to the Chainsaw Carving Competition. The park roars with chainsaws. Fine clouds of red cedar sawdust fill the air as contestants slice off sketched slabs of timber. Alongside Pete Ryan, Claude La Rock traces a design reflecting his First Nation’s culture. On Pete’s other side, Brigitte Lochhead, a graduate of Emily Carr University, crafts two leaping dolphins. Slovak Tomas Vrba represents classic European woodcarving. And yes, Don Colp’s son Mark buzzes away atop a high scaffold.

“Pete’s the guru… the granddaddy… of Hope’s woodcarving,” an event host declares. “Decades ago, he turned the trunk of a dead Douglas fir into a magnificent eagle! That majestic bird triggered Hope’s love of woodcarving. Now known as Canada’s Chainsaw Carving Capital, our town showcases more than 80 resilient cedar carvings.”

While these notable artists busily buzz in the park, we head for Hope’s tourism office and pick up a self-guiding Art Walk Map. The most sensational sight on our walk is Pete Ryan’s life-sized grizzly bear, bordering the opposite side of the park. Most pieces along the walking tour similarly depict and celebrate BC’s wildlife: otters, marmots, sturgeon, moose, a killer whale, bobcats, wolves, mountain sheep, owls, eagles and bears.

Over 30 sculptures surround Memorial Park, other small parks, the downtown area, District Hall Art Gallery and outlying neighbourhoods. In front of one motel, a bear family emerges as if finishing hibernation. Intricately fashioned cranes decorate one homeowner’s front lawn. Wooden cougars stalk the garden next door.

Some sculptures stir viewers’ appreciation for noble causes and historic characters. A dog statue honours his heroics in the RCMP. A wall relief by Ryan pays similar respect to Rick Hanson. And his Eagle Helping the People extolls the Eagles Service Club’s community work. Several sculptures reflect Hope’s early days, including grizzled prospectors panning for gold, a lumberjack holding a large axe and a humorous white bearded woodsman hiding behind a stump from a bear perched atop.

Other artwork conjures mythical creatures: gnomes, Sasquatch, wizards, elves… and an Ogopogo hatching from an egg. The most amusing stands below the railroad tracks, a bear dressed as a CN conductor. Inside the library, we discover an evocative tribute. A black raven and skull top a stack of Edgar Allan Poe’s famous books; a black cat prowls below. Two hours later, we return to Memorial Park and admire figures emerging from the logs.

Traveling back to our digs, we stop to look at another Pete Ryan bench, located beside the log archway welcoming visitors to Harrison Hot Springs. Like his newer version, a pot-bellied Sasquatch presents a big toothy grin.

Pete Ryan’s grizzly bear carving stands guard. Photo by Chris and Rick Millikan.

On Saturday, competitors use smaller chainsaws and Dremel tools to add details to their artwork. Ryan Cook’s lion now perches in a tree above two prong-horned antelope. Miss Lochhead’s dolphins leap magically upward. Mark Colp’s mother bear and cub fish in a stream filled with salmon. Nearby, Jacob Lucas’ sinuous dragon winds up a pole. And from Pete Ryan’s gnarly log, a hospitable bear emerges. Waving us over, he places a seat between its paws… and sits down. He looks well pleased and pretty comfortable!

In this Chainsaw Carving Contest, Chris Foltz wins first place and $3,000 for his audacious bearded snowboarder. Second, Jacob Lucas’ winged dragon earns $2,000. Pete is likely happy to see Mark Colp’s bear family receive third prize. The People’s Choice Award of $1000 goes to Ryan Cook’s lion.

Hope’s three-day world carving competition is held every two years. Returning in 2019, we plan to attend more events, including the speed carving contest, art auction, salmon BBQ, kids’ birdhouse painting and maybe an evening concert. Of course, the biggest draw is watching Pete Ryan and other masters transform those cedar logs into extraordinary works of art!