‘Go for things’: Chainsaw artists show off their skills in Manitou Beach, Sask.

(Hallee Mandryk/CTV News)

The Manitou Beach Chainsaw Festival drew talent from near and far to showcase their skills in a four-day competition.

“I think it’s really great that we have people coming in to watch us and taking advantage of the opportunity to come out and see this kind of production here in the middle of Saskatchewan,” Sherwin Petersen, a Manitou Beach Chainsaw Festival committee member, said.

The festival runs every other year, and 2025 marks the sixth time that Manitou Beach has hosted the event.

Jim Niedermayer from Pine Falls competed as an artist in the very first festival 12 years ago and has returned every year since.

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“Everybody shares everything. We’re not all going to live long enough to learn everything ourselves, so everybody helps everybody. And even though it’s a competition, we still all help. I’m really happy to be here on such a great day,” Niedermayer said.

Niedermayer’s sentiments were echoed by Paradzi Havatitye, an artist who travelled all the way from Ireland to take part in the festival.

“It’s like a big family, although we are in a competition, everybody is still very helpful, communicates very well, and we’re really having fun. It’s more about having fun, creating something, and learning something from somebody else,” Havatitye said.

Various winners are awarded at the end of the festival on Sunday. The public, the organizing committee, and the artists all select winners.

While the artists are on a time crunch, Havatitye shared that the atmosphere remained positive throughout the weekend, and he is looking forward to returning for the next festival in 2027.

“It’s kind of like excitement. That’s all it is. You get really excited, you go for things. If you’re stressed doing art, you’re in the wrong profession,” Havatitye said.