SPAR TREE MAGAZINE 2010
Squamish Days is excited to announce a new partnership with Goodwin Studios to produce the Spar Tree Magazine, the official program of the Squamish Days Festival. Goodwin Studios, a local web and graphic design firm, has recently expanded to offer publishing and printing services to their repertoire, which also includes managing the Squamish Events Guide and Whistler Events Guide, two popular online calendars. With their new team and fresh outlook, Goodwin Studios is already underway creating a Spar Tree Magazine that is sure to impress.
While Goodwin Studios is responsible for publishing the magazine, they will be working closely with the Squamish Days Committee to create content and articles that help visitors get the most out of their Squamish Days experience. The Spar Tree is distributed throughout Squamish and Whistler and at all Squamish Days events.
For general information about the Spar Tree please contact Goodwin Studios 604.898.9807 or christine@goodwinstudios.com.
EXCERPTS FROM THE SPAR TREE MAGAZINE 2010
STORY OF MINE IN THE SPAR TREE - A project hosted by the Squamish Writers Group
Bruce Carson
My wife Belle and I were both born in Squamish. Back in those days there was the railroad or logging, if you wanted to do anything else you left town. Everybody was working to build the town up.
The first logger’s competitions we had were part of the July holiday celebration down at the Elks Hall. There was lots of chopping events and we started the greased pole contest. I remember when we added hand bucking, Fred Magee sawing and my brother Jack, about 12 years old, driving the wedge.
That was the origin of Logger Sports. We cleared the trees behind the high school and built the logger sports grounds. I was in the first organizing meeting for Loggers Sports in Squamish. Al Hendrickson organized everybody very well. He said “let’s all do this together” not “you do this and you do that”. Loggers Sports was one of the things we all did together. We took the things we did in the bush and turned them into competitions amongst ourselves. Splicing cable turned into the Molly Hogan and Eye Splicing. I remember Harold and Thor Halvorson and George and Don Dickie devised the Obstacle Pole Bucking and now it’s in logging shows all over.
When we started power saw tree falling Ed Antosh and Ted Halvorson did a hand logging exhibition, setting the spring board and falling the trees across a pond and right between two pegs. That’s the story anyway.
I went down to organize the PNE Loggers Sport Event. Myself and some other loggers had a good time demonstrating our skills. We would come down from Squamish and compete against each other climbing poles and in chopping competitions
We went up to Sandspit and Prince Rupert to help them organize their shows. It’s still going on in Sandspit I hear.
Editors note: Our apologies for the error in Bruce's article in this year's Spar Tree. Al Hendrickson organized the first Loggers Sports meeting, not Al McIntosh as cited in the Spar Tree magazine.
Marc Griffin
Loggers Sports is really a lot of fun. I recommend the Stomp. You see all the people you haven’t seen for 10, 15, 20 years! I have no memories I’m allowed to share, respecting my friends you see.
Ed Antosh
I was a faller for 22 years. Ted Halvorsen and myself did the Hand Falling competition. We had to fall this tree across a pond right between two stakes. You’d always undercut right, it will play, right between the two stakes.
The Halvorsens and Norm Barrthey really made the whole thing up. Squamish was the Original!
A few years ago I was in the loggers Sports Parade with Ed Aldridge. We were quite a few of floats in there; everybody screamin’. I’m the second oldest person in Hilltop now at 96.