Bernie Gobeil is knocking on wood, hoping that people keep coming to the Palace Hotel this weekend for the inaugural Chainsaw Arts Festival.
The Palace has had a long-standing relationship with the Nanaimo Child Development Centre and proceeds from the festival, which started Friday and wraps up Sunday (Sept. 3), will go to the centre, said Gobeil, Palace’s manager. He was inspired by a similar event in Bowser.
“We’re going to have three carvers there on all three days,” Gobeil said. “They’re bringing their own logs and they’re just going to carve different sized items and then proceeds go to the child development centre.”
Sculptures will be auctioned off and sold and barbecue will be available by donation.
“For this day, the child development centre is providing volunteers and a couple of the carvers are also providing volunteers and we’re doing a barbecue and with all proceeds to the child development centre,” said Gobeil.
Michelle Kocourek, centre resource development department leader, said monies will be used for a number of programs and services.
“While we are partially funded by government contracts, every program is touched by fundraised money in some way,” said Kocourek.
The festival goes from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.