Today (Friday) is a big day for Steveston-based whale-watching tour company.
Not only is Vancouver Whale Watch celebrating 14 years of operation in the village, it unveils a 3,000 pound wood carving on Steveston boardwalk as part of a TV show called Saw Dogs.
At 1 p.m. the artwork titled "First Breath" -- an orca lifting up her baby for its first draw of air, carved from an 800-year-old Californian redwood -- will be revealed for the first time to the community and the firm's management and staff, none of whom have set eyes on the sculpture.
It was commissioned by Vancouver Whale Watch and will be donated to the people of Steveston as a thank-you for their years of support.
It's three-day creation by a trio of artists was filmed by Saw Dogs on the Outdoor Life Network, which brings together a team of the world's top chainsaw sculptors battling a deadline to complete a series of commissioned wood carving projects.
The sculpture will be permanently erected on the boardwalk at Third Avenue, thanks also, in part, to the Steveston Harbour Authority donating a space for the piece.
The company would like to extend to the public an invitation to the dedication and unveiling, which is being filmed.
"Going into our 15th season, we wanted to do something special for our home port of Steveston -- something that the residents, we hoped, would appreciate," said Vancouver Whale Watch owner Cedric Towers by email.
He added that, although he hasn't yet seen the finished article, he's "totally confident" because he's seen some of the other pieces that have been done by the Saw Dogs team and is "really excited about the unveiling."
