Memramcook man hopes to be world lumberjack champion

MEMRAMCOOK, N.B. – Marcel Dupuis can chop through a foot-wide piece of firewood in less than 20 seconds.

He’s hoping it’s enough to make him best in the world.

“When he says “Go,” everything is just gone and just second nature,” he said.

Dupuis is Canada’s reigning lumberjack champion. This summer, the small-town boy from Memramcook, N.B. cleaned up at Canada’s national lumberjack competition in Niagara Falls.

“That means that I will be able to represent Canada at the world championship individually plus on the team and so that will be happening in Poznan, Poland on November 13 and 14.”

Dupuis says he perfected his woodsman skills growing up in rural New Brunswick chopping fire wood for friends and family.

“It is something that everyone in a rural community does, you go get your firewood for the winter and all that and it was always something I did as a youngster.”

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Now he says he cuts up more than 90 chords a year just to stay in shape.

Dupuis eventually grew up to become a firefighter, which he says has also helped to perfect his champion swing.

“We swing axes and we use chainsaws so it’s all part of the job as a firefighter as well,” he said.

He says working in the woods with his hands has always come naturally.

“Forestry has been a big part of Canada and I think it’s in our history for sure.”

He now holds Canada’s all time record in the bucksaw event, at 10.3 seconds. Dupuis says he hopes to make his friends and family and the entire province proud when he takes a swing at becoming a world champion this fall.