Comedian Billy Connolly goes logging with a crew here in Central BC (video)

[Brmorgan]

So over the last couple days I was watching a documentary called Journey To The Edge of The World, where Billy Connolly (who is one of my favorite comedians EVER, love scottish humor) makes a trip from Nova Scotia, through Canada's Northwest Passage by ship, and then down through the Yukon and British Columbia by highway. It came out last year, but I'd never heard of it until a couple weeks ago. Well, I was watching the fourth episode where he journeys through BC, and imagine my surprise when the majority of the episode was filmed right close to Williams Lake here where I live, and I know a few of the people in it to boot. I do remember talk of Billy being in town a couple years back but I didn't remember anything about a TV show. One of the three segments from around here has him go logging out near the town of Horsefly, about 35-odd miles to the east, with a local crew. I cut the segment out of the episode and put it up on Youtube (hopefully it doesn't get taken down):

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This is one of the best depictions of real logging I've seen in a TV program. No drama or nonsense. And Billy drop-starting the chainsaw is priceless! Some might come down on them for having him do that or showing it on TV, but these guys know what they're doing; if there was any local crew I'd send someone out on for a shoot like this, it would be them. Some of the most experienced fallers around here and they teach a lot of the new guys.

I went to school with the daughter of the fella who shows off his kickback scar, though she was a couple years younger so I didn't really know her well. And about 12 years ago, he helped us out on the side of the road in the winter when the car I was in blew a piston and the engine caught fire. Helluva guy. That kickback came within a hair of killing him, lucky bugger. I met one of the other guys once too, but for the life of me can't remember his name. Might be the Cecil fellow mentioned.

 

[Chris J.]

Good stuff! Billy Connolly is pretty damned funny, & is no slouch as a serious actor.

 

[parrisw]

That's awesome, thanks for that.

 

[Steveo_supremo]

I watched the series also. That was the best part. Now I know what part of BC he was in for that segment. Thanks

 

[K7NUT]

Never heard of that series, or that Billy guy come to think of it?
That was awesome, thanks for sharing!
Wish I could of bucked that first tree they fell!?:chainsawguy:

 

[ckelp]

now i'm going to have to watch the hole series

 

[2yb3]

doesnt get any better than billy connolly and husqvarna

 

[Andyshine77]

Billy Connolly is also one of my favorite comedians, I love that type of humor. Excellent video!

 

[Brmorgan]

Never heard of that series, or that Billy guy come to think of it?
That was awesome, thanks for sharing!
Wish I could of bucked that first tree they fell!?:chainsawguy:

Oh, you're missing out. He's one of the funniest human beings to have ever walked this earth. Warning for language though.

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[Nardoo]

Love Connolly and loved the video. Thanks!

Al.

 

[AUSSIE1]

Yep, very funny fella...he married Aussie comedian Pamela Stevenson who's now a professor in clinical Psychology. She used her skills to write a biography on Billy's behavior which she studied.

 

[Thorcw]

I live he last wrap up because thats the way it feels for me to drop a tree.

 

[maico490]

He served an apprenticeship in a Glasgow shipyard as a welder. Some of his early stuff about his experiences there would leave you with your ribs sore from laughter. In later years I haven't found him quite as funny but he is excellent just talking to people like at the end of the clip.
For the Aussies I always reckon he has a lot in common with Kevin Wilson.

 

[beowulf67]

Thanks for sharing

Cool video. Do not mean to derail or change topic but can anyone tell me what kind/brand of bar that is in the 3:00 section of the vid? I have seen many vids of these bars being used primarily out west. Did tons of searching/googling and just can't seem to find anything. Thanks in advance.

 

[Kingsley]

Great vid thanks for sharing. You gotta love Boondock Saints! I even watched the badly written sequel.

 

[Cedarkerf]

:yourock:

 

[willbarryrec]

Thanks BR!

Ha! I just spent half a hour watching Connolly videos on youtube.

 

[Brmorgan]

Ha! I just spent half a hour watching Connolly videos on youtube.

Heh, been there, done that! More than once!

And I had totally not realized he was in The Boondock Saints. One of my favorite movies of all time but I haven't seen it since before I knew who Billy was; back then he was just another actor to me. My favorite part of that movie was the old barkeep with Tourettes. I grew up watching him (Gerard Parkes) as Doc on the kids show Fraggle Rock in the '80s, so to see him cursing a blue streak in that movie really threw me for a loop!

Which animated movie was it where he voiced the crazy guerrilla squirrel? I want to say Open Season or Over The Hedge. Hilarious either way.

I cut another local segment from the show tonight. In this one, he goes looking for grizzly bears up the Mitchell River which flows into Quesnel Lake, about 60 miles to the east of here in the mountains and inland rainforest and the land of giant cedars. He goes with a local guide, Gary Zorn. I've met him a couple times and my uncle has gone on guide trips with him a few times. My uncle has taken me trout and dolly varden fishing up the Mitchell a few times, though it's getting difficult to do without a jet boat; water levels are ever lower due to low rainfall in recent years. You're not allowed to keep fish from up that river anymore either.

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[Brmorgan]

I live he last wrap up because thats the way it feels for me to drop a tree.

Me too. Every tree that falls just how I wanted it to is as exciting as the first one, especially the bigguns.


I forgot to mention, you might have noticed the faller say "Oh, mukalukaluk" when the saw wouldn't start. Back in the heyday, McCulloch saws were, for whatever reason, not widely looked upon favorably around these parts, so it seems that phrase developed as a sort of curse on a Mac that wouldn't start. The old guy I get parts from here said there was no way he'd have run one of the big old Macs back in the '60s-'70s. Don't know why really, but people were pretty partial to PM and Pioneer around here back then with Homelite next in line. And the import saws didn't get really popular until the late 70s.

 

[madhatte]

can anyone tell me what kind/brand of bar that is in the 3:00 section of the vid? I have seen many vids of these bars being used primarily out west./QUOTE]

Likewise wondering.