Forget about Paul Bunyon, the real forest heroes (and arguably the toughest folks around) were the Canadian lumberjacks who helped to define our nation. These (mostly) men worked from sunrise to sunset, six days a week in one of the most dangerous jobs around, where falling trees, falling out of trees, log rolling mishaps and razor-sharp axe accidents were all too common.

From that rough and tumble life there came our own heroes – men like Joseph Montferrand who, without the need for a giant blue ox or other fanciful nonsense, became a Canadian legend. He, and others like him, have left a lasting impact on Canadian culture and history.

But anyone who makes the mistake of thinking that lumberjacks are just a page in history need only go to the Saanich Fair (Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 at the Saani

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