Original subtitles

♪

My name is Mary Jane Olinyuk,

and I carve duck decoys.

Growing up, when other kids were playing video games

or having friends, I was studying mallards.

I was obsessed.

Um, I was, and still am

"the duck girl."

But if you search that on the internet,

it's not me that comes up,

and what comes up is quite graphic.

♪

♪

Margaret: Phew! Well...

We're already three months out, so things are completely crazy.

I mean, formally we start the planning process

about three months out, but truth be told,

I woke up the morning after last year's competition

already thinking about this.

(laughing)

Mm. This is our 10th competition as planning committee

and if I have learned one thing,

it's that if you think you can rest on your laurels

planning an event like this,

you're gonna be served a very, very generous portion

- of humble pie. - Yeah, a la mode.

(sighing)

But more importantly,

you're gonna let down those artists.

Those magnificent artists. Right, Dennis?

Yeah, I mean, anything less than your maximum effort is...

It's an insult to them.

♪

(whirring)

How'd I get into duck carving? Well--

Don't you mean "why on Earth did he get into duck carving"?

My job is pretty repetitive, I'm a small business loan officer.

So I figured it's important to have hobbies

and a creative outlet, and I have the tools, so why not?

A quarter life crisis.

(whistling)

What does it take to put on the NACC?

It will make your head spin.

Oh, um, first you need to book a venue.

Not too big, not too small.

- Cistern for coffee. - And one for tea.

Cups.

Styrofoam, strictly Styrofoam.

Cash box for the entrance fee.

Tons of loonies and toonies.

- (sighing) - What else?

♪

Zeke: You don't just sit down and start carving.

You have to find the art within the art.

You have to...

(bird sounds playing on stereo)

Create the environment within which to create.

(ducks quacking on stereo)

You know, you could have a well paying job,

a partner who cares about you,

two beautiful kids who adore you,

maybe like, a Cocker spaniel named Worthington.

Or you could be a creator.

I mean, what would you choose?

♪

To me, being Canadian means being a duck carver.

It's a little bit of a challenge living in a condo,

but we're making it work.

Basically a requirement for us Canadian guys.

A home workshop.

Doubles up as a pantry sometimes.

It's a-- a sanctuary for me to get away from it all.

Woman: Amu? Pass me a bag of rice.

Whoa, men at work here!

Oh, where do I start?

I had just come to Canada on my visa before my wife had come,

so I was getting a bit lonely. But I told myself

"Amandeep Singh, you are not going to sit around

"feeling sorry for yourself."

So I'd go feed the ducks at the pond,

and one afternoon, I see this guy, and he's sketching ducks.

And so we get around to talking and chitting and chatting,

and all of a sudden he tells me that's he's also carving ducks!

I mean, he carves ducks!

I couldn't believe it. My mind got blasted into pieces,

and I was like "Are you serious?"

So he suggests "Let's go grab a beer."

Like, right then, right there.

Does it get any more Canadian than that?

Let's be real here, yeah?

So we start to bro out about duck carving

and my head is spinning.

I mean, the beer made me a little light-headed too,

but more importantly, for the first time in Canada,

I felt at home.

(clock ticking)

- Folding tables. - Oh, yes, of course.

Now usually the venue provides those for you,

but you need to let them know how you want them arranged.

- Yeah. - In advance.

You don't want to get the ones that just, like,

fold up like that. I've cut my fingers many times.

I actually broke one of my fingers.

Margaret: It's so dangerous.

Can't really bend it that much anymore,

but it got caught in the middle of one. Um--

It was a pretty-- it was touch and go. It was touch and go.

♪

Frank: There's nothing fun about carving.

Nor should there be.

Difficult things build character.

I carve with hand tools only.

The way the original masters did.

Funny enough, I have never actually taken home

the first place ribbon myself.

Let's just say that...

pure technical ability

hasn't always been valued as highly

as it should have been.

This year, my carving

will finally get the recognition it deserves.

♪

I bookkeep on my folks' farm.

I live right next door.

Um, some people would say that sounds a bit quiet,

but I wouldn't-- I wouldn't want it any other way. Um...

I have plenty of company.

And also just make sure that there isn't some sort of,

you know, wrestling match the week before,

'cause the tables I got after that were all broken.

So imagine me having to glue a bunch of tables

back together before-- ugh.

♪

My-- my mom sold the family house,

so I kept some things from my dad's workshop.

It's a bit of woodworking humour.

I mean, it's just odds and ends, really.

(chuckling)

Looks like I was trying to help out.

I don't have much free time these days, you know.

I'm in my last year of my fellowship,

and I'm about to transition into full-time ER work.

But I love to go out.

Eat, dance,

leave the house.

I think I was just initially so attracted to him

because he was so much fun.

He had the ability to turn any situation into a party

or an adventure.

(whirring)

These days, he is perfectly happy to stay home

and carve his ducks.

It's a dust collection system!

It's my own design!

Margaret: It's a unique hobby.

Especially when performed

in such a thoughtfully decorated apartment.

♪

♪ Oh, Alberta don't you cry, listen to me ♪

♪ It'll be all right, oh-oh-oh yeah ♪

♪ Don't hate Saskatchewan, never meant no harm to anyone ♪

♪ Manitoba, don't you know you're out where ♪

♪ You won't make it home, back to Ontario ♪

♪