Wearing snowshoes and wielding a chainsaw deep in the forests of Manitoba, Gordon Daigneault has only one way to survive: chopping wood for warmth.
In 2019, Daigneault purchased a small cabin in the woods, devoid of both electricity and running water. Accessible only by ATV or on foot along narrow trails, the 42-year-old man, known as “Bushman Gord,” bid farewell to urban life upon moving to Sandilands, a tranquil haven far from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Despite now having electricity from solar energy for cooking, lighting, and running water through pipes for toilet and bathing purposes in his home, he still relies entirely on the firewood he chops for heating. Located about an hour and a half drive from Winnipeg, winters are particularly harsh in this region, making wood the essential source of warmth and preventing the freezing of water pipes.
Before coming to this place, Daigneault had lived in Winnipeg for 20 years, working in the packaging manufacturing industry. He mentioned that urban living was not to his liking.
“I realized at a young age that I didn’t enjoy city life, but all the jobs were there,” he said in an interview with Epoch Times.
He preferred fishing over watching TV, walking in the woods over going to shopping malls.
Daigneault’s love for the outdoors and disdain for city life may stem from his upbringing in St-Pierre-Jolys, a small village 50 kilometers southeast of Winnipeg. As a child, he often went wild fruit picking with his mother and siblings, while his father went hunting.
“Despite our low income, we never went hungry,” Daigneault said.
It was during those times that he learned survival skills.
“Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my parents in the forest, where they taught me what to eat and what not to eat, which benefited me a lot. I later expanded on that knowledge,” he said.
Daigneault applied this wisdom to his two-acre plot of land in the remote region. He has never gone hungry.
“Getting food has always been easy for me,” he said. During summer, he fishes, grows vegetables, raises chickens for eggs, collects berries and mushrooms, and hunts deer and rabbits. “I especially love blueberries; I pick a lot of blueberries, both for myself and to sell.” He expands his summer activities each year to prepare for winter.
He finds the area rich in game. Snowshoes are especially handy in thick snow, and last year, he hunted a doe with a crossbow, which sustained him through the entire winter. Daigneault prefers traditional hunting weapons; he owns a flintlock rifle, a longbow, and has spent much time practicing with these weapons.
He stumbled upon what he now calls home in 2019 while still working at the factory.
“I was chatting with a colleague when he mentioned that his friend wanted to sell the land with a small cabin,” Daigneault said. “I didn’t know what to expect, but when I saw it, I was immediately interested and decided to buy it.”
The original owner of the cabin had long abandoned the building project. It had been neglected for ten years, in a state of disrepair. Daigneault realized it was a project requiring slow restoration, but he decided to slowly complete the missing facilities.
Fortunately, his brother also owned a nearby cabin. His brother helped him greatly by using a tractor to dig cable troughs and a septic tank pit. They hired a contractor to dig a well. One of his friends helped install water pipes, while another friend assisted with wiring for electricity. Power mainly comes from a row of solar panels, and sometimes he plugs in a slow cooker to simmer venison. When it snows, he needs to clean the solar panels with a broom.
“The function here is much like a traditional home, but when the sunlight isn’t great, I have to be mindful of electricity usage,” he said. He stockpiles a large number of batteries, and a generator serves as a backup option.
After purchasing the cabin, Daigneault moved in immediately but continued working in Winnipeg initially. However, after working a 12-hour shift and arriving home at 2 a.m. in minus 30-degree weather, riding a snowmobile, he was drained both mentally and physically.
“When I wasn’t around, no one was adding wood to the stove, and the temperature inside was as low as outside,” he said.
In the winter of 2020, he made his final trip to work and then bid farewell to city life for good. Since then, he has been fully immersed in the forest life as “Bushman Gord.”
Out of necessity, he and his brother also started a firewood business together. This business is a win-win; they sell the dead wood they cut down with chainsaws in the forest for money, and also use it for their own heating needs. With the recent warmer weather, he has to start work early to avoid the high temperatures and mosquitoes.
Before dawn each day, Daigneault brews coffee on the wood stove, then starts his chores, such as feeding the chickens, stocking firewood, or pumping water. If the water pipes freeze, he needs to have water buckets ready as a backup. Then, the day’s work begins.
Daigneault also keeps several chickens and a goose to supply eggs. These poultry are securely enclosed to prevent predators.
“My daily schedule varies. Sometimes, I do some projects around the house, other times I go over to my brother’s to split wood,” he said. “Along the way, I collect edible plants in season and also gather some on the way back.”
To let more people understand this kind of lifestyle, he started filming the reality show “Bushman Gord” to provide tutorials and advice on off-grid living, foraging, hunting, gardening, and self-sufficiency. He has launched a YouTube channel and Facebook page.
“I’m still learning how to use social media,” he said.
Of course, cabin living demands more effort, such as chopping wood, starting fires, cooking, conserving electricity on cloudy days, among other tasks. However, he mentions that this lifestyle is cost-effective and “doesn’t require a lot of income.”
Daigneault mentioned that he has no desire to return to the big city. He’s too enamored with this freedom.
“I have no regrets at all. The only regret is that I didn’t start earlier,” he said. “Giving up city life in exchange for healthy eating, clean air and water, daily exercise, and a carefree lifestyle is very worthwhile for me.”