Measuring And Growing Your Business’ Goodwill ]
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[ INSIDE
Winter 2016
Steep Slope Logging: Balancing Cost, Safety and Production
Adapting to Steep Change: The TLA’s 73rd Convention & Trade Show
Industry Update:
PM # 40010419
Alcohol And Drug Policy Implementation In Forestry
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 1
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CONTENTS
WINTER 2016 Volume 38 Number 4 www.tla.ca
Columns & Departments 7 8
46
President’s Message
Passing the Torch: A Reflection and an Inspiration Don Banasky
Executive Director’s Message
Positive Spin Impossible: Six More Contractors Give Up In BC
54
Cover
54 Steep Slope Logging Balancing Cost Safety and Production Jim Girvan
David Elstone
Features
Education for Forestry Equipment Operators Continues in the Interior
37 In-Depth, Hard-Hitting and Lots of Fun: Join Us for the TLA Convention & Trade Show in Vancouver!
10 Interior Logging Association’s Message Wayne Lintott
13 North West Loggers Association’s Message Stopping The Cycle: Boom And Bust Forest Industry Hard For Northwest Loggers Bill Sauer
15 Market Report
TPP & Log Exports: What Does The Future Hold? David Elstone
16 Safety Report
Increasing Focus On Hiring And Developing Competent Supervisors Russel Robertson
18 Legal Report
Looking Out For The Little Guy: Small Contractor Payment Protection And Recovery Stephen Ross
20 Business Matters
Measuring And Growing Your Business’ Goodwill Chris Duncan
23 Message from the Premier
BC Forestry: Walking The Path To Sustained Success Premier Christy Clark
24 Message from the Minister
Creating Positive Change: Our Forest Sector Competitiveness Strategy Minister Steve Thomson
25 73rd Annual TLA Convention & Trade Show 2016 Cover photo: Hans Peter Meyer
TLA Editorial
39 Industry Update: Alcohol and Drug Policy Implementation in Forestry Barb Butler
43 First Nations Elders and Forestry: A Happily Remembered History Ian MacNeill
46 North Island Success: Forestry Education Program in Port Hardy Robin Brunet
50 Snap Shot: Charles Bloom Secondary School Forestry Program in Lumby Martin Tooms
60 After the Fire: Salvaging Forestry in BC’s Interior Robin Brunet
63 New Role, Long History: Managing Change at Western Forest Products Mike Cass
65 Beyond Loggers: The Unifying Voice for BC’s Forestry Communities Sandra Bishop
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 3
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The Truck Loggers Association 2015 Executive & Directors
Interior Logging Association 2015-2016 Board of Directors
Chairman Reid Hedlund Don Banasky First Vice Chairman Randy Spence Jacqui Beban Graham Lasure Second Vice Chairman Len Gudeit Past Chairman Ed Smith David Elstone Directors Lee Callow Ted Beutler Guido Claudepierre Howie McKamey Dennis Cook Dave McNaught John Drayton Lukas Olsen Randy Durante Clint Parcher Matt Edmondson Mark Ponting Frank Etchart Mike Richardson Scott Horovatin Barry Simpson Jeff Kineshanko Doug Sladey Hedley Larsen Matt Wealick Bill McDonald Adam Wunderlich Tim Menning Associate Directors George Lambert Ron Volansky Tim Lloyd General Manager Wayne Lintott Brian Mulvihill Administration Nancy Hesketh Adam Pruss Carl Sweet Editorial Board Don Banasky Interior Logging Association Jacqui Beban 3204 - 39th Avenue James Byrne Vernon, BC V1T 3C8 Graham Lasure Tel: 250.503.2199 Fax: 250.503.2250 Wayne Lintott E-mail: info@interiorlogging.org Brian Mulvihill Website: www.interiorlogging.org Bill Sauer
President Vice President Past President Executive Director Industrial Directors
CAMPBELL RIVER 207 - 1100 Island Highway, Campbell River, BC V9W 8C6 T: 250-287-0143 E: jpollock@aatrading.com
WINTER 2016 / VOLUME 38 / NUMBER 4 Editor Brenda Martin Contributing Writers Don Banasky
Jacqui Beban Sandra Bishop Barb Butler Robin Brunet Mike Cass Christy Clark Chris Duncan David Elstone
Jim Girvan Wayne Lintott Ian MacNeill Russel Robertson Stephen Ross Bill Sauer Steve Thomson Martin Tooms
For editorial information, please contact the Truck Loggers Association: Tel: 604.684.4291 Email: trucklogger@tla.ca For advertising, please contact Advertising In Print: Tel: 604.681.1811 Email: info@advertisinginprint.com
Truck Loggers Association members know that a healthy forest means jobs and economic growth. As British Columbia’s leading benefits provider for 75 years, Pacific Blue Cross is a proud partner of the TLA in supporting workforce health and productivity.
Together we promote sustainable growth through healthy forests and healthy British Columbians.
Truck LoggerBC magazine is published four times a year by the Truck Loggers Association, with content and support from the Interior Logging Association and the North West Loggers Association. Its editorial content seeks to reflect issues facing the industry and to provide readers with current information on BC’s forest industry. All rights reserved.
Advertising Sales & Design Layout office:
Advertising In Print 200 - 896 Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2P6 Tel: 604.681.1811. Fax: 604.681.0456 Publication Mailing Agreement No. 40010419. For subscriptions, contact office@tla.ca or 604.684.4291. Send change of address notices and covers of undeliverable copies to:
4 0678.002_truck_loggers_association(4.75x4.9375).sept.2015_JY.indd Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
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15-09-02 12:00 PM
The Truck Loggers Association Suite 725-815 West Hastings Street Vancouver, BC V6C 1B4 E-mail: contact@tla.ca
Tel: 604.684.4291 Fax: 604.684.7134 Website: www.tla.ca
FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD DESK...
W
elcome to the Winter 2016 edition of Truck LoggerBC! It’s hard to believe another year has gone by and we are just back from Christmas shutdown. The TLA staff has been busy planning for the TLA’s Annual Convention & Trade Show—January 13-15 at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver! Mark your calendars and buy your tickets. We hope to see you there! In this issue, the Safety Report looks at what qualifications are required for supervisors. In the past, the person with the most experience and gung-ho attitude was the likely candidate! Things have changed drastically and more than ever training is key to having qualified supervisors. Further into the magazine, another safety article looks at drug testing in the forest industry and what the law requires in Canada. It is in the early stages but has been successful in other provinces and other industries. The Legal Report delves into what recourse small business owners have if they are not getting paid and the Business Matters article explains what goodwill is within a business context and what it means in today’s coastal forest industry. These are both important articles for TLA members who own smaller businesses in the 1-4 or 5-10 employee ranges. The Market Report looks at an unusual twist in the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement that was signed this past fall. A side letter between the Canadian and Japanese governments has thrown log exports into a grey area. Find out more on page 15.
This is our convention issue so we have an extra 24 pages of content! I can’t touch on all our feature articles here but I’ll highlight a few. One feature addresses the challenge of steep slope harvesting and what innovations are out there to help with the transition. We have an excellent article where five First Nations elders who live on BC’s coast tell their stories of working in the forest industry and why they think First Nations youth should look to forestry for their careers. Finally, we highlight the new high school forestry program on the north Island. Port Hardy and Port McNeill have jumped in to offer a forestry program that serves both high schools. We hope it is going to be a great success! We would like to wish you and your family a Happy New Year and all the best for a safe and prosperous 2016! As always, we hope you enjoy our magazine and that you find it informative. If you have any feedback or comments, please contact Brenda Martin, Director of Communications, at 604.684.4291 ext. 2 or brenda@tla.ca.
Jacqui Beban, Nootka Sound Timber Co. Ltd Editorial Board Chair
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 5
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Don Banasky
TLA President’s MESSAGE
PASSING THE TORCH: A REFLECTION AND AN INSPIRATION
A
s the TLA 73rd Convention & Trade Show approaches with its theme of “Adapting to Steep Change” and I sit down to write this final article as TLA President, I am set back but excited. I am set back because as I reflect on my two years as president, I find I am disappointed the term is over. The role posed extreme challenges but was also extremely rewarding. I have had the honor of leading an association that is second to none in an industry I enjoy to its core. My career and life has changed positively as a result of joining the TLA board and then being elected to the executive. I developed a network of colleagues throughout the industry and I continue to grow my knowledge base on the issues, the solutions and the players involved—from government to local communities—as a result of this opportunity. I know this will help me in supporting the next president and vice president, as I sit as past president on the executive for the next two years. Have we accomplished as much as I thought we would in the last two years? No. However, we are continually “adapting to steep change” in all we take on and we have accomplished a lot when I stop and reflect. I am proud of many achievements and for applying the steady pressure in a business environment on behalf of our members. One achievement I’m proud of is our work to change the culture of safety throughout our forest industry. All of our coworkers, friends and family who have experienced a fatality or an injury in the industry need to know and understand that we are working hard to make a difference and create lasting change so no one else gets hurt. I know we are increasing our voice on committees and our role on issues pertaining to industry safety which is getting results. Contractor sustainability is another of our key drivers and a real focus during my time as president. It drives all our advocacy decisions because without contractor sustainability all other issues are moot. We did an excellent job of telling the contractor sustainability story in this magazine and face-to-face in industry meetings. We still
have a long way to go but I was heartened at the Innovations Initiative meeting held in November between Coast Forest Products Association (CFPA) and ourselves with FPInnovations facilitating. I would be remiss not to include my excitement around contractor sustainability as it pertains to First Nations involvement. With First Nations communities acquiring forest tenure and harvesting rights, harvesting contractors, log buyers and service providers alike are pleased to be involved in this changing market. As we participate, learn and educate, I feel a glimmer of hope. A handful of licensees is more a monopoly than a market and the new entrants are a welcome addition to the business dynamic. I am hopeful this dynamic will be built on mutual respect, trust and the foresight to work together for the shared, long-term success of all. I am proud to have worked with our Aboriginal Affairs committee and board of directors to develop a strong position statement on the Tsilhqot’in Decision last year. Right now, we look forward to publishing our upcoming “Draft Guidelines For Contractors To Use In Developing First Nations Relationships” and our First Nation’s focused session, “Embracing Change in First Nations Relationships” at our convention in January. In order to adapt, represent and stay on top of all of the issues, we must first maintain a strong association. I know the executive and board of directors found this strength through hiring David Elstone. David has been quick to grasp the role, get involved and learn the on-the-ground issues. He has achieved staggering results in his first year with us. Working with the TLA board, David has been quick to hit difficult issues head on, ruffling some feathers and opening some doors with his analytical background and fresh perspectives when working with licensees and government. An analyst by trade, it’s pretty hard to dispute numbers as they pertain to contractor sustainability and how this is an industry issue, not just a contractor issue. The timing of being sent out to pasture is pretty good. We have a fund in place for
the Forestry Service Providers Protection Act. Although we don’t have a funding mechanism yet, we have managed to grow the fund with government participation and are thankful for the progress. The board of directors and staff worked tirelessly on a strategic plan this year that will lead us through 2017. I am happy to leave this role with such a robust and forward thinking plan in place to guide us. In closing, I want to take this opportunity to thank my wife Krista, our two kids, Shaelan and Paige, the Gregson family (past business partners) and Western Canadian Timber Products (Brian and Tricia Dorman) for their support of this role and my TLA involvement over the years. I also want to truly thank David Elstone, the staff, all the past presidents, the executive and my board of directors for their huge contributions of time, guidance, knowledge and support. The natural progression for our executive is for the vice president to be elected to the role of president. I want to wish Jacqui Beban, TLA presidential candidate and a partner in Nootka Sound Timber, luck in the election at the AGM this month. She has provided me and the TLA with the support and insight of a true leader in her role as my vice president. If elected, Jacqui will be the first female TLA president and I would be honored to serve as past president on the executive under her reign. Finally, I encourage all of BC’s coastal contractors to get involved, join the TLA and have your voice heard. Together we can get this industry on track for global success and prosperous longevity by creating a space for change in David and Goliath’s relationship. We are at the table and I encourage the players to listen closely and be open to a new way of sharing information and doing business. This will dictate the outcome for BC’s forest sector—how we meet the demands and compete for generations to come. The time is now. Don Banasky, President, TLA Tel: 250.668.7746 Email: don.banasky@thedormangroup.ca
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 7
David Elstone
TLA Executive Director’s MESSAGE
POSITIVE SPIN IMPOSSIBLE: SIX MORE CONTRACTORS GIVE UP IN BC
I
am dismayed to report that erosion of the contractor base continues despite our forewarnings about the ongoing threat to BC forest industry’s supply chain. This past fall, we saw two large contractors disperse much, if not all, of their equipment at auction. Just recently, yet another finally succumbed to insolvency. It is fair to say all were driven to take such action, in part, because of difficult negotiations and challenging business relationships with the major licensees that contracted them. That brings us to a total of six contractors this year that have significantly reduced capacity by going to auction or entered into CCAA (Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act) protection. More than half of these were businesses based on the BC coast. To put on a positive front to promote our industry when these things are occurring behind the scenes is just not possible. The toll taken this year comes on top of the 25 contractors who exited over the last ten years. The impact on the employees and the devastation in the communities— more often than not—goes untold. And yet, logs somehow, someway, continue to be delivered. While the attrition of the contracting community continues, each individual contractor must seek ways to survive, by making decisions that affect them personally, as well as their employees and their communities. To succeed is no easy task, with many making a go of it by always looking to the future. How else can you explain the ability of contractors to raise their hands at auctions and invest hundreds of thousands of dollars on used iron in a split second decision? In fact, last October at the Ritchie Brothers auction in Nanaimo, I was not alone watching in amazement at a bidding war for a 124 Madill yarder that ended with the winning bid at a snick over a million dollars. To succeed in this business, risk is part of the game. It is my hope that such investments which are necessary to keep contractors’ businesses
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moving forward are not misconstrued as extravagance by their contract managers. Our industry is on the cusp of change with regards to new innovations (largely imported from elsewhere), but undermining contractors’ confidence will be harmful to our industry. A subtle yet clear example of this undermining of confidence happened recently. Some BC contractors who joined me in attending the Pacific Logging Congress’ (PLC) convention in Hawaii this past November were treated with disdain by some contract managers for major licence holders in BC because the event took place in Hawaii. These contractors spent their own money to attend this event in an effort to stay ahead of global trends and in many cases took their families so that while they were on a working holiday, families could be together.
on a working holiday in Hawaii. And we wonder why collaboration and a positive supply chain environment have been missing on the BC coast and in the province. I am an advocate for logging contractors, but also for the industry as a whole. The messaging from the various David and Goliath articles over the last year or so has described a path of short sighted, destructive behaviour and, unfortunately, it appears we still remain on that path. There is a need to change course, for whatever comes our way, be it a downturn or upturn, this industry is not going to have the capacity to adjust in its current condition. I am learning some industry leaders see the path we are on as well and want to change it. My message for action is this, increase the communication between senior executives and on-the-
To put on a positive front to promote our industry when these things are occurring behind the scenes is just not possible. Founded in 1909, the PLC’s mission is to provide sound technical education about the forest industry and promote the need for responsible forestry to supply global wood fibre needs. The PLC membership consists of contractors, licensees and timberland owners alike from around the Pacific Rim. The annual conference seeks to provide opportunities for members to learn, network, collaborate and ensure they are on the forefront of emerging logging technology, best operating practices and recruitment strategies. This year was no exception. I listened to some excellent presentations on innovative steep slope harvesting, workforce planning, industry recruitment and retention programs. It is pretty sad commentary that it is not acceptable for a contractor to go abroad to learn and bring cost reduction and safety improvement ideas back to their operations—even when they do it
ground management to ensure clear understanding of expectations with regards to the health of the company’s supply chain. Seek to continue the dialogue that has begun between licensees and contractors through the recent work of the CFPA and TLA and facilitated by FPInnovations with our Innovations Initiative. And of course, attend our 73rd TLA Convention & Trade Show to hear directly from contractors and licensees alike in order to become aware of the challenges and help our industry leave its current path. David Elstone, RPF, Executive Director, TLA Tel: 604.684.4291 ext. 1 Email: david@tla.ca
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Wayne Lintott
Interior Logging Association’s MESSAGE
EDUCATION FOR FORESTRY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS CONTINUES IN THE INTERIOR
O
nce again the Interior Logging Association has been successful in applying for and receiving grant funding from the Canada-British Columbia Job Fund Agreement. The new training program has allowed us to train 16 new heavy equipment operators for the forest industry and four logging truck drivers. Applications have been coming in from all over the Interior and some from the coast as well. We have received over 60 requests to register but, unfortunately, we have had to turn down many students because we just don’t have the space. It has been very encouraging to see the applications coming in and it has made training one of our main goals moving forward. We are sourcing all possible government funding programs to continue our four-year-old heavy equipment operator and log truck driver training efforts. I would like to thank Amanda Black from West Fraser Timber and West Fraser Timber itself along with their
LEFT TO RIGHT: Rocky Ashton Owen Sutton Jason Earwaker Ivan Haines Kelly William Kaleb Carpenter Amanda Colebank Amanda Black Kennith Paterson
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contractors who have stepped up to help us with the on-site field training of our students. Without their continued support our program would not be functional today. Thank you also to Rocky Ashton of Rocky Forest Management Ltd. for his classroom
is “Be the Change for Forestry Safety.” We are pleased to announce that this year we have combined our conference with the 2nd Annual Interior Safety Conference. Last year, this conference was held in Prince George along with Canadian North Resources Expo. We
We have trained 16 new heavy equipment operators and four logging truck drivers. instruction and on-site field supervision. And a thank you goes out to Thompson Rivers University at Williams Lake and Kamloops for their continued support of our program. Finally, thank you to Gillian Watt of Holmwood Resources, she is our program manager and ensures we are all on schedule and within the guidelines of the program. Its start-up time again for our 2016 Annual Conference and Trade Show. The date this year is May 5, 6 & 7 in Vernon, BC. This is our 58th year and our theme
are looking forward to welcoming the Interior Safety Conference delegates to our conference in Vernon. Be sure to mark your calendar for this event! For more information, check out our website at www.interiorlogging.org or call the ILA office at 250.503.2199. In closing, I wish everyone a successful and prosperous 2016. I look forward to working with our affiliated associations, members and government agencies to make sure our concerns are put forward.
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Bill Sauer
North West Loggers Association’s MESSAGE
STOPPING THE CYCLE: BOOM AND BUST FOREST INDUSTRY HARD FOR NORTHWEST LOGGERS
T
he Pacific Northwest has always experienced boom and bust cycles. I recall that even in the 1970s and 80s as a log truck owner, when a slowdown in the forest industry occurred; we were the first area to shut down and the last to start up. This was due to our higher cost of fibre extraction, steeper terrain and higher pulp content. In the early 1980s when the entire province—and especially the forest industry—followed the rest of the developed countries into a recession, the Northwest was almost at a standstill. My logging truck sat idle for over a year and when I did go to work it was in the Interior. You could shoot a cannon down the main corridor of our local shopping mall and not hit anybody.
The pulp mill and its related sawmills once accounted for over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Northwest area. Over this seven year period millions of dollars were left unpaid to contractors, suppliers and governments causing hardship not only to the affected communities but to employees and families relying on a thriving forest industry. Due to this collapse, Tree Farm Licence #1 was apportioned out to local First Nations and the City of Terrace now has a community forest. The harvesting community evolved into market loggers. Our wood is marketed throughout the world. Our logs were exported to China and Korea. Our pulpwood was shipped to pulp mills in the Lower Mainland. There are many small sawmillers in the area
What we need is the political will and climate to encourage the logging industry to contribute to the Northwest’s economy once again. The economy picked up in the mid to late 80s and good times and prosperity returned to the area until the collapse of Repap (the major employer in the area) in 1997 and the subsequent demise of the then NDP government rescued Skeena Cellulose a few years later. Millions upon millions of dollars were lost by contractors, suppliers and employees here in the Northwest. Repap problems in BC had been apparent since 1990. A letter from our association to then Forest Minister Andrew Petter in 1995 proved to be very prophetic. In it we stated, “The trickledown effect through the Pacific Northwest’s economy of a delayed pay schedule will be devastating. What might be even more devastating is if Repap decides to abandon its BC division and leave millions of dollars in unpaid bills to its unsecured creditors.” In 2002, the Liberal government sold Tree Farm Licence #1 and its assets to New Skeena Forest Products for $6 million. The company was unable to secure financing to get off the ground and in the fall of 2004 was forced into receivership.
who now have easier access to wood. The other large forest employer in the area was West Fraser with its sawmill in Terrace and its Eurocan pulp mill in Kitimat. After many years of operating at a loss, the company announced on October 2009 that it would permanently close the pulp mill on January 31, 2010. The reasons given for the closure were higher exchange rates, 40 per cent lower prices for the products manufactured and a shortage of low cost fibre. This closure resulted in over 600 direct and indirect job losses and officially marked the end of any large forest related manufacturing in our area. Our contracting community has always seemed to adapt to the changing times. Contractors have downsized or right-sized to accommodate the amount of work that comes their way. Small blips in the economy come along and keep people working. A Chinese company, Roc Holdings, purchased the old Skeena sawmill in 2012 and reopened it after it had been mothballed for five years. This provided jobs for approximately 50 mill workers and 40 or so
loggers. Earlier this year, the mill closed down citing poor market conditions. The Terrace economy is more diverse than ever before. It has relied on the Alcan modernization in Kitimat to provide jobs. The Highway 37 hydro line provided jobs for contractors to clear the right-of-way. The site preparation for the up and coming LNG projects has provided employment. The area is a trading hub for the new mines that have started or are about to start production in the area. New hotel and housing construction are causing a flurry of activity within the region. However, with the low demand for export logs the harvest community is once again almost at a standstill. With the closure of one of the purchasers of our pulp wood, another door has closed. What seems to be lacking in the area is a constant and reliable entity to provide the forest sector with some sense of surety. We need new investment and entrants into the business; however, relying on the export market is not the answer. We are at the beginning of cutting mature second growth here in the Northwest. With the reductions of AAC in the Interior due to the beetle infestation, we need a manufacturing facility to accommodate our good fortune. Wayne Drury from Coast Tsimshian Resources spoke three years ago about creating a facility to utilize the high pulp content in our area; however, there have been no updates since. While we in the region appreciate the diversification in the economy—the prospect of steadier jobs through the proposed LNG industry and the initiation of some of the long shovel-ready projects—for those in the logging industry continuity and initiative would also be appreciated. We have the resource, the people, the ability and the drive. What we need now is the political will and climate to encourage the logging industry to be a significant contributing factor to the Northwest’s economy once again. Bust won’t add to the provincial coffers. Boom might be a stretch. But a solid echo would sure provide a lot of jobs in the industry.
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 13
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14 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
David Elstone
Market REPORT
TPP & LOG EXPORTS: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
L
ast fall, the interest of the coastal BC forest industry was engaged by rumors that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations were including discussions around the potential easing of Canadian log export restrictions driven by requests from Japan. We were all kept in the dark, but speculation swirled around potential changes to one of the hottest of hot political potatoes that our industry has seen in modern times—changes to log export regulations. As you recall, the TPP was finally agreed to during the federal election campaign, but it wasn’t until after the election that details were released. The Japanese conceded on import tariffs of Canadian SPF (spruce-pine-fir) lumber and OSB wood panels, but the TPP deal did not appear to contain any wording relating to change for log exports. Business as usual. Hopes were dashed, but expectations weren’t overly high that easing of restrictions would materialize. So it was with renewed interest that a recent article in Embassy News revealed that there was a side deal (or side letter) specifically on log trade between Japan and Canada. As it reads, the side letter is ambiguous at best and would appear to not indicate any change in business. Key players in Canada seem to agree. However, Embassy News reports and our own market intelligence suggests, the Japanese interpret the letter differently. Japanese importers believe the deal allows for the trade of logs between Canada and Japan with the easing of the current constraints exporters face today. The side letter is posted online on the Global Affairs Canada website,
but the key paragraphs from that letter are provided here: In connection with the signing on this date of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (the “Agreement”), I have the honour to confirm the following understanding reached by the Governments of Japan and Canada during the course of negotiations regarding trade in forest products…
…and your letter of confirmation in reply shall constitute an understanding between our two Governments on the application between Japan and Canada of rights and obligations contained in the Agreement, which shall enter into force on the date on which the Agreement enters into force. The curious thing in this trade negotiation is understanding what the
Access to international markets sustains local jobs in British Columbia. …In the context of liberalized trade for forest products, upon implementation of the TPP, notwithstanding the exception for the export of logs of all species from the application of Articles 3 (National Treatment) and Article 11 (Import and Export Restrictions) in Chapter 2 (National Treatment and Market Access for Goods) of the Agreement, the Government of Canada shall issue permits upon request for the export of logs destined for Japan following the procedures set out in the Export and Import Permits Act and its applicable notices and regulations and provincial and territorial laws and regulations. For greater certainty, Japan and Canada confirm that nothing in this letter shall have any other implications with respect to Canada’s existing practices and procedures relating to its existing measures concerning the export of logs of all species. In respect of the export of logs, Japan and Canada maintain their rights and obligations under the WTO Agreement, and any dispute regarding a matter relating to the export of logs shall be settled under the WTO….
Japanese gain in exchange for what they gave up on tariff eliminations. It is not clear what the motivation is behind the relief on Japanese tariffs. Perhaps it was some other trade item from Canada that affected another non-forestry related industry? Or maybe, because Japan subsidizes the use of its domestic timber, tariff eliminations were done to offset that subsidy. Or was there an expectation for access to Canadian logs? Why was this side letter written if the status quo was to be maintained? As this deal still needs to be ratified by Parliament, we won’t know which country’s interpretation is truly correct until after the deal is in effect. We do know that to maximize the coastal harvest, market diversification that includes the exporting of logs is essential. After all, we know one certainty: Access to international markets sustains local jobs in BC.
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Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 15
Russel Robertson
Safety REPORT
INCREASING FOCUS ON HIRING AND DEVELOPING COMPETENT SUPERVISORS
T
he profitability of a forest business depends, in part, on supervisors’ ability to take an orderly approach to making sure everything is following an established plan. Controlling the business, minimizing loss, sustaining safe production all contribute to increased safety and productivity. Gone are the days when the employer would default to a person with the most operational or technical experience and absorb the cost of learning by trial and error. Today’s supervisors have objectives to achieve and need to respond to changing situations. The successful supervisor must be able to anticipate and plan for possible variation and upset conditions, recognize a change in risk and be adaptable under pressure.
16 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
The forces of change are constant in workplaces. When selecting supervisors, consider:
CREATIVITY:
Effective supervisors must have the ability to come up with new responses to situations and recognize good ideas that come from other sources.
MENTAL AGILITY:
The supervisor must have the ability to grasp problems quickly, to think of several things at once and assess the whole situation quickly.
LEARNING HABITS:
Effective supervisors are independent as learners and take responsibility for what is learned.
In order to be effective, supervisors also need a combination of four key managerial skills.
1. TECHNICAL SKILL: Proficiency in an activity that involves methods, processes, procedures or techniques. Individual performers expect their supervisor to be able to help and guide them with technical problems. 2. HUMAN SKILL: The ability to work with, understand, motivate, and communicate with individuals and groups. Human skill also includes the ability to resolve conflict, and to discipline when appropriate. 3. CONCEPTUAL SKILL: The ability to understand abstract or general ideas and apply them to specific situations. For example, understanding how the total forestry operation can be affected by a specific activity.
4. DIAGNOSTIC SKILL: The ability to analyze the nature of a problem with people, ideas, things or events. Supervisors are frequently called on to size up a problem in order to take appropriate corrective action. Diagnostic skill overlaps with the other managerial skills. An experienced supervisor once expressed it to me this way: “Figuring out what’s wrong is why I am here, seeing the risk and taking care of it before it causes a negative impact such as an injury. If all problems had a ready solution, you wouldn’t need a supervisor.” Now more than ever, the employer must use a combination of strategic selection, formal training, and on-the-job coaching in order to transition an employee into a competent and qualified supervisor. The challenges during transition are many. The most critical is recognizing that people who were their peers are now their subordinates. Additionally, they will have to work hard to build trust, gain credibility and earn respect from both their superiors and subordinates.
THREE WAYS TO TRAIN NEW SUPERVISORS Here are three things you should do
delivers three supervisor modules, each module a day long: Due Diligence, Communications and Leadership. Learn more about the three modules and scheduling here: http://www.bcforestsafe.org/node/98 A fourth module is scheduled to be developed and tested in 2016 and this module will focus on managing employee performance. Content will cover integrated topics such as managing employee safety and fatigue; alcohol and drug policy; managing quality of work; and, how to successfully and proactively address any potential performance issues to ensure highly motivated workers as well as safe and productive workplaces. There is also a falling supervisor course, learn more here: http://www.bcforestsafe.org/node/2216 which is a prerequisite training course prior to falling supervisor certification. WorkSafeBC also offers an online training course specific to supervisors’ responsibilities regarding safety in the workplace: Supervising for Safety: http://www.supervisingforsafety.com/.
to train and prepare new supervisors for success. 1 Conduct a personality assessment, so new supervisors can better understand themselves and how they need to adapt their behaviors with others. It increases their self-knowledge: how they respond to conflict, what motivates them, what causes them stress and how they solve problems, and manage their crews more effectively by understanding the characters and priorities of their direct reports. For more information about DiSC Profiles, visit https://www.discprofile.com/ 2 Determine the level of skill required and make a competency matrix. Use the competency matrix as the benchmark to rate the level of performance and identify any skills gaps. Supervisors should complete a self-assessment and also be verified by their managers who observe their actual performance on the job. 3 Develop a training plan and schedule supervisor education to close the skills gap. This is usually accomplished by attending in-house or off-site seminars and workshops. The BC Forest Safety Council currently
Russel Robertson is the Director of Programs and Training for the BC Forest Safety Council.
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Legal REPORT
LOOKING OUT FOR THE LITTLE GUY: SMALL CONTRACTOR PAYMENT PROTECTION AND RECOVERY
P
ayment protection for large corporate logging contractors with full phase replaceable logging agreements has been significantly improved by the lien provisions of Part 1, and the insolvency Compensation Fund provisions of Part 2, of the Forestry Service Providers Protection Act (FSPPA). But what payment protection is available for small, independent owner/operator contractors with relatively small claims, say under $100,000? This article will address that question.
licence; a forestry licence to cut; or a road permit. Subcontractors do not have a direct claim to the Compensation Fund, but the Administrative Authority under the Fund’s Administrative Agreement will attempt to ensure that claims of eligible contractors will be applied to their unpaid subcontractors. If a small contractor does not have a claim under the FSPPA, because of the nature of its services or the licence under which it performs those services,
Small contractors should not assume that the FSPPA does not apply to them. Firstly, small contractors should not assume that the FSPPA does not apply to them. If they provide services to a forest products owner they are entitled to a lien under that Act, provided that those services consist of felling, bucking, yarding, skidding, processing, chipping, grinding, decking, loading, hauling, unloading, dryland sorting, or logging road construction and maintenance. If they provide subcontracting services to a contractor who has entered into a contract with a forest products owner, they are not entitled to a lien under the FSPPA, but they have a charge on all accounts due to the contractor. The lien or charge may be registered by filing a financing statement in the Personal Property Registry. Small contractors to a licence holder who becomes insolvent are also protected by the FSPPA and may have access to the Forestry Service Providers Compensation Fund, provided that the licence holder holds one of the following licence agreements set out in Section 12 of the Forest Act: a forest licence; a timber licence; a tree farm licence; a community forest agreement; a First Nations woodland licence; a community salvage licence; a woodlot licence; a licence to cut; a free use permit; a Christmas tree permit; a timber sale
18 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
that contractor may still have a claim under the Woodworker Lien Act (WLA). The WLA was not revoked when the FSPPA was proclaimed. The WLA gives a lien for “labour or services,” which are not limited to the traditional phases of a timber harvesting operation. They include most work usually associated with a timber harvesting operation, including mill processing operations. However, a woodworker lien is generally only available to wage earning individuals who personally render services, not to corporations, with the possible exception of “one man” companies and wage earning shareholders who are paid by their companies. A woodworker lien requires the filing of a statement of the lien in a registry of the Supreme Court, and is subject to strict time limits, so small contractors who wish to claim such a lien for their labour or services should consult legal counsel. Small contractors with claims not covered by the FSPPA or the WLA will have to seek recourse in the courts to recover those claims. If the claim is $25,000 or less, the contractor must proceed in Small Claims Court. The purpose of that Court is to allow people who bring claims to have them resolved and to have enforcement proceedings
concluded in a just, speedy, inexpensive and simple manner. The contractor can be self represented in Small Claims Court, which will save legal costs if the claim is disputed. Also, if the claim exceeds $25,000, the contractor may reduce its claim and “elect down” to that monetary limit of the Small Claims Court. Claims greater than $25,000 must be pursued in Supreme Court. That will require the contractor to retain a lawyer. The legal costs involved will depend on whether a defence is filed to the claim. If no defence is filed, the legal costs to commence an action and obtain a default judgment are not excessive. However, if a substantive defence is filed, the contractor should consider its prospects for success and the legal costs that will be incurred because commercial litigation can be expensive. The contractor should also consider that, even if it obtains judgment, enforcing that judgment against a defendant with few assets and no viable business can be difficult and expensive, and may be unsuccessful. The lien, charge, and insolvency protection of the FSPPA, and the lien protection of the WLA, are always preferable to a court action and an unsecured judgment, even with such available enforcement remedies as garnishment orders and writs of execution. To avoid losses small contractors should maintain vigilant credit practices, pursue unpaid accounts swiftly, and seek and obtain legal advice when necessary. Stephen Ross is a Partner at Miller Thomson LLP and works out of its Vancouver office. Stephen’s practice is concentrated in the areas of commercial litigation, forestry law, and insolvency law. He can be reached at 604.643.1205 or sross@ millerthomson.com.
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Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 19
Chris Duncan
Business MATTERS
MEASURING AND GROWING YOUR BUSINESS’ GOODWILL
G
What is goodwill?
oodwill is an intangible asset that arises when a buyer acquires an existing business, but pays more than the fair market value of the net assets (total assets - total liabilities). The goodwill amounts to the excess of the “purchase consideration” (the money paid to purchase the asset or business) over the total value of the assets and liabilities. Goodwill will show up as an intangible asset on the balance sheet, since it can neither be seen nor touched. Goodwill only arises when a business is sold as a whole. Taking your equipment to the auction, for example, will not generate any goodwill for the owner. The blood sweat and tears you have in your business may not always result in goodwill. VALUING GOODWILL Business goodwill can be measured three different ways: The cost approach,
the market value approach and the income approach. Cost Approach Using the cost approach method you would calculate the opportunity cost of lost income should you need to start the business from day one again and rebuild it to its current status. The present value of these lost incomes would be the goodwill associated with the business. Market Approach The market approach uses the sale price that has been agreed upon and subtracts the value of all tangible assets to determine the goodwill. Any excess over the asset value is goodwill. Income Approach The income approach is the most commonly used approach in determining the goodwill value of a business. In this
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approach, the discounted cash flows method is the optimal method of determining the overall value of a business. Once a total business value has been determined, using the discounted cash flows method, the fair market value of all assets is subtracted to determine the residual goodwill. HOW TO GROW THE GOODWILL IN YOUR BUSINESS The methods of growing the goodwill in your business are numerous, however they all drive the same end result. Simply put, increase your annual income and the goodwill associated with your business will grow. The following are a few of the areas to focus on when growing your business. Efficiency By improving your efficiency, you can improve your income.
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As a business owner ask yourself the following questions: Do your crews work well together? Do they mesh smoothly? Or are they blaming each other for lackluster performance? For example, are your truck drivers blaming the loading crews for the number of loads they can haul in the day or do they praise the loader operators for their speedy turnaround time? The more integrated and cooperative team you field, the higher your efficiency will be. Next, ask yourself how old your equipment is and check what state it is in. How many hours a month do you have that equipment sitting idle and getting repaired? Are the repairs required because of use or abuse? Do you have the right operators for the right pieces of equipment? A major repair can eat up your bottom line pretty quickly. Production By maximizing your production, you can maximize your earnings. Are you setting production goals on a monthly basis at a minimum? Are your crews aware of these goals? Are you tracking your results and following up on discrepancies in a timely fashion? Are you and your people accountable for these goals? How often do you celebrate successes?
Communication One of the most important factors of running your business like a business is communication. You will see benefits in all aspects of your business by setting an environment of open communication. When considering what communication practices to use as a business owner, ask yourself the following: Do your staff feel able to initiate conversations with you? How often do staff members bring new ideas to you? Are you open to these suggestions? How easy are you to get a hold of when not on site? And finally, how often do the staff meet as a group and discuss the goals of the business? Technology A question every business owner should ask is, are there any technologies that can improve my business and do I need them? Will the improvement outweigh the investment? Are my competitors investing in the technology? If you answer yes to any of these questions, you need to act. There is no easy way of simply unlocking the goodwill in your business. However, by working on the other aspects of your business to make it as efficient and profitable as possible, you should be able to grow goodwill in your business.
Chris Duncan, CPA, CA is a Forestry Services Business Advisor for MNP LLP. Tel: 250.748.3761 Email: chris.duncan@mnp.ca
The TLA Perspective on Goodwill The apparent lack of goodwill in today’s logging contractor’s business is a core element of the TLA’s concerns for contractor sustainability. When contractors can’t exit their business and capture their years of invested sweat equity, what really is the economic incentive to go into logging? Six contractors this year reduced capacity or entered into CCAA protection. How many times over the last few years have you heard that today’s contractors aren’t willing to pass their business onto the next generation as a result of the high risks, low rates of returns and endless frustration? A characteristic of a strong supply chain is one that is capable of having contractors that can sell their business for more than just the market value of their iron. The crux of the problem is that with no goodwill left in the logging business, will there be a next generation of logging contractors to fill the gap? And again, there is no wonder why investment and innovation are low. As we said before: This not a contractor problem, this is an industry problem.
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Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 21
22 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
BC FORESTRY: WALKING THE PATH TO SUSTAINED SUCCESS by Premier Christy Clark
T
hey say it’s not about whether you get knocked down—it’s whether you get up. For the 150,000 British Columbians who depend on a thriving forest industry to pay their mortgage and provide for their families, directly or indirectly, there have been a few knockdowns the past few years. The global economic slowdown, the pine beetle infestation and shifting market demands have all presented challenges.
and First Nations leaders—because quite frankly, as a province we haven’t always ensured First Nations received a fair share of the economic benefits from our resource economy. With more agreements every year, and renewed efforts towards reconciliation and negotiation, we’re on the right track. By continuing our proven strategy of international trade missions and negotiations, we’re also going to continue to
In dollar values, forest products are worth double what we export in metallic minerals and in coal. There’s no question these have been significant problems, which caused a lot of uncertainty and sleepless nights. Yet the future is bright. Not only is global demand on the rise, but we’re working closely with the industry to ensure BC’s forest industry remains competitive. It starts with ensuring a reliable, sustainable timber supply, with targeted investments in forest growth, including the $10 million for Strategic Wildfire Prevention we announced at last year’s UBCM Conference—bringing the total to $78 million since 2004—which focuses on reducing the wildfire risk around communities. We’re also developing the Forest Enhancement Program, to undertake salvage harvesting of dead timber, wildfire risk reduction and fuel management operations, and to enhance reforestation efforts and wildlife habitat restoration in stands severely impacted by wildfires and mountain pine beetle. We’re also focusing on creating certainty around the land base by continuing to work with First Nations, especially in the light of last year’s Supreme Court decision. That’s why I’ve convened two historic meetings between my Cabinet
grow markets for BC wood, especially with the growing markets of Asia; for example, exports to China have increased by 20 times since 2003. But as important as those markets have become, our primary market will continue to be the United States for the foreseeable future. I have made it clear to the new federal government that renewing the Softwood Lumber Agreement will continue to be our priority. While government is finding ways to expand traditional export markets for BC wood products, it’s also important to explore new technologies and products. For example, almost a third of BC’s wood fibre is used for bio-energy—and with an increasing emphasis on green solutions for heating and energy around the world, demand is only going to grow. Innovation also means finding new ways to use very old products. BC is a world leader in using wood to construct taller and more complex structures than ever before—just look at the Wood Innovation and Design Centre in Prince George. Currently the tallest contemporary wood building in North America, it may not retain that title for long; scientists and design professionals
are researching wood buildings of up to 30 storeys. With targeted investment, support for applied research, policies that support bioenergy, alternative wood-based product manufacturing and investment, and regulatory reductions that drive innovation—BC’s forest industry can and will continue to lead. It’s appropriate this year’s TLA’s 73rd Convention & Trade Show is all about adapting to steep change—because even for the oldest industry in BC, the path to success sometimes means climbing a steep hill. We’ll be there to help and support you every step of the way, because the success of the forest industry matters for all British Columbians. The forest industry provides good-paying, secure jobs; the kind people raise families on, creating and supporting entire communities. If you look at value‐added economic output, BC’s forest sector is the largest in North America. In dollar values, forest products are worth double what we export in metallic minerals and in coal. That’s in addition to the estimated $757 million in direct revenues to government, which funds the services we all depend on, from health care to schools. Over the next three years, we’re forecasting forest revenues to break $900 million. This is the 73rd annual TLA convention, which goes to show the forest industry’s longevity and durability. If change is the only constant in forestry; then one of the only constants in British Columbia is forestry. Through good times and bad, it’s been dependable, resilient, and profitable. That was the case 73 years ago—and it will still be the case 73 years in the future. Thank you for your hard work.
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 23
CREATING POSITIVE CHANGE: OUR FOREST SECTOR COMPETITIVENESS STRATEGY By Minister Steve Thomson Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
I
t’s been another interesting year for BC’s forest sector and this past year one of the main focuses of the ministry has been work on a Forest Sector Competitiveness Strategy. As global market conditions change, we need to change with them and we all need to work together in order to keep BC’s competitiveness position. Why? Because forestry built this province and, although our economy is becoming more diversified, forestry remains a key economic driver.
under development will be operational in fiscal 2016/2017. The program will undertake salvage harvesting of dead timber, wildfire risk reduction and fuel management operations. The program will also enhance reforestation efforts and wildlife habitat restoration in stands severely impacted by wildfires and mountain pine beetle in the Interior. Enhancement would also occur on low-productivity, highelevation hemlock and balsam forests on the coast to increase their long-term
Forestry provides almost 150,000 direct and indirect jobs in communities all around the province. We want to work to keep it that way. Forestry provides almost 150,000 direct and indirect jobs in communities all around the province. We want to work to keep it that way. Government’s role is to provide the hosting conditions, and the environment that will allow industry to thrive and keep those jobs. The strategy has six key themes: Reliable and Sustainable Timber Supply Competitive Industry Hosting Conditions Improving Certainty around the Land Base Market Access and Growth for Forest Products Driving Innovation and Diversification Rural Community Transition and Stability In September, in her keynote address to UBCM, Premier Christy Clark announced a new Forest Enhancement Program. This new program currently
24 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
value. The program will specifically target areas that were previously thought to be too uneconomic to harvest and reforest. In the Interior, now that the mountain pine beetle infestation has run its course, we need to do more to restore wildlife habitat, and also look for opportunities to maximize use of residual fibre. The Forestry Fibre Action Plan released in fall 2015, found ways to enhance security of fibre supply for secondary and non-lumber users of lower quality and residual fibre. On the coast, ministry staff and industry are looking at ways to drive out the inefficiencies and extra costs associated with log handling. Every time a log is handled, the value of the log is reduced. So far, the joint government and industry team has mapped out the log handling process and identified four key projects to improve efficiencies in: scaling methods, export process, cruise-based billing, and log grading. Market access is an important part of competitiveness and to that end, at the time of writing, I’m about to embark on my fourth trade mission as Forests
Minister to Japan and China. I’ll be accompanied by 30 senior forestry executives, and the intent, as always, is to build the market for BC wood products in our two biggest off-shore markets. Having a strong market in China certainly helped BC when the US housing market crashed. The recent expiry of the CanadaUS Softwood Lumber Agreement is a timely reminder of why we should not put all our trade eggs in one basket. That being said, the US does remain BC’s largest market for softwood lumber products, and while our preference would be free trade, a managed trade agreement has been valuable in providing certainty and stability on both sides of the border. BC supports discussions aimed at providing predictable access to the US market and avoiding costly trade litigation. Without a managed trade agreement, BC could face unwarranted duties imposed by the US on BC lumber exports. Contrary to US industry allegations, BC’s auction based timber pricing system ensures that timber is market priced. The most important part of Forest Sector Competitiveness is safety. Everyone should know when heading out to the job site that they’ll return home safe to their families at the end of the day. Over the past 10 years the forest harvesting industry has reduced the number of fatalities by two-thirds and serious injuries by one-third. However, one fatality is one too many and injuries are a sign that we could do things better. I encourage all of you reading this article to pledge to make 2016 a fatality-free year. Best wishes for a successful convention!
THE WESTIN BAYSHORE HOTEL VANCOUVER, BC
73rd Annual Truck Loggers Association Convention & Trade Show 2016
JANUARY 13 – 15, 2016
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Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 25
ADAPTING TO STEEP CHANGE
Change is the only constant in the forest industry. From 2009 and the depths of the global economic recession through to 2015 and the growing global demand for forest products, the learning curve has never been steeper. We are adapting to a new way of doing business in the changing global forest marketplace. We are not only operating on steeper slopes—the pursuit of contractor sustainability, the challenge in sorting out land base ownership and the challenge of eliminating forest industry injury are ever steeper too. The 73rd Annual TLA Convention & Trade Show will tackle the issues, bring forward the solutions and support a continued effort to work together in the coastal forest industry as we face Adapting to Steep Change.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 Registration Opens Continental Breakfast - Grab a coffee & snack before the sessions start! SD01 - Steep Slope Harvesting - Global Innovation in Steep Slope Logging Technology Industry suppliers and global innovators will provide the latest solutions in addressing the challenges of harvesting on steep slopes. Moderator: Tyson Lambert – T-Mar Industries Ltd. Speakers: Kolin Kirschenmann – Finning (CAT) Gary MacDonald – Tigercat Dan Fuhrer – Ponsse Plc Coffee Service SD02 - The Challenges of Operating on Steep Slopes With increasing reliance on steep slopes and changing timber profiles on those slopes in BC, panel participants will provide context for the challenges ahead. Moderator: Jim Hunt – FPInnovations Speakers: Gerard Messier – BCFSC, Jonathan Lok – Strategic Natural Resource Consultants Inc., Mark Leitao – Island Timberlands KN01 - Keynote Luncheon: Stand in the Gap Intro: Don Banasky – Western Canadian Timber Products & Reynold Hert – BCFSC Speaker: Wiremu Edmonds – Tuakiri Ltd, NZ Wiremu (Lee) and Marsella Edmonds would always say to their children that one day the world was going to know who they were. What they didn’t realize was the world would remember them after their son was killed in a forestry accident. This powerful and personal presentation on forest safety demonstrates to the audience the absolute importance of setting up strategies to reduce workplace injuries and fatalities and shows the consequences of unsafe practices. Join us in welcoming Wiremu Edmonds from New Zealand! Coffee Service SD03 - The Operators’ Steep Slope Experience For those considering the move to steep slope harvesting, these industry veterans will discuss their perspectives about the challenges and opportunity when logging steep slopes. Moderator: Tyson Lambert – T-Mar Industries Ltd. Speakers: Reid Hedlund – Mid-Boundary Contracting, Kushiah McCullough– Starks Timber Processing Inc. (USA) Kelway Cox – Mountain Forestry Ltd. SD04 - Embracing Change in First Nation Relationships PROUDLY CO-HOSTED BY: BC FIRST NATIONS FORESTRY COUNCIL & THE TLA With the shift in First Nations control and involvement in forestry across BC, panel participants will provide insight into relationship building, compliance and cooperatively working with First Nations. Co-Moderators: Don Banasky – Western Canadian Timber Products and Bill Williams – BC First Nations Forestry Council Speakers: Matt Wealick - TLA Aboriginal Affairs Committee Chair, Keith Atkinson - BC First Nations Forestry Council, Douglas White - VIU, Robert Phillips - First Nations Summit EN01 - Welcome Reception What better way to kick-off the convention than meeting up at the Welcome Reception! Put your arcade skills to the test. Perfect your game with virtual golf or playoff with your rivals in a friendly air hockey battle! Kids aren’t the only ones who know how to have fun!
Room
Start Time
End Time
Westin Foyer
7:00am
5:00pm
Upper Foyer
7:15am
8:30am
Salon 1 & 2
8:30am
10:00am
Continental Breakfast SD01 - Steep Slope Harvesting - Global Innovations in Logging Technology SD02 - The Challenges of Operating on Steep Slopes KN01 - Keynote Luncheon: Stand In The Gap SD03 - The Operators’ Steep Slope Experience SD04 - Embracing Change in First Nation Relationships EN01 - Welcome Reception
Upper Foyer
10:00am
10:30am
Salon 1 & 2
10:30am
12:00pm
26 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
KN
Keynote Speaker
IF
Informational Session
EN
Entertainment & Networking
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Hotel reservations: 604.682.3377 When making your reservations, be sure to mention that you are a delegate of the TLA’s 2016 convention.
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12:00pm
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Upper Foyer
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Thursday, January 14, 2016 3:00pm – 6:30pm Friday, January 15, 2016 9:00am – 5:00pm 6:00pm – 10:00pm
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ADAPTING TO STEEP CHANGE - TLA CONVENTION 2016
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GASOLINE GASOLINE
LUBRICANTS LUBRICANTS
ColumbiaFuels.com ColumbiaFuels.com
INDIVIDUAL EVENT PRICES: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016
SD
CONVENTION REGISTRATION
GOLD PASSPORTS ARE SOLD OUT!
Order your event tickets online! www.tla.ca/convention
Registration is available online 24 hours a day! Remember, you are able to go back into your registration to make changes on your own!
SPONSORS
GOLD
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Room
Start Time
End Time
Westin Foyer
7:00am
5:00pm
Grand Ballroom
8:00am
2:30pm
Salon 1
7:30am
8:30am
This is TLA members’ opportunity to vote and make sure your voice is heard! Here is your chance to elect the board for the coming year!
Cypress 1 & 2
8:30am
10:00am
Coffee Service
Upper Foyer
9:30am
10:00am
Salon 2 & 3
10:00am
11:00am
Salon 1, 2 & 3
12:00pm
2:00pm
Grand Ballroom
2:00pm
2:30pm
Salon 2 & 3
2:30pm
4:00pm
Grand Ballroom
3:00pm
6:30pm
Salon 1, 2 & 3
7:00pm
Midnight
Registration Opens Exhibitor Move - In Logger’s Breakfast - Available to all delegates Free for members attending the AGM and Gold Passport holders only Annual General Meeting
SILVER
IF01 - Maintaining BC’s Global Competitiveness As the BC government continues to focus on maintaining BC’s global competitiveness, this panel will look at progress, opportunity and issues to be addressed. Moderator: Peter Jacobsen - Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Speakers: Russ Taylor - International Wood Markets Group Rick Jeffery - Coast Forest Products Association
BRONZE
KN02 - Leader’s Luncheon In the mid-point of her second term as the 35th Premier of British Columbia, Premier Christy Clark addresses the delegates and welcomes the new TLA Board of Directors. We look forward to the Premier’s insights on supporting our province’s prosperous forest economy. Coffee Service With the goal of maintaining a globally competitive forest industry, hurdles remain. Our panelists will help provide solutions. Moderator: Jacqui Beban - Nootka Sound Timber Co. Ltd. Speakers: David Elstone - The Truck Loggers Association Bob Matters - United Steel Workers George Abbott - Circle Square Solutions Trade Show Floor Opens! Come visit the trade show floor and start your networking early!
73rd Annual Truck Loggers Association Convention & Trade Show 2016
IF02 - Climbing the Hurdles to Competitiveness
EN02 - Logger’s Banquet & Ball Dine and dance to Canada’s top party band, March Hare. Whether you want rock and roll, country, disco, or Latin…March Hare is touted as the most versatile band around! Tickets are limited.
*Dress code: Semi-formal*
SD Skill Development
KN Keynote Speaker
IF
Informational Session
EN
Entertainment & Networking
INDIVIDUAL EVENT PRICES: THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2016 THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2016 Logger’s Breakfast - Free for members attending the AGM & Gold Passport holders ONLY IF01 - Maintaining BC’s Global Competitiveness KN02 - Leader’s Luncheon IF02 - Climbing the Hurdles to Competitiveness EN02 - Logger’s Banquet & Ball
PRICE AFTER DEC 11TH $45.00 $90.00 $110.00 $90.00 $100.00
GOLD PASSPORTS ARE SOLD OUT!
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 27
Friday, January 15, 2016 Registration Opens KN03 - Minister of Forests Breakfast Don’t miss this new format; let your voice be heard! Join us for breakfast and an interactive polling discussion with Minister Steve Thomson. Moderator: Tracey Russell – Inland Group Speaker: Minister Steve Thomson – Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations Coffee Break on the Trade Show Floor IF03 - Addressing Contractor Sustainability Progress updates on two key contractor sustainability initiatives undertaken over the past year: technical innovations & coastal contractor sustainability.
Room
Start Time
End Time
Westin Foyer
7:00am
Salon 1 & 2
7:30am
10:00am
Grand Ballroom
10:00am
10:30am
Salon 2 & 3
10:30am
12:00pm
Grand Ballroom
12:00pm
1:30pm
Cypress 1 & 2
11:30am
1:30pm
Salon 1, 2 & 3
1:30pm
3:30pm
Grand Ballroom
3:00pm
5:00pm
Grand Ballroom
6:00pm
10:00pm
Salon 1, 2 & 3
10:00pm
1:00am
Moderator: David Elstone – TLA Executive Director Speakers: Peter Lister – FPInnovations Aaron Sinclair – PNL Consulting Inc. EN03 - Lunch on the Trade Show Floor EN04 - Ladies Luncheon Speaker: Nicole Oliver Maker of voices and character roles in cartoons, TV movies and video games, Nicole shares her abilities and how her versatility has brought her success. *Proceeds of the event go to BC Children’s Hospital* After the luncheon, enjoy an extraordinary shopping experience at the new Nordstrom! Complimentary shuttle provided for event registrants. IF04 - A Path To Mutual Successful Change In light of concerns regarding contractor sustainability and industry competitiveness, panel members will provide insights and perspectives with the aid of interactive audience polling to be used to allow audience participation in the session. Moderator: David Elstone –The Truck Loggers Association Speakers: Brian Baarda – TimberWest Forest Corp. Justin Rigsby – Holbrook Dyson Logging Ltd. Don Banasky – Western Canadian Timber Products Mike Richardson – Tsibass Construction Ltd. Mike Ward – Western Forest Products Inc. Ian Fillinger – Interfor Corporation Coffee Break on the Trade Show Floor EN05 - Suppliers’ Night & Dinner Always the most popular event of the convention; the TLA welcomes you to the tradition of delivering business, networking and fun! Come for dinner and refreshments and show your generosity at the Donor Auctions! Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers want to see your hand in the air supporting forestry education! EN06 - It’s a Wrap! After Party Come and experience one of Vancouver’s best female DJ’s: DJ Emilita, and other entertaining surprises! Don’t miss out on keeping the traditions alive with French fries at midnight!
Cancellation policy: For cancellations prior to or on January 8, 2016 a 10% administration fee applies. Cancellations received after January 8, 2016 are non-refundable. Please allow 30 days for refunds. If you wish to transfer your registration to another individual please give us at least 24 hours advance notice. SD Skill Development
KN Keynote Speaker
IF
Informational Session
EN
Entertainment & Networking
INDIVIDUAL EVENT PRICES: FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016 FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016 KN03 - Minister of Forests Breakfast IF03 - Addressing Contractor Sustainability EN03 - Lunch on the Trade Show Floor EN04 - Ladies Luncheon - Nicole Oliver IF04 - A Path to Mutual Successful Change EN05 - Suppliers’ Night & Dinner EN06 - It’s a Wrap! After Party
ADAPTING TO STEEP CHANGE - TLA CONVENTION 2016 28 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
PRICE AFTER DEC 11TH $110.00 $90.00 $45.00 $100.00 $90.00 $110.00 $30.00
GOLD PASSPORTS ARE SOLD OUT!
AUCTIONS
You are invited to join the fun at the TLA fundraising auctions at this year’s convention. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers will once again entertain you while conducting the live auction at Suppliers’ Night! Proceeds from the TLA auctions go to our TLA Forestry Education Fund, generously founded and supported by TLA members and donors, which provides scholarships to students in post-secondary forestry programs at Vancouver lsland University, North Island College, University of British Columbia and British Columbia Institute of Technology. These funds also support a number of valuable forest education and awareness-raising projects and programs.
LIVE AUCTION ITEMS
LOT 16 Two tickets to Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks on Sunday, February 28, 2016 including parking pass, a two night stay in a deluxe harbour LOT 1 view room for two at the Westin Bayshore including Three hand-built wooden forestry equipment breakfast for two plus a $200 gift card for Cardero’s models - off highway logging truck, Hitachi 370 restaurant log loader and 810 Tigercat feller buncher Donated by DLA Piper (Canada) LLP, The Westin Bayshore
Donated by Sladey Timber Ltd. & Forestech Equipment Ltd. and Blue Thunder Contracting Ltd.
LOT 2 Trek Marlin hardtail mountain bike
Donated by Southstar Equipment Ltd.
LOT 3 Give back and celebrate your team with a professional group portrait! Includes 20 - 11x14 prints
Donated by Hans Peter Meyer
LOT 4 $1,000 gift certificate for a set of four Yokohama tires (excludes motorsport tires)
Donated by Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc.
LOT 5 Four Toyo M-55 commercial pick-up tires
Donated by Associated Tire and Auto & Toyo Tires
LOT 17 Two tickets to Vancouver Canucks vs. Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, including parking pass, a two night stay in a deluxe harbour view room for two at the Westin Bayshore including breakfast for two plus a $200 gift card for Cardero’s restaurant Donated by DLA Piper (Canada) LLP, The Westin Bayshore and Blue Thunder Contracting Ltd.
LOT 18 Two tickets to Vancouver Canucks vs. Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, February 4, 2016, two nights accommodation in a deluxe harbour king room at the Pan Pacific Feb. 4th & 5th, with two tickets to FlyOver Canada at Canada Place and a ‘Relax, Recharge and Reconnect’ spa package plus $175 gift card for Five Sails restaurant
Donated by North Arm Transportation Ltd., Blue Water Group, LOT 6 Four Nitto HD grapplers size LT265/70R17 10 ply Dyer Logging Co. Ltd. and Blue Thunder Contracting Ltd. installed and balanced LOT 19 Donated by Kal Tire Round trip for two anywhere in the Pacific Coastal LOT 7 Airlines network (excluding seaplanes), two tickets One #487 Opsal Haulback Block and one #925 to a Vancouver Canucks home game and a one night Tommy Moore Block stay for two people in a luxury king guestroom at Donated by Opsal Steel Ltd. the Metropolitan Hotel plus $175 gift card for Diva at the Met Donated by Pacific Coastal Airlines, Coast Island Marine LOT 8 Ltd., Metropolitan Hotel and Blue Thunder Contracting Ltd. 1,200 ft of 7/8 Western Swaged Donated by Western Equipment Ltd.
LOT 9 Five - 3/8ths 250 ft Strawline extensions
Donated by Northern Ropes and Industrial Supply Ltd.
LOT 10 $5,000 Leemar gift certificate towards parts or in-house service (no cash value) Donated by Leemar Excavator Components Inc.
LOT 11 $6,000 T-Mar gift certificate towards product, parts or service (no cash value)
Donated by T-Mar Industries Ltd.
LOT 12 Street legal electric motorcycle with a maximum speed of 30 km/h
Donated by Lordco
LOT 13 Danby Rustic Dual Zone 38 bottle wine fridge filled with assorted quality wines
Donated by Seaspray Log Scaling Ltd. & The TLA Board of Directors
LOT 20 TLA BBQ with the Minister
Donated by The Truck Loggers Association
SILENT AUCTION ITEMS AFD PETROLEUM LTD. Go-Pro camera BAILEY WESTERN STAR LTD. & FREIGHTLINER TRUCKS Wine rack with an assortment of wines
CARIHI SECONDARY SCHOOL Carihi Forestry suspenders, t-shirt and hoodie CARMANA PLAZA, VANCOUVER One complimentary night in an executive one bedroom suite
HOLT RENFREW Rebecca Minkoff handbag
COAST KAMLOOPS HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTRE One night stay in a comfort room
JLT CANADA INC. To be announced
CROWN ISLE RESORT AND GOLF COMMUNITY, COURTENAY One night stay in a one bedroom jacuzzi suite and one round of golf for two with a shared power cart DARCY’S PUB, VICTORIA One $25 gift card and ball cap INLAND GROUP Case MC317RX PSI gas pressure washer
KAJOHL MANAGEMENT LTD. One bottle of J Lohr Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon and one bottle of Plume Napa Valley Chardonnay KARAMELLER CANDY SHOP INC. Large jar of Swedish candy PI FINANCIAL CORP. Global Gourmet gift basket from Urban Fare: basket of goodies from around the globe
MACANDALE’S 18”x24” framed photograph of ‘Killer Whales in the Mist’
PROBYN LOG LTD. Native bracelet
NATIONAL ENERGY EQUIPMENT INC. Fill-Rite Transfer Pump 12V FR4200G Series
REXALL Gift Basket
NORTH ISLAND COMMUNICATIONS Kenwood TK 7360 128ch 50watt 2-way radio including programming and setup
ROYQUIP Pandora bracelet
PORT METRO VANCOUVER His & hers winter sport pack QUADCO EQUIPMENT INC. 20 Quadco cutting teeth for a high-speed saw head
T-MAR INDUSTRIES LTD. Native bracelet and necklace VIDA SPA, VANCOUVER 60 min Ayurvedic Massage with a tridosha body cream and tridosha aromatheraphy candle
ROYQUIP Pottery handcrafted by Mussels & More in Campbell River
VIH HELICOPTERS LTD. Two ladies golf shirts and two ladies weather tec jackets
STAR CONTRACTING LTD. $500 gift card for the Wickannish Inn, Tofino
W & E SERVICES LTD. One $100 Indigo/Chapters gift card and one $100 The Keg gift card
STRATHCONA HOTEL, VICTORIA One night accommodation and a $50 Sticky Wicket gift certificate TIMBERWEST FOREST CORP. TimberWest winter jacket and ball cap
BLUE WATER GROUP Tony Stewart NASCAR - Mobil One racing jacket
WAJAX EQUIPMENT Camo hunter’s travel kit (overnight bag, shaving kit, wallet) and Wajax tumbler glass set WALKER’S SAW SHOP LTD. Husqvarna 543 xp 16” bar and chain
LOT 14 W.D. MOORE LOGGING CO. LTD. One 1-hour Bell 206 ‘Jet Ranger’ helicopter tour CANADA CULVERT One night stay at the Guest House at the for a maximum of three people “Canada Culvert Prize Pack”: an OGIO carry-on Donated by E & B Helicopters bag with a golf shirt, t-shirt and box of golf balls Burrowing Owl Winery Estate; getaway with a three-course dinner in the Sonora Room Restaurant and a Wine Country breakfast CANADIAN TIRE LOT 15 12-volt impact wrench Guided Fishing Trip - Package for four people. Includes: Two rooms at the Best Western Mission City WOODLAND EQUIPMENT INC. Lodge, breakfasts, six hours of guided sturgeon and/ CANNON BAR WORKS LTD. Rustic wooden patio cooler Cannon chainsaw guide bar, .063 gauge, or salmon fishing on the Fraser River, with lunches 32” 3/8” pitch with bar adapt. Fits most Stihl and on the boat Husqvarna models Donated by Western Canadian Timber Products
JOHNSTONE’S BENEFITS Ladies gift basket
JAYMACK CONSULTING LTD. Fun gift basket
VANCOUVER ISLAND AIR LTD. Two hour (approx.) flightseeing trip for two
BRUTUS TRUCK BODIES BY NOR-MAR INDUSTRIES LTD. Heritage ‘The Rock’ biclad 10-piece cookware set
BON MACARON, VANCOUVER & VICTORIA $25 Bon Macaron gift certificate
COAST COAL HARBOUR HOTEL, VANCOUVER One night stay for two in a comfort room
BC FOREST SAFETY COUNCIL Hi-Vis safety jacket
BOB MARQUIS CONTRACTING LTD. Two engraved Bowie hunting knives
LADIES LUNCHEON PRIZES
WESTIN BAYSHORE, VANCOUVER Two night stay including daily breakfast for two
CONTRIBUTORS LIST ADVERTISING IN PRINT AGGRESSIVE TIMBER FALLING BIG & LITTLE SOAP CO. BENWEST LOGGING LTD. CARMANA PLAZA HOLT RENFREW MIKE HAMILTON LOGGING LTD. ORICA CANADA INC. STRATEGIC NATURAL RESOURCE CONSULTANTS INC. THE GOAT LAKE GROUP TSIBASS CONSTRUCTION LTD. WESTERRA EQUIPMENT WESTLAND INSURANCE GROUP LTD. WOODLAND EQUIPMENT INC.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR 2016 CONVENTION CONTRIBUTORS
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 29
73rd Annual Truck Loggers Association Convention & Trade Show 2016
2016 LIVE & SILENT
TLA Forestry Education Fund: What Your Money Achieves The TLA Forestr y Education Fund only exists because each year TLA members and suppor ters graciously donate items to the live and silent auc tions and then bring their cheque books with them to the TLA Convention for auc tion night. In the hurly-burly of the auc tion, it ’s easy to forget what we’re suppor ting. So here’s a reminder! All the projec ts highlighted below were suppor ted by the TLA Forestr y Education Fund in 2015. Thank you for your continued suppor t of our investment in the future of forestr y!
Above: Founded in 1967 by Bill Moore, the Festival of Forestry takes 15-20 teachers to a BC forestry community each year and shows them on-the-ground forestry. The tours provide teachers an interactive learning experience and gives them ways to integrate what they learn about forestry into their teaching. Annual spend: $5,000 Left: Blue Lake Forest Education Society in Cranbrook has strong ties with local schools and is a valuable resource for teachers in achieving science and forest curriculum requirements. This summer, kids in their camp programs used increment bores, compasses and measurement reels funded by the TLA: Total spend: $2,750 Right: Port Hardy has just launched it own high school forestry educaton program—the third on the Island! It took a lot of hard work from teachers, the community and local companies to get it off the ground. And then the TLA stepped in and funded the safety gear. Total spend: $6,300
30 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
Above: Scholarships are given annually to students planning to join the forest industry. Last year, 19 were awarded to students at UBC, VIU and BCIT. Approx annual spend: $30,000
Above: Since 2013, the BC National Forest Week Coalition has been leading National Forest Week activities in BC by buying and distributing promotional items, such as the activity book above, and buying advertising province-wide. Annual Spend: $5,000
Above: Last year we awarded five TLA Trades Scholarships. These scholarships are for people training in the trades who work for a TLA member company and plan to spend their career in BC’s coastal forest industry. Annual Spend: $5,000
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 31
2016 EXHIBITOR LISTING ARMTEC LTD.
CANADA CULVERT
1848 Schoolhouse Road Nanaimo, BC V9X 1T4 (250) 754 - 1238 www.armtec.com
5741 Production Way Langley, BC V3A 4N5 (604) 530 - 1151 www.canadaculvert.com
AUSTIN POWDER LTD.
CANNON BAR WORKS LTD.
4919 North Island Hwy Courtenay, BC V9N 5Z2 (250) 334 - 2624 www.austinpowder.com
200 - 5487 267 Street Langley, BC V4W 3S8 (604) 856 - 6682 www.cannonbar.com
BAILEY WESTERN STAR LTD. & FREIGHTLINER TRUCKS
1200 - 1050 West Pender Street Vancouver, BC V6E 3T4 (604) 668 - 5300 www.chevron.ca
1440 Redwood Street Campbell River, BC V9W 5L2 (250) 286 - 1151 www.baileywesternstar.com
BC FOREST SAFETY COUNCIL 420 Albert Street Nanaimo, BC V9R 2V7 (250) 741 - 1060 www.bcforestsafe.org
BC TIMBER SALES 46360 Airport Road Chilliwack, BC V2P 1A5 (604) 702 - 5700 www.for.gov.bc.ca/bcts
BRANDT TRACTOR LTD. 1830 Schoolhouse Road Nanaimo, BC V9X 1T4 (250) 754 - 7735 www.brandt.ca
BRUTUS TRUCK BODIES BY NOR-MAR INDUSTRIES LTD. 682 Okanagan Avenue E. Penticton, BC V2A 3K7 (250) 492 - 7866 www.brutusbodies.com
BLUE WATER GROUP LTD. 3162 Thunderbird Crescent Burnaby, BC V5A 3G4 (604) 420 - 4331 www.bluewatergroup.ca
CHEVRON CANADA LTD.
COASTAL MOUNTAIN FUELS (PETRO-CANADA)
1720 Maple Street Campbell River, BC V9W 3G2 (250) 287 - 4214 www.cmfuels.ca
COKELY WIRE ROPE LTD.
4536 Glenwood Drive Port Alberni, BC V9Y 4P8 (250) 724 - 3356 www.wribc.com
CONSULTING FORESTERS OF BC
4679 Dunbar Street Vancouver, BC V6S 2G8 (604) 228 - 0025 www.cfbc.bc.ca
DLA PIPER (CANADA) LLP
Suite 2800 Park Place, 666 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 2Z7 (604) 643 - 2977 www.dlapiper.com
FINNING (CANADA)
INLAND GROUP
2482 Douglas Road Burnaby, BC V5C 6C9 (604) 291 - 6021 www.inland-group.com
IRIS THE VISUAL GROUP
315 - 9440 202nd Street Langley, BC V1M 4A6 (604) 881 - 0353 www.iris.ca
JLT CANADA
350 - 4396 West Saanich Road Victoria, BC V8Z 3E9 (250) 388 - 4416 www.jltcanada.com
JOHNSTONE’S BENEFITS
3095 Woodbine Drive North Vancouver, BC V7R 2S3 (604) 980 - 6227 www.jbenefits.com
KAL TIRE
1475 Maple Street Campbell River, BC V9W 5M4 (250) 287 - 8489 www.kaltire.com
LEEMAR EXCAVATOR COMPONENTS INC.
1390 Springhill Road Parksville, BC V9P 2T2 (250) 248 - 2611 www.leemar.ca
LE TOURNEAU TECHNOLOGIES CANADA LTD.
19100 - 94th Avenue Surrey, BC V4N 5C3 1-888-FINNING www.finning.ca
101 - 1558 South Quinn Street Prince George, BC V2N 1X3 (250) 960 - 8350 www.joyglobal.com
FOUNTAIN TIRE
LOGGING & SAWMILLING JOURNAL
301 - 1006 103A Street SW Edmonton, AB T6W 2P6 (780) 464 - 3700 www.fountaintire.com
ADAPTING TO STEEP CHANGE - TLA CONVENTION 2016
32 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
GREAT WEST EQUIPMENT
2115 South Wellington Road Nanaimo, BC V9X 1R5 (250) 716 - 8804 www.gwequipment.com
PO Box 86670 North Vancouver, BC V7L 4L2 (604) 990 - 9970 www.forestnet.com
2016 EXHIBITOR LISTING
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
PO Box 9990 Stn. Victoria, BC V8T 4K6 (250) 387 - 1116 www.fin.gov.bc.ca
MNP LLP
96 Wallace Street Nanaimo, BC V9R 0E2 (250) 753 - 8251 www.mnp.ca
MURRAY LATTA PROGRESSIVE MACHINE INC. 8717 - 132 Street Surrey, BC V3W 4P1 (604) 599 - 9598 www.mlpmachine.com
NATIONAL ENERGY EQUIPMENT INC. 1940 Schoolhouse Road Nanaimo, BC V9X 1T4 (250) 753 - 4188 www.nee.ca
NORTH ARM TRANSPORTATION 2582 Kent Avenue South East Vancouver, BC V5S 2H8 (604) 321- 9171 www.northarm.bc.ca
PACIFIC BLUE CROSS PO Box 7000 Vancouver, BC V6B 4E1 (604) 419 - 2000 www.pac.bluecross.ca
PACIFIC COASTAL AIRLINES Vancouver International Airport South Terminal - 4440 Cowley Crescent Unit 204 Richmond, BC V7B 1B8 1-800 - 663 - 2872 www.pacificcoastal.com
PIERCE PACIFIC MANUFACTURING PO Box 30509 Portland, OR 97294 (503) 808 - 9110 www.piercepacific.com
QUADCO EQUIPMENT INC.
30 Boulevard Industriel St. Eustache, QC J7R 5C1 (360) 425 - 6800 www.quadco.com
RITCHIE BROS. AUCTIONEERS
9500 Glenlyon Parkway Burnaby, BC V5J 0C6 (778) 331 - 5500 www.rbauction.com
SAFER
300 - 3920 Norland Avenue Burnaby, BC V5G 4K7 (604) 683 - 1117 www.safer.ca
SHELTER MODULAR INC.
3294 262 Street Aldergrove, BC V4W 2X2 (604) 856 - 1311
www.sheltermodular.com
SOUTHSTAR EQUIPMENT LTD.
728 Tagish Street Kamloops, BC V2H 1B7 (250) 828 - 7820
www.southstarequipment.com
STEVE MARSHALL FORD LTD.
1384 - 16 Avenue Campbell River, BC V9W 2E1 (250) 287 - 9171 www.stevemarshallford.com
SURESPAN CONSTRUCTION LTD.
301 - 38 Fell Avenue North Vancouver, BC V7P 3S2 (604) 998 - 1133 www.surespan.com
TRAXXON ROCK DRILLS LTD.
2780 Norland Avenue Burnaby, BC V5B 3A6 (604) 437 - 7625 www.traxxon.com
WAJAX EQUIPMENT
2093B South Wellington Road Nanaimo, BC V9X 1R5 (250) 755 - 2005 www.wajaxequipment.ca
WARATAH FORESTRY CANADA
930 Laval Crescent Kamloops, BC V2C 5P5 (250) 377 - 4333 na.waratah.net
WEST COAST TUG & BARGE LTD.
PO Box 40 - Stn. A 1324 Marwalk Crescent Campbell River, BC V9W 4Z9 (250) 286 - 1234 www.westcoasttug.ca
WESTERN EQUIPMENT LTD.
114 - 5219 192 Street Surrey, BC V3S 4P6 (604) 574 - 3311 www.westernequipmentltd.com
WESTERN OIL SERVICES LTD.
19840 57A Avenue Langley, BC V3A 6G6 (250) 382 - 5541 www.westernoilservices.com
WOODGROVE CHRYSLER
6800 Island Hwy North Nanaimo, BC V9V 1A3 (250) 390 - 3030 www.woodgrovechrysler.com
WORKSAFEBC
6951 Westminister Hwy Richmond, BC V7C 1C6 (604) 231- 8888 www.worksafebc.com
T-MAR INDUSTRIES LTD.
5791 Duncan Bay Road Campbell River, BC V9H 1N6 (250) 286 - 9500 www.tmarequipment.com
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 33
73rd Annual Truck Loggers Association Convention & Trade Show 2016
LOG MAX FORESTRY SERVICE INC.
954D Laval Crescent Kamloops, BC V2C 5P5 (250) 372 - 9986 www.logmax.com
603
600, 601 & 602
Logging & Sawmilling
Brutus Truck Bodies by Nor-Mar Industries Ltd.
604 Kal Tire
605
606
607
608
SILENT
Fountain DLA Piper WorkSafeBC (Canada) LLP Tire
SAFER
AUCTION
112
TABLES
MoF & Surespan Construction
513
110
Canada Culvert
111
Woodgrove Chrysler
109
106 & 108
Bailey Western Star &
Freightliner
Trucks
206 & 208
BCFSC
Murray Latta 107 Progressive BC Timber Machine Sales Inc.
105
Le Tourneau Technologies Canada Ltd.
204
Consulting Foresters of BC
202
103
Cannon Bar North Arm Transportation Works Ltd. Ltd.
100 & 102
101
Brandt Tractor Ltd.
211
Western Equipment Ltd.
209
308
Traxxon National Rock Drills Energy Equipment Ltd.
207
306
Blue Water Ritchie Bros. Group Ltd. Auctioneers
203 & 205
302 & 304
Cokely Wire Waratah Rope Ltd. Forestry
Canada
201
Inland Group
311
Great West Equipment Ltd.
408
307 & 309
Chevron Canada Ltd.
406 MNP LLP Pac Blue
303 & 305
Austin Powder Ltd.
411
Quadco Equipment Inc.
409
JLT Canada
402 & 404
WestCoast Tug & Barge Ltd.
301
IRIS
405
403
502 & 504 Wajax
Petro-Canada/ Equipment
503 & 505
Southstar Equipment
Coastal Mtn Fuels
401
T-Mar Industries Ltd.
Pierce Pacific Mfg.
501
Armtec Ltd.
STAGE & SCREEN
1, 2, 3, 4
Steve Marshall Ford Ltd.
TRADE SHOW VIEWING HOURS Thursday, January 14th: 3:00pm - 6:30pm
Friday, January 15th:
34 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
506
Pacific Coastal Airlines
Finning (Canada)
508
Western Oil Services Ltd.
407
Cross / Johnstone’s
Log Max Forestry Service Inc.
511
Leemar
9:00am - 5:00pm & 6:00pm - 10:00pm
ENTRANCE
73rd Annual Truck Loggers Association Convention & Trade Show 2016
Shelter Modular Ltd.
Interior Logging Association 58th Annual Conference & Trade Show combined with The 2nd Annual Interior Safety Conference “Be the Change for Forestry Safety”
May 5th, 6th & 7th, 2016 Vernon, BC HOST HOTEL:
Vernon Atrium Hotel & Conference Centre 3914 - 32nd Street Vernon, BC, V1T 1P1 Tel: 250-545-3385 E-mail: atrium@rpbhotels.com
EVENTS:
May 6th & 7th: Inside & Outside Displays Kal Tire Place
May 5th: Thursday Evening, Meet & Greet May 6th: Friday Luncheon, Dinner & Dance May 7th: Interior Safety Conference Vernon Atrium Hotel & Conference Centre
For registration and further information, contact the ILA office. Tel: 1-250-503-2199 E-mail: info@interiorlogging.org For the Interior Safety Conference, contact Gerard Messier Tel: 1-877-741-1060 E-mail: messier@bcforestsafe.org
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 35
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STRYKER ELECTRONICS 6710 HARDY BAY ROAD PORT HARDY, BC 250.949.8022
NORTH ISLAND COMMUNICATIONS 1690 ISLAND HWY CAMPBELL RIVER, BC 250.287.9207
COAST MOUNTAIN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS 3650 RIVER DRIVE TERRACE, BC 250.638.0577
36 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
ISLAND COMMUNICATIONS 2540 BOWEN RD NANAIMO, BC 250.758.7301
CP/HP COMMUNICATIONS 1018 GREAT STREET PRINCE GEORGE, BC 250.562.5877
METRO MOBILE RADIO 101 - 19005 94TH AVE SURREY, BC 604.888.5100
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IN-DEPTH, HARD-HITTING AND LOTS OF FUN: JOIN US FOR THE TLA CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW IN VANCOUVER!
A
t the TLA Convention & Trade Show this year we’re asking some tough questions. But that’s what steep change brings—tough questions and complex answers. But we know the BC forest industry has to adapt to some steep change soon or risk no longer being competitive in a global marketplace. The first three skill development sessions on Wednesday take us through the literal steep change—the move afoot to harvest on steeper slopes and the technical innovation this change is inciting. We talk to on-the-ground innovators who are designing machinery first thing in the morning and then to the people who do the planning for a steep slope harvest and are responsible for the safety of the job. After lunch, we hear from operators who actually do mechanical harvesting on steep slopes. The Keynote Luncheon on Wednesday is a topic close to the heart of Don Banasky, TLA President. Don saw Wiremu Edmonds give his powerful presentation when he travelled to New Zealand last year to promote BC’s forest safety. He was so moved, he asked Wiremu to come and give his presentation at the TLA Convention & Trade Show. Our fourth and final session on Wednesday is co-hosted with the BC First Nation Forestry Council. The first of its kind at our convention, this cohosted event “Embracing Change in First Nations Relationships” combines a skill development session with a networking event. We have an excellent speaker line-up too! Be sure to attend this event before the Welcome Reception on Wednesday evening. On Thursday our focus is building our competitiveness in BC. In the morning, industry and government leaders look at progress, opportunity and issues to be addressed. Industry and government leaders have been working together on a Forest Sector Competitiveness Strategy and this will be our chance to hear what changes it will bring as it is implemented. In the
TLA Editorial
afternoon, we look to other solutions as our speakers identify particular hurdles and how we can best overcome them. This day will be heavy-hitting and full of good information for anyone working in BC’s forest industry.
and our most popular event—Suppliers’ Night—on Friday night! Is there a woman in your life—wife, daughter, mother—who will be joining you in Vancouver for the convention? Buy her a ticket to the Ladies Luncheon. This
Aaron Sinclair of PNL Consulting will explain the work he has been doing with coastal contractors to define their costs. We zero in on Friday and focus on contractor sustainability. As we all know, this isn’t a contactor issue, it’s an industry issue. First thing, we take an in-depth look at two contractor sustainability issues undertaken over the last year. Peter Lister of FPInnovations will discuss the Innovation Initiative— a day-long meeting between TLA and CFPA representatives that was facilitated by FPInnovations and the top 10 items that came out of the meeting. Then Aaron Sinclair of PNL Consulting will explain the work he has been doing with coastal contractors to define their costs. In the afternoon, a panel of licensee staff and contractors will provide insight and perspectives with the aid of interactive audience polling. These panel sessions are always popular and provide some real insight into the issues at hand. As always, we welcome our two honoured guests—Premier Christy Clark and Minister Steve Thomson. Their respective luncheon and breakfast are two of our brightest highlights over the three days. Minister Thomson always gives us insight into how he sees the industry unfolding. Premier Christy Clark shares her inspiring leadership and faith in our industry. We look forward to hearing them both speak again this year. And even with all this business, we manage to jam in lots of fun and networking too. From the Welcome Reception on Wednesday night to the It’s a Wrap! After Party on Friday night, it’s all go! Be sure to attend the Loggers’ Banquet & Ball on Thursday night
year, Nicole Oliver, maker of voices and characters roles in cartoons, TV movies and video games, shares her abilities and how her versatility has brought her success. There is something for everyone at the TLA’s 73rd Convention & Trade Show! Come join us in Vancouver, January 13-15, 2016!
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38 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
INDUSTRY UPDATE: ALCOHOL AND DRUG POLICY IMPLEMENTATION IN FORESTRY By Barb Butler
Photo: iStock
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any Canadian organizations in a wide variety of industry sectors are concerned about alcohol and drug use patterns and the need to take appropriate steps to deal with employees who may be impaired on the job. They are implementing comprehensive policies and are supplementing their approach with alcohol and drug testing under certain circumstances. Properly addressing alcohol and drug issues is certainly a concern for the forestry industry. Although the use and abuse of alcohol remains an issue in workplaces across the country, the increasing availability and use of illicit drugs—including synthetics—and the abuse of opiate based products (oxycodone, fentanyl and heroin) have become a challenge for all industries. And although there has been ready access to marijuana through medical authorization since April 2014 and potential legalization is on the horizon, this does not mean use is acceptable in conjunction with safety-sensitive work. Employers can face liabilities associated with the actions of impaired employees at work, have due diligence responsibility around workplace safety, must take action in response to possession or trafficking of illicit drugs, and have the duty to accommodate those with a chemical dependency in accordance with human rights provisions. Whether any of these products are legal or illegal, they can still impact fitness for work. Therefore employers should be taking all responsible steps to set clear policies for all employees that reinforce the requirement to report fit
and remain fit through their workday or shift. This means being free of any negative effects associated with alcohol or other drug use. These requirements are normally also set out for those they contract with through a separate document setting out direction to all contractors. Court and arbitration rulings have confirmed employers do not need “proof ” of a problem before taking proactive steps in this area to ensure workplace and public safety by issuing comprehensive policies and including testing under certain circumstances. Therefore, the question many employers ask is whether they can in fact introduce alcohol and drug testing in their workplace. What has become clear in the various rulings is Canadian companies cannot simply implement a testing program or policy. Testing may play a role as an investigation tool or deterrence tool, but must be part of a broader approach that includes the following:
formance management and appropriate steps to take to investigate a possible policy violation. 4. A variety of tools that can be used to investigate if someone may be in violation of the policy. (e.g. investigation and escort procedures if someone is unfit for work, accident investigation, impaired driving situations, searches, alcohol and drug testing). The policy itself should be written down and clearly communicated to employees. It should outline the applicable rules around alcohol and drug use and possession, responsible medication use and expectations associated with on call and unexpected call in situations. It should also include any higher standards for risk- or safety-sensitive positions. As well, the consequences for a violation should be set out, including any conditions for continued employment. With respect to alcohol and drug testing, decisions are needed on which circumstances testing will be introduced, and the technology that will be used. Testing has been introduced in safety-sensitive industries in the following situations: • as part of an investigation in an
Canadian companies cannot simply implement a testing program or policy. 1. Awareness and education programs, both at policy introduction and ongoing. 2. Access to assistance, through an internal or contracted employee assistance program or, as appropriate, community resources, as well as assessment services through qualified substance abuse professionals/ experts. 3. Training for supervisors on their role under the policy, including per-
unfit for duty (reasonable cause) situation where there is evidence alcohol or drug use may be a contributing factor; • as part of a full investigation into an accident/incident situation, without reasonable cause, provided testing is only for those whose acts or omissions contributed to the situation; • as part of a monitoring program after treatment to support continued
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 39
recovery, normally on the advice of a substance abuse professional or treatment program; • as a condition of return to duty after a policy violation and on an on-going follow-up basis (unannounced); and • as a condition of qualification to a higher risk position for new hires and existing employees applying for to the position when they currently hold a non-sensitive position with the company. On high risk job sites, contractors are increasingly being required to ensure their representatives pass a site access test prior to performing safety-sensitive work on the site. This has been found acceptable in most provinces except Ontario. Rulings in Canada have limited random testing to safetysensitive positions, however in a union workplace the Supreme Court has ruled there needs to be established proof of a problem before it can be introduced (Irving Pulp and Paper). A number of cases before the courts and arbitrators are examining what that threshold should be. The testing procedures that have been implemented in Canada, for the most part, mirror those developed in the US governing Canadian cross-border truck and bus drivers. Canadian laboratories have been accredited directly by the US Department of Health and Human Services to provide accurate sample analysis services. Historically, the standard practice has been • to collect a urine sample for analysis in a certified laboratory with the core testing panel of marijuana, opiates, amphetamines (including methamphetamine and ecstasy), phencyclidine (PCP), and cocaine, although protocols can be set up to expand this core slate, particularly in a post treatment situation; and • to use a calibrated breath analyzer for alcohol testing, although in remote situations, alternative technology may be required where a breath machine is not readily available. This is supported by: • a comprehensive network of trained
40 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
collection facilities established across Canada to meet ‘cross border’ motor carrier needs; collection capability has expanded further as there is more demand throughout the country; • a Canadian lab in London, Ontario which is certified to provide fully accurate testing services for Canadian companies; the company has also introduced an approved screening lab in Edmonton in order to expedite the screening process; and • a number of Canadian physicians who have had the appropriate training to be certified as medical review officers (MRO)—an essential part of any workplace testing program as the MRO contacts the employee to determine if there are legitimate medical reasons to overturn the lab result. As such, an infrastructure has been established, and companies exploring the option of including testing under their policy can be assured of reliable and accurate results—provided they used qualified and experienced service providers. Normally this is managed by a third party administrator (TPA) which provides all of the necessary services under one package. This is a case of buyer beware, though. Unfortunately, product manufacturers with quick and cheap solutions, unqualified collectors, doctors claiming to be qualified medical review officers (MROs) who are not, and non-certified labs have shown up and started promoting their services. In the absence of any government standards, employers have been at the mercy of product promoters; without asking the right questions, some companies have ended up with highly ineffective programs, or programs that would not be defensible if challenged. Other technologies have also been introduced: • “On site” or “point of collection” urine drug testing screens are increasingly being used for reasonable cause and post incident testing, particularly where there are concerns about turnaround times because of distance from the lab. The process is the same as would be followed for standard lab
urinalysis, except the first stage immunoassay screen is performed at the collection site. • Oral fluid (saliva) samples are being increasingly used to test for drug presence, primarily in random testing situations and this technology is being looked at as an alternative to use in other testing circumstances (reasonable cause/post incident); the technology tightens the window of detection from what is found with a urine sample, particularly for marijuana presence. However, there are no accurate on-site/ point-of-collection oral fluid drug tests available at this time. • At all stages in the process steps are in place to check for adulteration or substitution of the sample so policies should be clear on the consequences if this is confirmed. A number of the larger forestry companies in British Columbia have introduced comprehensive policies for their employees that include testing in the circumstances noted in this article except random testing. They are also setting out specific requirements to their contractors when working on their sites or on their behalf which includes testing under specific circumstances as well. This approach is certainly in place in many other industries including transportation, oil and gas, manufacturing, mining and utilities. The BC Forest Safety Council is taking steps to support the industry in moving forward with policies. This includes providing a resource package on their website, as well as information on policy development through a webinar last December and ongoing as needed by the industry. Further information can be found on their website. www.bcforestsafe.org Barbara Butler, BES, MBA is the president of Barbara Butler & Associates Inc. Management Consultants and specializes in workplace alcohol and drug policy and programs. She can be reached at barb@butlerconsultants.com.
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FIRST NATIONS ELDERS AND FORESTRY: A HAPPILY REMEMBERED HISTORY By Ian MacNeill
Oh, the cedar tree! If mankind in his infancy had prayed for the perfect substance for all material and aesthetic needs, an indulgent god could have provided nothing better. - From “Out of the Silence”, by Bill Reid (1971) The First Nations of coastal British Columbia have been engaged in forestry for thousands of years. Long before the arrival of the first Europeans with their iron saws and axes, aboriginal craftsmen were using stone, bone and even shell tools to peel planks off living trees in order to construct longhouses and falling giant cedars to make dugout canoes. Wood use among First Nations was ubiquitous. Craftspeople used it to make a host of everyday items including ladles and bowls, boxes and tools, while artists fashioned fantastical masks and expressive sculptures as well as mortuary and totem poles emblazoned with ancient family symbols. Western red cedar, the tree of life, was prized and through its contribution to the survival of the people earned a place of utmost respect. In addition to its wood products, the cedar tree’s bark was woven into clothing, hats, baskets and blankets. Because First Nations artisans were often able to harvest what they needed from living trees there are some still standing bearing marks of cultural modification including cuts, scrapes and scars. Unfortunately, many of these living artifacts were harvested prior to an understanding of their cultural and historical significance, but they are now seen as part of Canada’s architectural and historical heritage and are protected by law. Although many of the old ways have vanished, the forest is still an important part of the First Nations economy, and according to elders interviewed here, BC’s forests could and should play an even more important role in the future, providing jobs, pride and self-reliance. In this issue we present the first of a two-part series on First Nations
involvement with forestry in British Columbia. In this instalment, we hear about the recent past from five elders. In the second instalment, scheduled to appear in the spring issue of Truck LoggerBC, we will look at First Nations involvement today.
Chief Frank Malloway, 80, Yakweakwioose First Nation, Chilliwack
Chief Frank Malloway’s early career as a logger occurred suddenly but unsurprisingly. Both his father Richard and his uncle Vince were loggers, as was his brother Mervyn, so when a friend showed up at school one day in the sixties and announced that logging operations had opened in the Chilliwack Valley he didn’t think twice about signing up; it was what everybody did! “It was the main occupation back then,” recalls the presiding chief of the Yakweakwioose First Nation in the Upper Fraser Valley. “And it was easy to get a job. There were all these gyppo operations near Harrison Lake, so many you could quit a job on Friday and be back working for someone else on Monday.” He even worked across the border in the United States, a fringe benefit of his having a status card connecting him to the larger community of Coast Salish people in Washington State.
Even though he gave it up after 11 years to pursue other interests Chief Malloway thinks it would be good for more young people from First Nations go into the woods to work, partly because of the inherent respect their people have traditionally had for the forest. “We always prayed to the cedar for the way it served our people, we use the boughs to cleanse ourselves and make a red paint from the rotting powder in the tree to protect us from bad things,” he says. “Anything the creator gave us was sacred, like the salmon.”
Larry Baird, 69, Ucluelet First Nation, Port Alberni
When Larry Baird and his cousin showed up at the office of MacMillan Bloedel’s Sproat Lake Division in the late 1960s the manager took one look at the two teenagers with their long hair and “hippie” appearance and made them an offer, cut your hair and you can have a job. “I didn’t mind,” recalls the long-time chief councillor for the Ucluelet First Nation on Vancouver Island. “It wasn’t really conducive to the working environment.” He started out the way we all did back then, clambering through the thick brush setting chokers, eventually working his way up to hook tender. His dream was to become a faller but
He was my role model. He spent his whole life working. Even after he quit logging, he went slash cutting for the power lines. He really looked up to his uncle Vince, his one-armed uncle Vince who worked his entire life in the forest, primarily as a faller, manning his end of a two-man hand saw in the early days and later a two-man chainsaw with as much or more gusto than most men with two good arms. “He was my role model,” says Chief Malloway. “He got married and raised six or seven kids. He spent his whole life working. Even after he quit logging he went slash cutting for the power lines.”
his wife wasn’t having any of it so when the call went out for more logging truck drivers he jumped at it. “I loved driving,” he says. “It was like having a job with no boss because you’re on your own. As long as you hauled your quota of loads nobody bothered you. And the pay was good. When I left I found out I was the tenth highest-paid worker at the division.” Political by nature, he got involved with the union and worked his way up to second vice president of the now-defunct
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 43
IWA in Port Alberni, proving his mettle by signing up new members working for non-unionized contractors. There were tense moments. “I used to have to stand up to angry loggers who thought they were being ripped off,” he says. He also lived through the so-called War in the Woods, the long and often bitter struggle over the future of Clayoquot Sound. In 1993 he was part of a team that secured the rights to log in the region and went on to help form Iisaak Forest Resources (iisaak being a Nuu-chah-nulth word that means “respect”), which at one time employed as many as 60 of his people. Although Iisaak has significantly reduced its scale and scope of operations, Baird believes forestry represents one of the best opportunities for his people going forward. “Logging is a great vocation,” he says. “We could be as successful as any company if we worked together.”
by myself,” he adds in what is probably the industrial equivalent of learning to swim by jumping in the deep end. One thing he does remember is the long hours, 12 and even 14-hour days; on the water before sunrise and working until dusk, this at a time when, at least according to Statistics Canada, weekly earnings in the logging industry averaged $69.03 or $1.72 an hour based on a 40-hour week. Before he wound up his career in 2005 he’d spent 25 years on the water before going to work higher up in the logging food chain—toiling in logging camps setting chokers, working the landing, hook tending. Where? “All over,” he says with an air of triumph. He didn’t mind camp life, it all depended on the camp, and of course the cook, always the cook. He thinks well enough of the life he had to recommend it to others. “It’s good to work in the forest,” he says, “and it’s better than welfare.”
Matt Johnson, 78, Heiltsuk First Nation, Bella Coola
Cody Gus, 84, Tseshaht First Nation, Port Alberni
Matt Johnson was 20 years old in the year 1957 when he decided he’d try his hand at logging. He started out working as a boom man, herding the fresh-cut logs for orderly transport to the many sawmills dotted along the coast. He got pretty adept at dancing over them in the crystal clear waters of Rivers Inlet, what with their tendency to roll and bob like elusive opponents in the boxing ring, although he confesses with a chuckle that he went into the drink a few times. To show how much times have changed we asked him what kind of training he received prior to starting work. “Didn’t have any training,” he says laughing again. “I learned it
Looking back over a long life,Tseshaht elder Cody Gus remembers with great fondness the half century he spent working in the woods on Vancouver Island, and on occasion, in Washington State. “It was good work with good friends, and the pay was alright too,” he says. He started out setting chokers at a rate of $1.25 an hour and went on to become a boom man, and for the last decade of his career he was the skipper of a tug working on Sproat Lake, a job he describes as both fun and liberating because of the independence and authority that came with the job. As was usually the case back then you learned on the job, starting at the bot-
Photo: Image 1245 courtesy of the Museum of Campbell River
This basket was woven by Vera Peacey’s mother, Irene, when the family was living in Redonda Bay. Irene’s baskets helped supplement the family income. 44 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
tom and working your way up; even the skipper’s job was picked up on the fly. “Didn’t need a ticket back then,” he recalls. Like other young men of the First Nations he followed in his father’s footsteps. “My dad was a boom man and so were my brothers,” he says. Carrying no regrets about his choice of careers, Gus says he only wishes there were more jobs in the forest and more young people willing to do them. “It was a great life,” he says.
Vera Peacey, 67, Homalco First Nation, Campbell River
It was a world of hard work and simple pleasures but Vera Peacey recalls it all with great affection. She was born in 1946 in the hamlet of Redonda Bay of a Russian father and a Homalco mother who met at the cannery that was once the core of the community’s existence. It was logging her father loved best though and it was Homalco people who lived there so it was Homalco people he hired when he started a small logging operation on Pryce Channel. “Everybody worked back then,” she recalls now from her home in Campbell River. “I don’t even know if there was such a thing as welfare; everybody did what they had to do to feed their families.” Her dad was definitely old school, and for a time he hand-logged on Raza Island, often with the help of her Uncle Willie. Together they’d hew the trees and jack them into the water, eventually forming booms that would be sent off to the mills at the end of the season. The aboriginal name for the place she grew up is T’exém7aajim, which means ‘red cedar place’ and Vera tells of harvesting bark with her mother Irene to make baskets that were sold to supplement the family’s income. She also remembers the row houses of her people running along the creek. “There were some very good people living there back then,” she says. These are only a few of the many stories that could be told by First Nations elders about their involvement with forestry, an occupation that for British Columbia’s First Nations is as ancient as the people themselves. While the stories are different, our elders were in agreement on one thing, forestry could and should be a part of their communities’ futures.
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Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 45
Photo: Alf Bauer Photography
NORTH ISLAND SUCCESS: FORESTRY EDUCATION PROGRAM IN PORT HARDY
By Robin Brunet
I
n October, barely two weeks into his role as teacher of the new secondary school forestry program for School District #85 on Vancouver Island, Adrian Pendergast overheard a student say something that project-based educators often only dream of. The student, one of the quieter of nine Port Hardy and six North Island Secondary School students participating in a class on silviculture and other disciplines, approached a Strategic Natural Resource Consultants employee who had been explaining his job. “I’m going to seriously consider this as a career opportunity,” the youth said, shaking his hand. Pendergast had hoped his students would have this reaction. “But the reality with teenagers is they rarely say anything until the bus ride home,” he says. “I was thrilled. That remark coming so early in the program reinforced my conviction that we’re providing a valuable service to North Island youths.” Jason Kerluck, who developed a similar forestry program in Campbell River four years ago, isn’t surprised by the news. “My 16 to 18-year-olds learn
46 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
traversing, how to run deflection lines, see how nurseries operate,” he says. “I teach them the facts and history of forestry and allow them to make their own choices. I show them the career opportunities without making it the focus of the class. Regardless if they choose to seek employment in the forest sector or not, providing the knowledge to all is extremely rewarding.” Kerluck lists a few examples off the top of his head. “A grade 12 female student who attended my first field trip is currently enrolled in the forest resource management course at the University of British Columbia with the intention of pursuing a career,” he says. “And this year, six of my current students applied to the Vancouver Island University forestry program.” Yet another student was so motivated by seeing forestry first-hand that he subsequently secured a job at Strategic Natural Resource Consultants, a TLA member company. Kerluck notes, “It’s one thing to teach forestry in a classroom, but it’s quite another to take kids out in the real world. In this regard, Vancouver Island is rapidly becoming one giant
classroom, with companies like Western Forest Products and associations like the Truck Loggers providing invaluable support.” For anyone remotely acquainted with the state of the BC industry, that support is understandable: getting youths interested in forestry has grown from being a family tradition, to an obligation, to a code-red priority in light of our rapidly aging workforce—and our increasing need to compete on the world stage. The urgency to replenish our ranks is appreciated even by people who aren’t involved in forestry. “It would be hard to live on the North Island and not have loggers as neighbours,” says Fred Robertson, a recently retired elementary school librarian and one of the key people who worked with District #85 to develop the Port Hardy program. People like Robertson are driven as much by social concerns as by forestry’s contribution to the provincial economy. “I’ve sat on various community boards since moving here in 1989, and it’s dispiriting to see the steady exodus of local youths to other parts of Canada because they think there’s nothing for
Photo: Alf Bauer Photography
Adrian Pendergast and his first forestry class—a mix of students from Port Hardy Secondary School and North Island Secondary School them here,” he says, adding that his own son currently works in Fort McMurray. Robertson credits long time North Island community advocate Anne Marie Koch for the idea of creating a program in Port Hardy. “She was inspired by The Globe and Mail story about a secondary school program in Vernon that had access to a woodlot,” he says. [Editor’s Note: Learn more about that program on page 50.] “She also knew teachers at North Island Secondary School in Port McNeill who had taught a program during the 1980s and whose students had gone on to become loggers: so there was a long history of these initiatives being effective.” Of course, BC is a leader in forestry education. The first official forestry course was implemented at the University of British Columbia back in 1918, only three years after UBC had been established: the month-long course allowed returning World War One veterans to qualify as forest guards. UBC’s first bachelor of applied science degrees (Forest Engineering) were awarded in 1923, and its first masters of applied science were handed out a decade later. (People bent on furthering their education more would have to wait until 1949 for the in-
stitution to implement PhD programs.) Arguably, a curious youth in the second decade of the new millennium doesn’t need to search far for BC-based courses that suit his or her specific interest. Plus, in addition to the offerings of post-secondary learning institutions and technical schools, organizations such as the Interior Logging Association (ILA)
might get from a big institution,” says Ryan Dvorak, who developed the Port Alberni program (for grades 9 to 12) in 2008. “There’s no doubt in my mind we’re making a difference: I know at least 20 kids who are now working in the industry as chokermen, heavy duty mechanics, mill workers—you name it. And I guarantee the number is much
When the boom was happening in Fort McMurray, our kids stayed here. and the TLA work hard to dispel misinformation and educate youths about the importance of forestry as well as provide scholarships and community support. With all bases covered, so to speak, how pertinent are grass roots initiatives such as the Port Hardy program, which joins Kerluck’s program and another one in Port Alberni—each of whom process only a handful of students yearly? The answer seems to be: extremely pertinent, precisely because of the grass roots nature of the initiatives. “We’re constantly trying to improve ourselves because we’re small with limited means, and I think that passion is infectious, very much different from the effect you
more than that. “Better still, when the boom was happening in Fort McMurray, our kids stayed here. All it took was making them aware of the enormous diversity of career options in our sector.” Dvorak, who this year welcomed over 100 students to the world of forestry—a world that includes his school district’s very own 12 hectare Christmas tree farm—says versions of his program go back to the 1950s. The focus then, as now, is project-based learning; students learning in the field instead of exclusively in to the classroom. “That’s another key for success: kids love nothing better than to get their hands dirty, and I in-
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 47
Photo: Alf Bauer Photography
sisted upon that when we developed our initiative in 2008. I wanted them to get a rudimentary knowledge of how to use tools and operate safely, what slope and distance means, and perhaps even how to tell the difference between a Douglas fir and a western red cedar—which many youths of the Internet age have a hard time determining, despite being raised in the bush.” In transforming the idea for the Port Hardy program into reality, Fred Robertson received wide-ranging encouragement. “It’s not like we’re a big school district: we have less than 90 teachers compared to over 250 in the 1980s,” he says. “Nonetheless, our superintendent of schools as well as the school board and education ministry were very open to launching an experiential program.” Robertson and his colleagues sought input from forestry educators in other locales and industry representatives— including those from Western Forest Products and Strategic Natural Resource Consultants—made it clear they would be happy to open their doors to students. “And then I experienced what my col-
The TLA stepped up with a grant that allowed us to purchase much-needed safety equipment. leagues in other regions had experienced when they were getting off the ground: the TLA stepped up with a grant that allowed us to purchase much-needed safety equipment for the students,” he says. To which Dvorak adds, “The TLA and other organizations unfailingly aided our efforts. In my case, at the height of
the forestry crisis, this was a tremendous boost.” After Robertson gained education ministry approval for the Port Hardy proposal (which was registered as a four-credit/two week program comprised of 100 hours and covering forest operations, forest ecology, First Nations
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The plan is to have students recognized a forest graduates—which would look good in job interview. forest uses and non-timber forest uses), District #85 selected Pendergast, who is also vice principal of Port Hardy Secondary, to teach the course. Pendergast says of the first two-week excursion into the field, “We were out of the classroom everyday and the students of both schools returned home
each night. There were safety orientations, visits to a log sort in Campbell River, tours of cultured and modified tree stands in Alert Bay, demonstrations of skills such as data entry and cost estimating, and much more. One of the highlights was a day of traversing with Strategic at Beaver Lake, with the stu-
dents being instructed on how to use GPS and lasers.” Although Pendergast recalls the student telling the Strategic Natural Resource Consultants employee he would be considering a career in forestry, he stresses, “All the students were inspired. Our next course will happen towards the end of April of 2016 and our ultimate goal is to have one course for every semester, four in total, with students recognized over the course of two years as being forest graduates—which would look good in job interviews.” Today Kerluck is looking for ways to expand their programs, trying to determine how to give students training for grapple yarding and truck driving. And Fred Robertson is proud that District #85’s initiative is off and running. “We’re looking forward to future opportunities,” he says. “We’re very optimistic, for the simple reason that North Island residents have a deep-seated pride in their surroundings. Everyone pulls together for different causes, and when it comes to forestry, they’re determined for the industry to flourish in the future.”
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Photo: Martin Tooms
Snap Shot: Charles Bloom Secondary School Forestry Program in Lumby By Martin Tooms, Forestry Teacher
The students start every woodlot day with an in-depth student-led safety meeting.
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to-year with small cut licences until it acquired Woodlot 1908 in 2002. Since then, Woodlot 1908 has been our outdoor classroom for three days a week and an integral part of our program. The woodlot is an example of renewable and sustainable resource development for our students and the broader community. We work closely with professional foresters and a career logger to properly manage a sustainable harvest level and reforestation. Forest management is demonstrated to the students through example. The woodlot uses a cut-block layout for clear-cut with reserve, select seed trees are left to aid with natural regeneration and reforestation with seedlings is also implemented. At this time, the forestry program recruits students from secondary schools across School District 22. The students experience and learn about safety and critical team skills as well as important characteristics sought by many employers today such as enthusiasm, strong work ethic, initiative, reliability and great communication skills. To augment the unique skills students
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learn in the forestry program, students also participate in the following training opportunities: Level 1 Occupational First Aid, safety training for shop and logging practices, a WorkSafeBC presentation, ENFORM Level 1 Chainsaw Certification, chainsaw maintenance and repairs, operating and maintaining heavy duty equipment, wildlife awareness and silviculture. The students start every woodlot day with an in-depth student led safety meeting. Students then set-up a crew list for machine operators, buckers, chokerpersons and a firewood crew. Communication to equipment operators is done with both radio and hand signals. A certified faller drops the trees and students butt off trees to specifications, limb the trees, skid the trees to the landing, buck to sawmill specifications and deck logs on the landing. Safety, in all aspects, is priority one. Although our forestry program provides students with a broad-based pracJB BenProg Ad Nov2012-OUTLINED.pdf tical and theoretical background in the
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forestry industry and real life skills, we wanted to expand into several applicable trades areas for skills acquisition. Therefore, we adapted Skills Exploration 11-12 for a value added aspect to the existing forestry program. This recent program expansion doubled the intake of grade 11 students. Looking beyond the school, the broader Lumby community also benefits from our forestry program and woodlot in many ways. Harvested timber from the woodlot is sold to local mills and firewood is sold in the community. Proceeds from sales help support the program and many of the School District 22 schools use the woodlot for fieldtrips to enhance classroom theory. School District 22 is supportive of educating students in the value of skills training and trades through hands-on experience in the trade sampler provided in this program. This School District 22 forestry program is a win-win situation for the students, district and com12-11-08 2:48 PM munity. With the future of our skilled
workforce in question, we believe this program’s evolution and progression couldn’t come at a better time. Forestry teacher Martin Tooms graduated from UBC Vancouver with a Bachelor of Education in Technology. He also holds two trade certifications: an inter-provincial Red Seal in Metal Fabrication and is a registered ‘A’ welder.
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Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 53
STEEP SLOPE LOGGING BALANCING COST SAFETY AND PRODUCTION
By Jim Girvan
Photo: Hans Peter Meyer
I
t is safe to say that the New Zealand forest industry’s poor safety record led to the 2013 independent joint safety review and their new Health and Safety Reform Bill. It may also have been the catalyst for the revolution in safer more mechanized steep slope harvesting technology globally (Truck LoggerBC, Summer 2015). In BC, we are accessing an increasing volume of timber on steep slopes. In the Interior, the wake of the mountain pine beetle epidemic is causing this shift. On the coast, we are steadily moving to more second growth steep slope timber. This means new cost effective and safe methods for logging are needed across the province. To support this trend, the TLA is offering three panel discussions at the upcoming convention related to steep slope logging.
Global Innovation in Steep Slope Logging Technology January 13, 8:30-10:00 am
In the Global Innovation in Steep Slope Logging Technology panel, key industry suppliers and global innovators will provide the latest equipment solutions in addressing the challenges of
54 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
harvesting steep slopes. Moderator Tyson Lambert, Vice President of T-MAR Industries in Campbell River has seen first-hand the growing movement to increase mechanization on steep slopes that could lead to both increased productivity and safety. “Mechanization will also allow the industry to attract more skilled workers as it is a better job than just setting chokers. Dangerous, labour intensive jobs just don’t fit the bill when we are competing with other industries for workers,” notes Lambert. “What we see with our customers is the growing application of groundbased techniques being used on steep slope applications. Ground-based forwarding doesn’t work as well, however, due to issues related to soil disturbance. As a result, what we are seeing is the yarder and specifically the grapple yarder being used as a forwarder which is fundamentally changing how logging is done on steep slopes. This is the focus of current T-MAR development.” Gary MacDonald of Tigercat sees the potential to adapt its current, proven machines for use in steeper applications. “At Tigercat we are confident
that we can adapt our machines to new technologies. To this end, we are working with multiple companies that are involved in manufacturing cable assist systems.” Tigercat is currently working toward the goal of providing a ‘cable assist ready’ solution from the factory for its leveling track carriers with optimal positioning of connection points. “We believe that we need to continue to work with the current technology of our leveling machines and six-wheel drive skidders, that are already widely known for their high performance on slopes, to expand their application to steeper slopes,” notes MacDonald. Tigercat felling machines have robust cabs with four point harnesses and three escape routes. The unique geometry of the Tigercat leveling machines shifts the centre of gravity forward over the high side of the undercarriage as it inclines, to make the machines more stable on slopes. “There is more that can be done here as well,” says MacDonald. “Cable assist is a next step and Tigercat has 8-10 machines working in cable assist applications globally.” However as Macdonald cautions, “each of these are applications in unique circumstance and
Photo: Colin Koszman, courtesy of FPInnovations
This excavator has EMS traction line winches attached to it and the operator in the feller buncher parked below is operating it by remote control. there is no clear or common solution yet regarding the exact style of cable assist system that will be used going forward as there are so many new ideas.” Dan Fuhrer is the factory representative for Ponsse Plc in western Canada and is responsible for sales, service and after sales support. Ponsse has thousands of machines working around the world in logging applications, with over 50 currently working on steep slopes using winch assist technology. “What is considered steep slope logging for some, is just day-to-day operations for others,” comments Fuhrer. “Conditions are different around the world and what works on some slopes may not work on others. In Oregon, we can operate our eight-wheel machines on slopes up to 70 per cent in some cases as a result of the suitable soil types and terrain.” Ponsse builds both six-wheel and eight-wheel harvesters that can be fitted with winch assist for steep slope applications. “It is not so we can go on steeper and steeper slopes,” cautions Fuhrer, “it is about traversing slopes safely while limiting ground disturbance.” The big advantage of eight-wheel machines is the longer frame and eight contract points with the ground which allows for more stability and safer operations than a comparable machine on tracks. They can be used for steep slope bunching, but as Fuhrer points out, “they work best in cut-to-length applications.” Fuhrer predicts that in 25 years the economics of coastal harvesting will
drive change and bunchers will be phased out in favor of cut to length harvesters. “Time will tell,” notes Fuhrer.
The Challenges of Operating on Steep Slopes January 13, 10:30 am -12:00 pm
With increasing reliance on timber located on steep slopes in BC, The Challenges of Operating on Steep Slopes panel participants will provide context for the challenges ahead. Moderator Jim Hunt is the Research Leader for the Harvesting Operations Group at FPInnovations, a national team that conducts operational harvesting studies. FPInnovations started getting feedback from members that they needed help with steep slopes demonstrating a need for research in this area. A query to the MFLNRO Inventory Analysis Branch shows that 24 per cent of the provincial timber harvest land base is on slopes greater than 35 per cent (56 per cent on coast and 14 per cent in Interior). “Clearly we have not been logging the profile and in doing so we have deferred the more expensive steep slopes” notes Hunt. “But now we have to go there and the piece size is smaller, hence the need for research and new techniques.” FPInnovations has started a multiyear, steep slope initiative addressing harvesting, roads, transportation—all aspects of working on steep slopes with a steering committee made up of major licensees and manufacturers.
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Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 55
Photo: Colin Koszman, courtesy of FPInnovations
This harvester is a wheeled winch assist machine working on a 75 per cent slope in the Swiss Alps in a cut-to-length thinning operation. “This approach helps with information sharing as we learn. We have a five year road map and with the support we are getting, we are seeing real potential,” says Hunt. There is a potential $5 per cubic metre cost reduction by increased mechanization on steep slopes together with the obvious safety benefits of getting fallers off the hills that will lead to reduced WorkSafeBC premiums as well. Clearly a winwin for the industry, according to Hunt.
“The value proposition in cost reduction and safety is undeniable and that is what is motivating FPInnovations.” Gerard Messier is the Manager of Program Development at the BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC) echoes the need for safe operations on steep slopes. Over the past year, the BCFSC developed and operationalized their steep slope logging assessment package which is available on their website. “It is a user friendly guide to make op-
erators aware of the issues that should be addressed to ensure safety on steep slopes,” notes Messier. But stepping back from regulations and guidelines, Messier takes a broader perspective in noting that it is important to know the equipment you have and that the proposed harvest system is right for the circumstances and that the capabilities of the people who operate it are the right fit for the slope. “The competence of workers is crucial and it
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Photo: Courtesy of T-Mar Industries Ltd.
has to be assessed before putting people to work,” notes Messier. “Walking the block is the most important thing you can do before you start working a machine and a worker on it.” And then there are situations we might be blind to like road construction hazards and the potential for slides. This may be more common than we realize as was highlighted in recent work by the Council. “Simply put, operating on steeper slopes requires companies to practice due diligence,” notes Messier, “and if we can develop and implement simple, but effective tools and strategies to help companies do that, we will all be better off.” Jonathan Lok is the Managing Partner at Strategic Natural Resource Consultants. His company provides a full suite of forest engineering and development services across BC and is also adapting his firms’ expertise and skill set to the new challenges being presented on ever steeper slopes. “Planning for harvesting on steep slopes is key,” notes Lok. “The slopes we are being asked to engineer are getting steeper and with the push to more inno-
This remote controlled traction assist winch supports mechanized falling on steep slopes keeping workers off the ground and out of danger. vative use of ground-based systems like winch assist and levelers, it is challenging for us to plan cost effectively and safely for these systems. We also have to be sure that our engineering translates to those building and using it or the limits of what we are doing can get pushed. It is also important for our engineers to
see the results of their layout by seeing active harvesting. This provides a feedback loop between us and the loggers that builds our collective expertise.” Mark Leitao is the Director of Operations at Island Timberlands (IT) and is responsible for all their harvesting operations. His company, like most on
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Photo: Colin Koszman, courtesy of FPInnovations
thing IT does a lot of. “We believe that when grapple yarding the small volume pieces prevalent in second-growth timber, that bunching is also needed. So beyond addressing our primary safety concern, we believe these new techniques will become mainstream on the coast since in the end, it will reduce overall second-growth harvesting costs. We currently have two contractors using tethered feller bunchers and we are now trying to determine the best way to utilize the new technology and to understand costs,” notes Leitao.
The Operators Steep Slope Experience January 13, 2:30-4:00 pm This machine, also pictured on page 55, is the first of its kind in North America. It was included in FPInnovations’ tour of winch assist machines in the Pacific Northwest. the coast, logs on a lot of steep slopes as part of their day-to-day operations. However, “as a member of the Coast Harvest Advisory Group (CHAG), our main focus on steep slope innovations is from safety perspective,” says Leitao. “If we can get hand fallers off the hill it will reduce serious incidents. Our com-
pany and the entire coastal industry is focused on this with new equipment being tested.” And, as IT learns about the new technology and equipment that is being developed globally, they are finding a sweet spot when applied to second growth harvests on steep slopes, some-
However, steep slope harvesting may not be for everyone and the challenges of operating in this timber profile can be no better explained than by those who do it every day. For those considering the move to steep slope harvesting, these industry veterans will discuss their perspectives about the challenges and opportunity when logging steep slopes on The Operators Steep Slope Experience panel. Reid Hedlund is the owner of Mid-
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58 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
Photo: Colin Koszman, courtesy of FPInnovations
Winch assisted harvesting is a world-wide phenomenon; this machine is operating in the Swiss Alps. Boundary Contacting in Midway BC and has made a living logging conventionally on steep slopes for most of his life. “We have been logging on steep slopes up to 55 per cent+ with con-
ventional equipment for years,” notes Hedlund, “and we have learned how to operate safely with the right equipment and trained operators. Our biggest challenge today, however, is satisfying WorkSafeBC and making sure we are in compliance with the regulations. That can be a real moving target.” Earlier in his logging career, Hedlund was steep slope logging with tracked KMC and FMC skidders and quickly learned that 400 to 500 metre skids didn’t really work economically. He then went to the more conventional equipment and pushed up to 55 per cent, but as Hedlund noted, “WorkSafeBC was less focused then, so we just did it. We learned a lot and despite being safe, todays regulations have pulled in the reigns on what we know how to do safely.” John Stark owns Starks Timber Processing located in Puyallup, Washington. As a fourth generation logger in the Pacific Northwest, he has learned a lot about operating on steep slopes. He was the first operator to utilize levelers in his area, but since there was no classification for these new machines, he had to work for over a year to get local government (DNR) and safety organization
(LNI) to accept the machines and their capabilities on slopes over 40 per cent. “Our goal is to use technologies like winch assist to operate year-round while addressing soil concerns on the slopes we currently operate on, not to necessarily push the slope limits. You have to be able to work year-round to justify the investments in a new system for logging that assures a higher level of safety,” notes Stark. “Our operators are experienced on slopes of 60-70 per cent, we just need the right tools to operate more safely, cost effectively and year-round.” For Stark that means getting the fallers off the hill by logging with a different system, a common theme among most steep slope operators. With three panels focused on the topic of steep slopes and panelist that have significant experience on the topic, the Wednesday January 13 TLA convention skill development day offers something for everyone working on steep slopes. For more information see: www.tla.ca/convention.
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Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 59
AFTER THE FIRE: SALVAGING FORESTRY IN BC’S INTERIOR
By Robin Brunet
Photo: iStock
T
o say that August was a nail-biting month for Interior Logging Association President Reid Hedlund would be an understatement. He, along with his neighbours and colleagues, watched forest fires obliterate over 30 homes in the Rock Creek area north to Westbridge and tear through hectares of harvestable stands. At one point the gigantic Stickpin blaze of Washington State, which grew to 21,965 hectares and threatened to cross the US border into Canada, seemed certain to destroy his properties. Meanwhile, “it was uphill and upwind, so the situation was very tense” because the Testalinden Creek fire near Osoyoos, which grew to 5,202 hectares, caused Hedlund and his family to be put on evacuation notice for a week and threatened his ranch. But Hedlund downplays the drama. “I was lucky I didn’t lose anything, whereas many, many people did,” he says. As for the magnitude of the fires, he is hardpressed to put them into context. “I was born and raised in the Interior, and I’ve never experienced a summer like it for sheer size and intensity. And there wasn’t the sense of relief you usually get at the end of summer—no drastic rainfall that shut everything down.” Hedlund, who is also a logging contractor, is equally stumped when asked to speculate on what the fires’ impact
60 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
on the forest industry will be. “No one knows the entire picture yet,” he told Truck Logger in late October, adding that operations in the Midway region “were still being shut down at 1 pm daily because it was so dry.” Hedlund is hardly alone in his uncertainty. In late October, the district managers of Osoyoos and Christina Lake were busy finalizing their assessments—which, according to an unnamed source, included the possible salvage of 334 hectares out of about 472 ravaged hectares of timber harvesting land base in Osoyoos. (The same source said about 3,000 cubic metres of decked wood, from constructing rightof-ways for heavy equipment and clearing for fireguards, had been earmarked for possible salvage by First Nations and other parties.)
through 25,107 hectares of the coastal region and 14,600 hectares in the southeast, while the Kamloops and Cariboo areas lost 11,400 and 9,769 hectares to fire respectively. For all these numbers, perhaps the most remarkable thing about the incendiary summer of 2015 is that it didn’t do more damage to logging operations. “As a licensee with tenures in the vicinity of Rock Creek and Christina Lake, the fires had a relatively low impact for Interfor as far as we can tell, although they could have easily caused a lot more problems,” says Geoff Bekker, Interfor’s Woods Manager for the Kootenay division. Interfor’s two mills in Castlegar and Grand Forks rely on wood coming from the company’s allowable annual cut of 1.1 million cubic metres. Bekker notes that the Rock Creek
In late October, operations in the Midway region were still being shut down at 1 pm daily because it was so dry. But if salvage opportunities are unclear, the scope of the damage is not. According to the BC Wildfire Service, as of October 29 a total of 1,843 fires in 2015 had burned 304,460 hectares of land, with the majority of the devastation (213,174 hectares) occurring in the Prince George region. Fires tore
blaze “happened in the river valley bottoms and was devastating to homeowners as well as woodlot licensees and community forests; the area now looks like a moonscape.” Interfor Logging Supervisor Aaron Gunther, who happened to be near the Kettle Valley Provincial Park when the
Photo: iStock
fire erupted on August 13, wound up evacuating visitors from the area. Later that evening, Bekker worked with Southeast Fire Centre officials to send six forest professionals to help guide equipment operators and heavy machinery to establish a fire line. (Meanwhile, Hedlund’s crew plus a D6, a D8, low bed trucks, a skidder and a water tank were part of a Canadian contingent that journeyed daily into Washington State to build fire guards against the Stickpin blaze). Bekker calls the advance of the Rock Creek fire “a nail biter for Interfor, especially on the first day when south winds pushed it quickly along. But after that there wasn’t much growth, thanks to lots of air support and water drops, even though the fire wasn’t officially declared under control for a few weeks.” Bekker’s main concern, as his crews survey the damage, is satisfying Interfor’s wood chip client, Celgar. “In determining what’s salvageable, we can’t send any wood through the mill that contains carbon,” he says. “Plus, carbon dust messes up optic scanners and is unacceptable in this post-Lakeland era of mill safety.”
Another challenge in salvaging burned timber is warding off criticism that the trees should stay put to provide nutrients for soil. stuff showing up won’t be as desirable as green logs.” However, as co-owner of the former Pope & Talbot mill in Midway that resumed independent operation in 2011 and is usually obliged to purchase wood from the open market, Hedlund says that burnt wood “creates fibre that otherwise wouldn’t be available. It’ll keep
Carbon dust messes up optic scanners and is unacceptable in this post-Lakeland era of mill safety. But Bekker overall is optimistic about salvage opportunities. “If only the bottom of stems in a stand are burned or if the bark is burned, then the wood can be used. It’s only when fire penetrates into the fibre via a rotted knot that a tree is no good—and rarely is a tree burned throughout.” For the heavily burned stands Interfor has already rejected, Bekker says, “they’ll be suitable for someone making timber or rail ties. Hopefully there will be some avenue available for interested parties to use the wood. Chips are a big part of our business and quality cannot be compromised.” Hedlund’s company, Mid-Boundary Contracting, employs 25 people and operates in the Midway and Grand Forks regions, with most of the logging done on behalf of Interfor and its Grand Forks sawmill. While Hedlund agrees that a lot of burned wood is salvageable, he notes that “unfortunately, mills are faced with a glut of fibre, and the burn
about 60 mill workers and a few logging contractors busy.” BC is no stranger to making the most out of damaged wood. But several examples in the US illustrate the challenges inherent in salvaging burned timber. One of the biggest being the
Rim Fire that charred a quarter-million acres of the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park in 2013; an estimated one billion board feet of salvageable dead trees were left that could have been a windfall for economically depressed towns in the region. But it was determined that it would take four to eight years to process all the logs that could be salvaged from the fire, and it took foresters a full year alone to survey the burned stands and offer contracts. That left a year in which the stands could be harvested before the wood was no longer commercially viable. Moreover, there wasn’t enough local mill capacity to process that many trees. Trucking the logs out of the region was the most obvious solution, but the costs involved dramatically reduced the desirability of the salvage contracts
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Costs and criticism aside, the 2015 BC blazes may also provide an opportunity to advance salvage practices. that were offered (the added costs of importing trucks and labor to harvest the burned wood also reduced the desirability of the contracts). Salvage costs in the wake of even much smaller fires can be off-putting. When contracts were offered for 250 acres in California’s Calaveras County that had been decimated by the 2012 Ramsey Fire, not a single bid was made by any of the region’s lumber companies.
62 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
(In this case, the cost of skyline yarding that would be required was cited as the deciding factor). The other challenge in salvaging burned timber is warding off criticism from environmental groups, many of whom argue that the trees should stay put because they provide nutrients for soil and habitat for wildlife. Earlier this year in Washington State, two green groups filed court appeals to prevent
logging on about 1,200 acres of forests burned in the Carlton fire of 2014. Their argument was it would cause erosion and mudslides, despite the Commissioner of Public Lands having used the best scientific information available in designing the harvest. Costs and criticism aside, the 2015 BC blazes may also provide an opportunity to advance salvage practices—if history is anything to go by. In 2002, the Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada (FERIC) and other parties published a study about the effect of fire on trees intended for wood chips and pulp; damaged stands in Slave Lake had been used for the research. FERIC found that chip recovery from burned aspen logs increased the longer the trees were allowed to age, due to the deterioration of the bond between the bark and the stem (which allowed debarking equipment to remove the bark without damaging wood fibre, thereby increasing fibre recovery). But these and other possible opportunities that await in BC’s charred forests are still in the future. In the meantime, for the locals who watched the fires advance to their doorsteps, the first order of business is making the summer of 2015 a distant memory. “It’ll be quite a while before everyone recovers, but green grass is already growing in the burned stands and it’s useful to keep in mind that while it doesn’t take much to kindle fires, it doesn’t take much to quash them either,” says Hedlund. “Let’s hope the rains will be heavier next year when we need them.”
NEW ROLE, LONG HISTORY: MANAGING CHANGE AT WESTERN FOREST PRODUCTS
By Mike Cass
A
ppointed Vice President, Timberlands effective September 1, 2015
What attracted you to this role and what do you bring to it?
I have been attracted to this part of our business since 2005, when I was involved in a former company-wide initiative related directly to Timberlands. We formed a new company from the ‘ground’ up and I was part of a team that encapsulated all facets of the business. This was a very good experience and a good base for this role. Change is inevitable and I want to ensure we are driving this positive change through a business lens. Challenging the ‘how and the why’ we do certain processes will identify opportunities for us at Western and our contractor partners. Our actions in Timberlands are aligned with our mission of creating a globally competitive sustainable business that operates profitably through the business cycles. We will accomplish this mission with safe and efficient operations and that is my focus within our Timberlands Group.
You have spent 42 years working in BC’s coastal forest industry, what changes have you seen over that time?
There have been so many changes, too many to list. But the one area that has seen significant change and one that I am proud to be part of is the “safety culture.” We have come a long way in this industry with respect to how we deal with safety issues and the relative mindsets. Specifically at Western, we firmly
believe in “Zero” and that all incidents are preventable and we remain committed to that objective. We are pleased that so many of our contractors have joined us and share our vision. As an industry, there have been many initiatives implemented to reduce risk and to drive awareness. Tragically, we still see serious injuries and fatal injuries occurring —while we have come a long way in recent years, there is still more work to do.
Looking at those changes, what are the top things you’d change in BC’s forest industry?
We need to see definitive measures to assist the industry in becoming more competitive. We cannot ‘control’ the external environment and forces that impact the companies that drive and support this industry. But we need to see steps to reduce the ‘red tape’ and create the business environment that attracts much needed capital investment. We all need a successful industry! Through the companies, employees, contractors, unions, suppliers, communities, First Nations, and various levels of government—we can all prosper in an environment that drives success.
What’s your message for BC’s forest contractors?
My message to our industry contractors is much the same as with all our stakeholders in this industry. We need to redesign our strategy, to one that works for everyone. We need all stakeholders to be successful and the preferred approach is the collaborative approach, as this is the best for all concerned. To create a globally competitive business on the coast we need to work together to drive costs out of the business without negatively impacting value. Being safe and efficient operators is critical to creating a profitable business that attracts the capital necessary to ensure we are sustainable. A sustainable business is important because it means our employees can rely on the steady
employment and our contractors can be assured of constant work from which they can build their business.
Where do you see the coastal BC forest industry going over the next three years?
At Western Forest Products, we believe in the future of the coastal forest industry and we’re investing $125 million in strategic capital to prove it. Our goal is to sustainably harvest the maximum volume available, in turn supplying our domestic sawmills with more logs. This benefits us all by creating stable work for our employees and contractors, generating more economic activity on the coast, and ultimately contributing more GDP to the province. We all need to be more visionary and forward looking. The industry will continue to evolve and we as an industry need to get out in front and set the design now for what will be our future. We cannot wait for those external forces to impact our businesses and industry. We need to prepare now for inevitable cycles and we need to focus on driving improved business results, in turn improving our businesses and our industry. Working together will create the positive environment that will attract not only the needed financial capital; it will attract the human capital that will be needed. Our industry demographics reflect the need to attract and retain employees to our industry for the coming years. This is a key area we as an industry are starting to work collaboratively, but more work is needed. All in all, this is an industry that is, and remains, the driving economic engine of the province. We need all the relevant stakeholders to be aligned in objectives and strategy to create sustainable, safe, and profitable business that benefits us all.
Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 63
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BEYOND LOGGERS: THE UNIFYING VOICE FOR BC’S FORESTRY COMMUNITIES By Sandra Bishop
T
hey’re here, there and everywhere. From Port Hardy at the tip of Vancouver Island to the Village of Midway in the southeast corner of the province to the heartland of Prince George and all the way up to Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii. Chances are, if you live in one of British Columbia’s hundreds of rural communities, then you’re likely neighbours. Members of the province’s three timber harvesting associations are so much a part of the fabric of these communities they’re not just in the woods, they’re kicking iron all over the place. They’re in the halls of government, in schools and universities, in boardrooms and logging truck cabs, working to ensure that one of BC’s oldest and most innovative industries remains a strong voice for the communities where these members live and work, and the industry continues to
provide sustainable, long-term prosperity for the people of British Columbia. All of these association’s members rely on the Truck Loggers Association (TLA), the Interior Logging Association (ILA) and the Northwest Logging Association (NWLA) to work with government and other industry stakeholders to create long-lasting solutions to the immediate and long-term challenges facing the timber harvesting industry that include a lack of contractor sustainability, a growing erosion of the working forest, uncertainty on the land base and a shortage of skilled workers. They understand that all of these advocacy efforts support a healthy forest industry in British Columbia, which translates into economic prosperity for their own companies and their communities. “The TLA helps us get our voice out into the industry and say how we feel as
a community to the provincial government,” says Powell River Mayor Dave Formosa. “They know how to connect with government, local and provincial.” For years, Mayor Formosa has been attending the TLA’s annual convention and trade show to show solidarity for the forest industry within his city. “I want to let them know we don’t see it as a sunset industry, that it’s an ongoing important part of our economic fabric in the community and we want to support the industry locally and province-wide.” The mayor estimates forestry accounts for about 25 to 30 per cent of Powell River’s economy, and is one of the largest economic contributors to his city. “The main reason the City of Powell River is a member of the TLA is to keep plugged into the industry. We like to tell our young people that logging is an honourable industry, a renewable resource,
Photo: TLA staff
(Left to right) Mayor Formosa of Powell River, Mayor McKay of Nanaimo, Mayor Jangula of Courtenay and Mayor Adams of Campbell River attending the TLA’s Mayoral Forestry Dinner during UBCM. Winter 2016 Truck LoggerBC 65
Photo: Brian Dennehy Photography
Minister Thomson with last year’s TLA scholarship winners from UBC, BCIT and VIU.
Assisting BC forest industry workers and employers to
create a healthy environment and improve accident prevention PHOTOS: STEVE DIETZ
Our students are in demand.” But what’s so special about the TLA and its member companies? Corrin responds with a smile: “The independent harvesting contractors have a lot more flexibility with how they operate and people can rise to their full potential much quicker than in a bigger company. The smaller companies are in tune and are part of the community. Maybe the people who work for the bigger corporations live in the same community, but that company is making its decisions in Vancouver, Toronto or the United States somewhere. The local companies are on the ground, they are a part of the community all the way through.” Corrin emphasizes that the relationship between the association and VIU is a win-win and the University is incredibly grateful for the TLA’s generosity. “We both benefit. With the TLA on our advisory committee we’re preparing our
Channel
Photo: TLA staff
SAFER.CA
where you can work safely and provide for your family with a well-paying job.” Doug Corrin is co-chair of the Department of Forestry at Vancouver Island University. He understands the connection between a healthy and vibrant timber harvesting sector and jobs, and the role the TLA plays in this equation. Corrin credits the TLA’s generous support of VIU’s forestry program as a defining factor in the program’s success. Together, this mutually beneficial relationship is shaping the future generation of forestry workers. The TLA has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships from the association’s donor fund to his students over the years and is a part of the department’s advisory committee. “We have some companies interviewing our students in early October, and even others sending job offers in late August and our students haven’t even shown up yet.
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TLA members receive community awards such as K&L Contracting/Links Contracting’s award (far right) at the 7th Annual BC Aboriginal Business Awards this year. 66 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
Photo: Alf Bauer Photography
8’6’ thru 10’6”
BC’s logging associations support forestry education to help build the next generation of forest workers. students for jobs in the industry and we know what the industry wants. We know what’s relevant, what’s changing and what’s coming up. It keeps us current. But the TLA have always been the ones who come up with the most innovative suggestions and creative solutions to the problems we have. They’re dedicated, innovative, creative problem solvers, the
created “and start going out and enforcing the regulations with tickets,” Kinvig states. “WorkSafeBC was trying to enforce what they interpreted as the letter of the law, but sometimes these regulations can be a little vague and can be interpreted a few different ways so you have to understand the intent.” Together the associations, with the
They’re dedicated, innovative, creative problem solvers, the ‘go-getter’ types. ‘go-getter’ types.” In Penticton, Ed Kinvig of Peerless Ltd. couldn’t agree more. A North American leader in the design and manufacturing of specialty trailers, Peerless has been a member of the Interior Logging Association for years because of this strong connection to the community and to Peerless’ customers. Kinvig recounts a recent issue the associations helped solve with WorkSafeBC about an inaccurate interpretation of the cab guard regulation that put his company and other logging trailer and truck manufacturers at the forefront. “They were going to shut down a number of cab guards for being too low. The regulation said they had to be six inches higher than the cab, but as trucks changed their cab designs through the years, they put some slopes in to accommodate sleepers, which affected the cab guard height.” Too often enforcement people don’t understand the industry application or the intent of regulations when they were
support of their members, clarified the situation with WorkSafeBC. “The intent of the cab guard is to protect the driver, and his position in the cab didn’t change with these modifications. So the definition of cab height was clarified to where the workspace is where the driver actually sits: basically the windshield and below. Problem solved.” Peerless is a solid backer of the ILA because of the symbiotic relationship this particular situation illustrates. The ILA is a conduit and has influence with organizations like WorkSafeBC, whose policies directly affect industry and the customers Peerless depends upon. For more than 70 years, association members have sustained communities in BC by not only providing highpaying jobs but also supporting other local businesses. George Lambert, TLA Director and President of T-Mar Industries in Campbell River, has experienced this support firsthand and believes “it’s (Continued to page 70)
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Photo: Kari Silbaugh Photography
BC’s logging associations ensure their members have a voice with all levels of government. (Continued from page 67) critical to back an organization that lobbies on behalf of its members. When the TLA is doing its job we have a healthier forest industry. It’s good for the entire community of people involved in the industry: for the major licensees, the contractors, the suppliers like us and for the communities where the industry buys supplies and spends its dollars. Healthy is good for everybody.” Lambert points to additional benefits that come with belonging to the association. “Networking has definitely been an enormous benefit to me and to our company over the years. It’s been a way for us to get to know people outside of
ing the association’s health and insurance programs. Additionally, members benefit from regular communications that keep them abreast of important issues and help them strengthen their relationships with other organizations, government and educational institutions. Tim Lloyd, TLA Director, President of Forestech Equipment, is the chair of the TLA’s membership committee. Lloyd says companies need to think about one very important thing if they’re not a member. “If these associations are not sustainable, then you are not sustainable. That’s reason enough to join and support their efforts.” David Elstone, TLA Executive Director, also weighs in on the membership
Networking has been an enormous benefit to me and to our company over the years. It’s been a way for us to get to know people outside of the regular customer-supplier relationship.
Campbell River, BC
70 Truck LoggerBC Winter 2016
the regular customer-supplier relationship. We’ve strengthened these relationships and also I’ve made some very, very good friends in this business through the TLA.” Kathie Madden, the TLA’s Director of Events and Membership, concurs that TLA members benefit from networking as well as being able to draw on the experience and expertise of its board of directors, staff and other members. “Often the connectivity created by networking and the exchange of ideas, opinions and solutions with others leads to collaboration.” Madden adds that membership also gives companies peace of mind by saving them money and time through join-
question. “The TLA is not just for the large Bill 13 contractors on Vancouver Island. We represent members in the Fraser Valley, the Sea to Sky District and the Sunshine Coast as well as the Island. And the majority of our members are smaller contactors—we pride ourselves in being their voice.” But the mayor of Powell River sums up the TLA Board of Directors best: “They’re open-minded. They’re professional. Even though during their work day a lot of them are in grease and cork boots, they dress up real nice in suits, because they’re running a professional association in the province. I’m there with them to say, ‘Hey, this industry is worthy!”
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