Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August

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July/August 2025

MADILL LOG LOADER REBUILD DELIVERS THE GOODS and now delivering logs for B.C.’s Downie Timber

NEW BRUNSWICK’S GREG BAVIS Doing pioneering work in pre-commercial thinning ONTARIO’S TIM BRYSON thrives in the spot log market WITH THIS ISSUE...

ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF INDUSTRY INNOVATION

FIRESWARM SOLUTIONS LOOKING TO FIGHT forest fires with industrial drones

PRO NANO

PROFITABILITY & EFFICIENCY

PR O N A N O 1 ( 167 f t )

P R O N A N O 2 ( 173 f t )

PR O N A N O 3 ( 223 f t )

Thanks to active curve sawing, maximum yield and feed speeds of up to 720 ft/min, it significantly enhances both efficiency and profitability. Its design, free of turning-device, reduces the foot print of the line and thus optimizes the use of valuable production space – a major benefit for compact, square sawmill layouts.

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July/August 2025 Volume 56 • No. 4 Editor Paul MacDonald Contributing Editors Jim Stirling, Tony Kryzanowski George Fullerton Tech Update Editor Tony Kryzanowski Publisher/CEO Anthony Robinson • (778) 991-3500 E-Mail: arobinson@forestnet.com Associate Publisher & Digital Marketing Hannah Robinson • (778) 688-9127 E-mail: hannah@forestnet.com Sales Manager Edna Tainsh • 1-866-447-9334 edna@forestnet.com Social Media: Kaitlin Davidson Subscription Enquiries (778) 991-3500 Fax: (705) 434-9052 E-mail: SubscribeLSJ@forestnet.com Design & Art Production Manager Sheila Ringdahl E-mail: artwork@forestnet.com Accounting Manager Shelina Jessa • (604) 731-1535 E-mail: accounting@forestnet.com Office P.O. Box 86670 North Vancouver, BC V7L 4L2 Phone: (778) 991-3500 Website: www.forestnet.com Subscriptions: Canada $58 a year; two years $70; three years, $85. Group accounts, six or more subscriptions, $25 per subscription per year. Outside Canada, $95 per year.

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FEATURES On the Cover: From B.C. right through to Newfoundland, Canada is again being hit by serious forest fires this summer, with communities like Port Alberni on Vancouver Island and Victoria on the Avalon Peninsula being threatened.

Hard-working firefighting crews are doing their absolute best to fight the fires, using the latest technologies. One firefighting method that may be available before too long is doing water drops using industrial drones. Read all about these large drones, and how they could help in fighting forest fires, in the story on FireSwarm Technologies beginning on page 8 of this issue of Logging and Sawmilling Journal.

4 Spotlight: New focus on increased use of wood in Nova Scotia

Due to a lack of markets, Nova Scotia’s forest industry has struggled to find a home for low grade wood—but the industry was heartened recently with the start of construction of a new $215 million mass timber plant, and a new focus by government on using wood products.

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Forest fire fighting— with industrial drones

New drone technology from B.C.’s FireSwarm Solutions is in the works, and it could make automated fire suppression a reality in Canada.

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Included in this edition of The Edge, Canada’s leading publication on research in the forest industry, is a story from the Canadian Forest Service (CFS).

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

14 Spot-on logging

Ontario logger Tim Bryson thrives in the spot log market given the diverse wood basket in his backyard—and his intimate understanding of the value of the wood species has helped Bryson develop a long and reliable list of customers. He recently added to the operation with a custom sawmill.

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Madill log loader rebuild delivers the goods—and now delivering timber

B.C.’s Downie Timber opted to carry out a rebuild on one of their millyard Madill log loaders, working closely with Madill dealer, Nors, and the result, and the rebuilding process, left a very happy customer.

24 A pioneer—in

pre-commercial thinning

After starting off his career in conventional timber harvesting, New Brunswick logger Greg Bavis is now doing some pioneering work in pre-commercial thinning, with a Develon/TMK shear head combo.

30 The Last Word

Tony Kryzanowski says there are many reasons to feel cautiously optimistic about the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Canadian forest industry.

DEPARTMENTS

Calendar...........................................7 Tech Update...................................19 Suppliernewsline............................28 Ad Index/Subscriptions..................29 Classifieds......................................29 3

spotlight Nova Scotia’s sawmills should see benefits from the provincial government announcing that wood is to be a priority in construction of public buildings.

NEW FOCUS

on increased use of wood in Nova Scotia

Due to a lack of markets, Nova Scotia’s forest industry has struggled to find a home for low grade wood—but the industry was heartened recently with the start of construction of a new $215 million mass timber plant, and a new focus by government on using wood products.

By George Fullerton n July, Domtar (Paper Excellence) announced that they had abandoned plans to build a pulp mill at Liverpool, on the south shore of Nova Scotia. The announcement brought disappointment to the Nova Scotia forest industry, which has suffered with a lack of markets for low grade softwood pulpwood and pulp chips since the Paper Excellence mill at Pictou Landing was shut down due to a failure to meet environmental requirements.

Due to the lack of low grade wood markets, the Nova Scotia forest industry has seen major contractions to the harvesting and trucking sectors, as well as sawmilling. Added to the downturn in the industry, Nova Scotia forests in recent years have been impacted by two severe wind events, and a major forest fire in 2023 which impacted some 23,000 hectares of the forest resource.

Later in July, the Government of Nova Scotia made an official announcement that wood construction and wood heating are to be priorities for public buildings.

In the official statement, all departments have been directed to take every opportunity to use mass timber, wood pellets, biomass (wood chips), biofuels and other wood products, as well as residues generated through forest harvesting activity, sawmill and other wood manufacturing processes.

Government departments will prioritize the use of wood products in new construction and renovation projects, and additionally prioritize wood biomass products in conversion of heating systems from oil.

“Now, more than ever, we want to use local products for building and heating in Nova Scotia,” said Fred Tilley, Minister of Public Works. “That is why our government is leading by example and using

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more wood products in our buildings. It is one of many steps our government is taking to make Nova Scotia more selfreliant and energy secure, while growing our economy and creating jobs through innovation in the forestry sector.”

Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources commented: “The initiative to prioritize wood use for construction and heating will provide important economic benefits for Nova Scotia families, through utilization of sustainable wood products.

Increased wood for construction and heating with low grade wood will generate employment and reduce our carbon footprint.

“This initiative is a great way to support the forest sector and build our low carbon future,” he added.

Since the shuttering of the Northern Pulp mill in 2020, the Nova Scotia forest industry has been challenged to find markets for the low grade wood that is gener-

spotlight ated in operations to supply logs to logs to sawmills. This government initiative will increase the use of biomass for heating and build a market for a good deal of the low grade wood for harvesting operations.

Lack of low grade markets has challenged the forest sector’s commitment to sustainable forest management. Because of the lack of sales for low grade wood fibre, in some cases operations in some regions have looked more like highgrading harvests, which have left behind a degraded forest with low grade unmarketable trees and fibre.

The Nova Scotia forest industry wood basket area is divided 30 per cent Crown land managed by the province and 70 per cent private woodlots. The Nova Scotia forestry sector contributes nearly $2 billion to the provincial economy and a combined employment level at more than 10,000 workers. Forestry is the third largest export sector after fisheries and tire manufacturing.

The Department of Natural Resources administers forest management on Nova Scotia’s Crown lands, and it follows a The Nova Scotia Forestry Sector Council (FORSEC) is working to further develop Triad concept for ecological forestry. a positive perception of careers in the forest industry, building human resource The Triad strategy evolves from the Lahey Report of 2018, which recommended capacity and advanced training for the industry. three distinct approaches to management, the first being high production forestry and offers a full suite of activities from site zones using the most intensive silvicultural volume data over time, to ensure the prep, plantation tending, pre-commercial techniques to produce fibre for wood-usforest resource remains sustainable. Each and semi-commercial thinning, to uneven ing industries. The second is conservation Registered Buyer develops their wood age stand management. Woodlot owners zones which, on the other hand, include acquisition plan, and builds their silviculwith wood fibre sales relationships with unique and critical habitats with no harture fund, based on a rate of $3.00 per a particular mill can apply to the mill for vesting or silviculture interventions. The cubic metre of softwood logs supplied third zone is the Ecological Matrix Zone from private woodlots. The silviculture which employs silviculture activity that program, which private woodlot owners creates complex stand structures which subscribe to, adheres to DNR guidelines, to page 6 mirror the natural forest ecosystem, and encourage late successional species Often Imitated, Never Equaled. Professional Grade Lasers Built to Last. that supply fibre to industry.

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▪ Red Lasers up to 40mW. The Registry of Buyers was established in1998 to WWW.LUMBERLINELASER.COM - SALES@LUMBERLINELASER.COM - 205-644-8924 collect and track harvest Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

5

spotlight The Nova Scotia forestry sector contributes nearly $2 billion to the provincial economy and employs more than 10,000 workers. About 75 percent of the province—or about four million hectares–—is covered in forests, supporting the forest industry, which is the third largest export sector after fisheries and tire manufacturing.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

from page 5 financial support to carry out silviculture on their woodlot.

The Association for Sustainable Forestry (ASF) was created in 2000 as an adjunct to the Registry of Buyers-mill managed silviculture programs. ASF provides silviculture funding to woodlot owners who do not want to deal through a mill, or are pursuing silviculture activities not aligned with mill silviculture programs. ASF and DNR provide funding to woodlot owner organizations, who provide funding to their membership.

ASF operates by annual funding through the Department of Natural Resources for silviculture and training/ certification, but also has administrated extraordinary silviculture programs, like the post-tropical storm Fiona recovery, which resulted in salvage and silviculture activity on 15,000 hectares of forest land affected by the storm.

ASF also manages training for Forest Ecological Classification and PreTreatment Assessment requirements for foresters working in operations on Crown Lands. ASF also provides forest product scaling training, and refresher courses for licensed scalers.

Heather Boyd, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Forestry Sector Council (FORSEC), describes a combination of events which have led to a perception that a career in the Nova Scotia forest industry may be less than attractive.

She explained that media reports on the closure of Northern Pulp, contractors downsizing and laying off workers, forest fires, and windstorms have all influenced the public perception of forestry. As a result, many people see forestry as a poor career choice. Boyd explained that FORSEC is working actively to change that perception, and build human resource capacity and advanced training for the forest industry.

FORSEC is a not-for-profit organization, with a board of directors representing the forest industry and contractors, along with representation from representatives with human resource expertise and business management training.

FORSEC collaborates with members and industry partners to identify and solve labour challenges, advance innovations in human resource management and build forest sector capacity. FORSEC’s strategic priorities include labour talent attraction and retention, skill development and human resource planning for forest industry businesses.

spotlight Boyd points out that many forestry and trucking contractors see their employee base ageing toward retirement, and very few young applicants looking to come into the forestry sector. She added that contractors and their employees are being introduced to very advanced technologies, and it is a challenge acquiring training to implement these technologies.

FORSEC has developed business tool kits for contractors, which include guides for adopting, utilizing and managing electronic business tools, and promotes technical training for operators.

“Over the past three years, FORSEC has marked significant achievements, including pilot projects to support business growth, training workshops for both management and labour, and sponsoring and supporting conferences and symposiums focused on building the human resource capacity for the forest industry,” says Boyd.

Patrick Crabbe, CEO of the Mass Timber Company, has championed the Nova Scotia government announcement to prioritize the use of wood in construction of public buildings and other projects.

“This initiative aligns economic prosperity with environmental stewardship and creates a powerful circular economy, engaging sustainable forest management and stimulating the demand for high value wood products in Nova Scotia,” said Crabbe.

The Mass Timber Company is a business partnership led by Nova Scotia’s Ledwidge Lumber and Elmsdale Lumber,

and other stakeholders engaged with mass timber production. Crabbe hopes to see First Nations communities join the business partnership.

The Mass Timber Company will break ground in the Elmsdale Business Park late summer and begin construction on a $215 million, 170,000 square foot manufacturing plant.

Establishing mass timber manufacturing in Nova Scotia will complete Canada’s nation-wide mass timber supply chain,

says Crabbe. The Mass Timber Company will be one of the world’s most advanced manufacturing facilities, producing crosslaminated timber and high-strength gluelaminated timber, he added. By adding 2.5 million square feet of annual construction capacity, Mass Timber will help meet the growing demand for low-carbon building solutions, from homes to healthcare facilities. “At the same time, it will create a true circular economic solution—maximizing the value of our forests.”

CALENDAR September 4-6

Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo, Escanaba, MI 715-282-5828, www.gltpa.org October 22-24

International Conference on Wood Adhesives, Vancouver, BC 706-443-1337, www.forestprod.org November 2-5

Pacific Logging Congress, La Quinta, CA

360-832-1745, www.pacificloggingcongress.org November 12-14

Woodworking Machinery & Supply Conference & Expo, Toronto 708-373-4344 www.woodworkingnetwork.com

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

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forestmanagement

Forest fire fighting—with

DRONES New specially-equipped heavy lift drones are in the works from B.C.’s FireSwarm Solutions—with their Automated Intelligence (AI), they could make automated fire suppression a reality in Canada.

By Paul MacDonald he newspaper headlines this summer are familiar from previous summers, but they are no less tragic: thousands of people suddenly being evacuated due to forest fires, hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest lands lost to out-of-control wildfires. And more significantly, lives have been lost, both in people in these communities, and with firefighters.

For Alex Deslauriers, the forest fires had a personal impact, in August 2023.

That’s when the community he lives in—Gun Lake, B.C.—was hit with a Level

6 wildfire. The Downton Lake fire burned through steep, wooded terrain at the western end of Gun Lake, northwest of Whistler, before flaring up and engulfing cabins. People in the area were ordered to evacuate. The intense blaze even sparked a fire tornado.

“The fire had been burning at a low level for months,” recalls Deslauriers. “It was being suppressed during the day by aircraft, but nothing could be done at night. Essentially, all the work that the firefighters were doing during the day, would get undone at night.”

The Downton fire was eventually brought under control, but not without

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doing a tremendous amount of damage in the small community—it is still rebuilding, two years later.

“I started thinking then how is this still happening with the technology we have today?” said Deslauriers.

“And that was good reason enough to start a company in this space—and we created FireSwarm Solutions a month after the fire in Gun Lake.”

FireSwarm is a wildfire technology startup which is pioneering autonomous aerial fire suppression solutions using ultra heavy-lift advanced autonomous Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS)—or as they are usually known, drones. It is working

forestmanagement

Alex Deslauriers (above right), CEO of FireSwarm Solutions, with members of the FireSwarm team: from left, Katie Baer, Jacob Lagercrantz and David Thanh.

FireSwarm’s technology is being tested in multiple locations across Canada this summer, with the goal of FireSwarm and partner company Strategic Natural Resource Group looking to deliver the first drones in 2026. on the development of patent-pending Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms and fire mission kits.

The company is committed to enhancing the rapid detection, assessment, response to wildfires, and help ensure the safety of people and property.

FireSwarm systems are designed to operate in conditions when and where traditional aircraft cannot, and fill critical gaps in wildfire response. The drones will be able to operate 24/7, and, although the drones are large, they don’t require pilots.

“We’re a technology company that is working on the software that allows multiple machines to be flown automatically and, in time, autonomously, in and around wildfires,” Deslauriers explained.

FireSwarm has a partnership with Sweden-based ACC-Innovations, whose drones are able to carry up to 400 kgs of water. FireSwarm is automating and outfitting ACC-Innovations Thunder Wasp autonomous drones to detect hotspots and execute precise water drops—even in remote areas and during nighttime operations.

“That partnership allows us to sell their drones as a value-added re-seller—we buy the drones from Sweden, install a fire mission kit, and sell the machines to our customers, who will use our Swarm algorithm to allow the drones to fly into wildfire areas.”

ACC-Innovations have developed and manufacture a range of the world’s largest heavy lifting quadcopter drones. The

company has already carried out demonstrations in Sweden of how its Thunder Wasp drone can be used for firefighting.

With their high precision and maneuverability, a fire can be very effectively extinguished. Using automation and multiple drones, a fire can be fought 24/7 with minimal risk and exceptional efficiency, says the company.

ACC-Innovations has already been successful supplying a number of large markets, such as the military.

The venture with FireSwarm, and Deslauriers, who is a licenced pilot and has an aviation and technology background, looks to be a good fit. Deslauriers, who is an aerospace engineer, has worked as a software architect in the aerospace, defense and commercial aviation industries, including for Boeing.

FireSwarm has struck a deal with ACC to sell the machines in North America, but ACC could also sell the FireSwarm machines in Europe or elsewhere, as firefighting kit-equipped drones.

The heavy lift drones are hugely different from consumer drones, explains Deslauriers.

“When people think of a drone, they usually think of a battery-powered small machine that makes an annoying amount of noise.

“But the drone we are talking about for firefighting is a jet-powered quad copter, to page 10 Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

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B.C.-based FireSwarm Solutions has a partnership with Sweden-based ACCInnovations, whose drones are able to carry up to 400 kgs of water. from page 10 16 by 16 feet, which weighs in at 400 kgs, and is able to pick up an extra 400 kgs of water.”

These drones are actually closer, in character and performance, to helicopters, he says.

“They are mechanically linked to be flown much like a helicopter, with variable pitch on the propellers, which enables the machines to be very nimble. We are able to adjust the pitch and roll with the variable pitching of the blades.”

And they will be well-equipped. The FireSwarm fire mission kit includes infrared sensors, LIDAR, forward, rear, right and left radar for obstacle avoidance, a radio communications system so the drones can “talk” with each other, and a satellite communications system. It has a custom load sensor for the Bambi buckets, which are used to carry the water for firefighting.

A key feature of the system, says Deslauriers, is the algorithm, which features Automated Intelligence.

The software which operates the algorithm is set up based on the various variables that affect the movement, and

behaviour of fire. Then the AI, or machine learning, will start to kick in. As the drones do firefighting work, the AI will gather more information and will be able to make recommendations on the fuel loading, weather conditions and how the water can be best be dropped, for example.

“This data will be collected,” says Deslauriers. “If the water drop went well, it will learn from that. And if the water was dropped two seconds too early because a crosswind occurred, it will learn from that, too. In time, not only will it learn how to make decisions like a person would, it will suggest how to do things a person will not have thought of—but that is down the road.”

FireSwarm has involved a number of organizations in the development of its system, including BC Wildfire, Transport Canada, and aviation and search and rescue organizations.

And it is truly excited about a new partnership agreement with Strategic Natural Resource Consultants, as well as testing that will be done this summer in the B.C. Interior (see sidebar stories).

Since drones are aerial equipment, the regulations around their operation natu-

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rally falls to Transport Canada. Deslauriers explained that Transport Canada has created a section of regulations for drones.

“Up until this year, machines of the FireSwarm size would not have been allowed to fly in Canada, but as we move through the development process, Transport Canada is opening up the skies to larger and larger machines,” he explained.

“And the fact that we are proposing that our drone will be three pieces that will fit on the back of a Ford F450, and be driven to within the perimeter of a wildfire—that is what allows Transport Canada to provide us with the go-ahead.”

So, instead of having equipment such as helicopters moving to the fire areas, they are taking the drones to the fire.

“Technology providers trying to automate a helicopter are still five to 10 years away from what we are doing now—they have to take that automated helicopter from an airport to the wildfire. With the FireSwarm drone, we will be there, right on the edge of the wildfire, ready to go into action,” says Deslauriers.

The FireSwarm drones, due to their high tech nature and being specially equipped, will be priced around $1.4 million (U.S.), which is a fraction of the cost of a similarly equipped helicopter, which would also have much higher operating costs. Initially, the drones will have an onthe-ground operator, to direct them, and tell them when and where to drop the water on a fire area.

“But as we train the AI layer of software on the drones, then these steps will become suggestions to the operator, saying where the drone is and asking if it is ok to proceed and do a water drop. It will, slowly, become automated.

“As our software continues development, we’ll be able to have the machines more and more automated—and then be autonomous. The AI algorithm will be making decisions on its own, and decide which part of a fire should be addressed—but an operator will there to click a button to tell it to return to home, if the drone does something unexpected.

“This is a long term product development progression,” Deslauriers added. “It will take time to get there—we are taking an approach of crawl, walk run.”

The fact that the drones can operate at night could be a huge plus. A fire boss would be able to look at what was done on a fire during the day, and then direct the drones on how to attack the fire overnight.

“At night, it’s clean and open air space, there are no people on the ground, and

forestmanagement we can literally unleash the drones to fly at night and fight fires while the crew are sleeping. They could be working all night long—they can refuel in five minutes, and be ready to go again.”

Conceivably, the fire perimeter could be reduced to the point that by the next morning, crews are doing mop-up exercises.

Overall, big picture, it’s clear that government and the forest industry, and all parties involved, have to start to do things differently to control and manage wildfires—doing the same old will not suffice, as we can clearly see in the number and severity of forest fires.

“It’s not that anyone is doing anything wrong in how we fight forest fires,” says Deslauriers. “We just have not been able to keep us with the pace at which change is occurring, with wildfires.

“The problem we’re facing,” he says, “is that because of climate change we’re seeing an acceleration in the behavior of fires, and the level of humidity is not what is used to be. These changes are outpacing our ability to keep up.”

Fighting fires with heavy duty drones is not the absolute solution, but it can be part of the solution, he says. Drones will never replace the effectiveness of a CL 415 water bomber, and its ability to drop over 6,000 litres of water or fire retardant in a single go. But, as noted, the heavy duty drones can be cost effective, and operate around the clock—and importantly, no people

There is a clear need to more effectively tackle forest fires in Canada, as illustrated by the growing number of forest fires right across the country. In B.C., more than 10,800 square kilometres burned in 1,688 fires during 2024, which came in as the fourth-largest wildfire season in the province. are at risk because, unlike helicopters or planes or with firefighters, they don’t require pilots or boots on the ground—in extremely dangerous situations.

Deslauriers noted that there are other companies that are also doing work to control wildfires. B.C.-based SenseNet, for example, has a focus on stopping wildfires before they get out of control, using smart sensors and AI to detect them early and send fast alerts.

Notably, FireSwarm is in an XPRIZE competition for developing fire-fighting equipment.

XPRIZE, a leader in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions to solve humanity’s grand challenges, has launched XPRIZE Wildfire, a four-year global competition that will award $11 million to page 12

once our services are approved FireSwarm Solutions partners with safer and ready for deployment in Canada.”

Alex Deslauriers, CEO of FireSwarm.

Strategic Natural Resource Group said “This B.C.-based collaboration represents

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n a partnership that is aimed at revolutionizing wildfire response, FireSwarm Solutions and Strategic Natural Resource Group announced this past April that they have joined forces to make automated aerial fire suppression a reality in Canada.

With wildfires escalating in frequency and severity, innovative solutions are urgently needed to support firefighters and protect communities—and lives, say the companies. This collaboration combines Strategic’s expertise in emergency response management with FireSwarm’s first-of-its kind wildfire defence platform, which integrates surveillance, ultra heavy-lift drones, and AI-driven swarm technology. The partnership will focus on Canadian distribution, deployment and

operator training.

Strategic, the largest Indigenous-owned natural resource consulting group in B.C., has supplied wildfire crews to support provincial government firefighting efforts for more than a decade.

“We see this unique opportunity to combine our expertise with firefighting and remote aircraft operation in resource management to make a monumental improvement in early attack opportunities,” said Domenico Iannidinardo, CEO, Strategic Natural Resource Group. “Extending our operations to nighttime is an intuitively efficient and generational leap in safety for communities and infrastructure threatened by wildfire.”

“First Nations, wildfire crews, communities, and ultimately families will be Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

a true step change in wildland firefighting.

Together, we’re advancing technology that has the potential to become a standard tool in the field—especially in the currently underserved areas of night and remote wildfire attack.”

The agreement opens the door to contacts that Strategic has in the forest industry. Strategic could purchase the drones, and operate them for customers, in the forest industry, and for the provincial government. There is also the potential for other users, such as utilities and railways, to employ drones in firefighting.

The swarm technology is being tested in multiple locations across Canada this summer, with the goal of FireSwarm and Strategic delivering the first drones in 2026.

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To help demonstrate the FireSwarm firefighting drones are effective, the company scheduled two pilot operation trials for this summer in the B.C. Interior, with the city of Kelowna fire department and a First Nations group in Burns Lake.

from page 11 in prize funding to teams able to develop and demonstrate fully-autonomous capabilities to detect and extinguish wildfires.

XPRIZE Wildfire incentivizes teams from around the world to innovate across a wide range of technologies in two complementary tracks designed to trans-

form how fires are detected, managed, and fought.

In the Space-Based Wildfire Detection & Intelligence track, teams will have one minute to accurately detect all fires across a landscape larger than entire U.S. states or countries, and 10 minutes to precisely characterize and report data with the least false positives to fire managers on the ground.

In the Autonomous Wildfire Response track, teams will need to monitor at least 1,000 square kilometres, and autonomously suppress a wildfire within 10 minutes of detection.

“We’re excited about being the only Canadian company in the XPRIZE competition,” says Deslauriers.

FireSwarm schedules drone try-outs in B.C.

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n order to get Transport Canada on board with approvals—and prove that the FireSwarm firefighting drones are effective—the company has scheduled two pilot operation trials for this summer in the B.C. Interior.

The first, with the city of Kelowna fire department, was held at the end of May, and the second is for a First Nations group in Burns Lake.

The demo for First Nations groups especially makes sense because they are often the first to respond to, and be affected by, forest fires, due to the often remote location of fires.

FireSwarm has a letter of support from BC Wildfire, and they have been invited to the B.C. demos.

The trials will involve smaller, electrically driven quad drones, that will be able to carry about 10 kgs of water, but it will illustrate the concept.

In addition, there is ongoing testing of fire-equipment drones by the drone manufacturer, ACC-Innovations, in Sweden, that are equipped with the FireSwarm algorithm.

This summer, FireSwarm’s customer, 3 Points Media in Space, has received a Special Flight Operation Certificate (SFOC), which is a giant step in its commercialization.

“To be clear, any innovation we are bringing here is in lockstep with Transport Canada,” says FireSwarm CEO, Alex Deslauriers. “Everything has to be tested,

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and the approval process will take time.”

They are also talking to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), on getting U.S. certification. “We’ll get there,” says Deslauriers. “Right now our market strategy is Canada first, followed by Australia.

The regulations between Canada and Australia are much more aligned than between Canada and the U.S.” He added that interest has also been shown by Columbia, Chile, Argentina, Spain and Turkey. “The market is looking for a field-deployable heavy lift solution able to attack forest fires—that is a fact.

So we have come on the scene at the right time.”

Canadian Forest Service legacy forest practices research and demonstration sites now delivering valuable secondary values

BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI

T

he ongoing preservation and study of outcomes from legacy research and demonstration sites established over the past half-century across Canada by the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) and its many partners are now delivering what may be described as remarkable 'second generation' value.

Initially, many of these sites were established to address a critical issue of the day, such as backlog reforestation as well as investigating selective partial harvest systems and pre-commercial thinning treatments.

Also, many new afforestation plantations were established with fast-growing deciduous hybrid species.

Now, given the ongoing care, attention, and monitoring of these sites, there are opportunities to acquire second generation values.

"We see now that we've had some natural disturbances on those sites, and there is an opportunity for us to take advantage of what we can learn from the outcomes after the fact," says Derek Sidders, Legacy Program Co-ordinator and Technology Advisor, Science Partnerships and Knowledge Mobilization Division at CFS. "We can now make quick evaluations of the operational implications not only of what the growth response was based on evidence and knowledge of how these plantations were established, managed and monitored," he adds, "but also their vulnerability and their impact on new values and issues related to stem volume, fibre value and sustainability, as well as diversification for the sake of other values such as habitat protection, stand health, aesthetics and human wellbeing."

Regarding the afforested plantations, many have evolved to the point

where they have matured and have now been harvested. They are being investigated for second generation value such as how to maximize their commercial potential as both products and carbon sinks in this era of a changing climate.

In this initial article related to capturing of second generation values, we draw attention briefly to three particular site types highlighted here pictorially.

The first example is of a 1995 White spruce understorey planting in a fullystocked mature deciduous stand that is now 30 years since planting, and where the deciduous element is now being harvested. The 6 to 9 m. tall softwoods will continue to be protected with selected deciduous retention.

The site was designed with parallel no-plant machine corridors so that the deciduous ele-

ment could be easily harvested while avoiding the spruce, thus maximizing recovery and protected volumes. After the deciduous removal, the commercially valuable softwoods will be released while continuing to act as a carbon sink and providing species diversity.

The deciduous trees will naturally regenerate in the corridors, maintaining the mixedwood forest.

A second example is of 47- to 50-year-old Lodgepole pine and Jackpine fire-origin stands that had a history of wildfire vulnerability where a mechanical strip thinning application, through the use of a frontmounted high-speed mulching treatment, was applied in 1988 and 1994 respectively.

The goal was to reduce wildfire vulnerability, increase stem and stand growth, and shrink rotation age through systematic spacing. Some sites have been impacted by recent catastrophic wildfires, so now there is a second generation value opportunity to evaluate stand impact response in terms of fuel distribution resulting from this initial novel treatment.

A third example is of easily-accessible, fast-growing hybrid hardwood afforestation sites established in the early 2000's. Many stands have achieved maturity and have been harvested. As this was done, CFS has carefully monitored fast growth response, the implication of various management intensities, as well as opportunities in green energy and as an alternative fibre source for pulp and paper, engineered wood products, and their value as natural carbon sinks.

For more information, contact Derek Sidders, Legacy Program Co-ordinator and Technology Advisor, Science Partnerships and Knowledge Mobilization Division, Canadian Forest Service, at derek.sidders@ nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

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Ontariologging

Spot-on

LOGGING

Ontario logger Tim Bryson thrives in the spot log market given the diverse wood basket in his backyard—and his intimate understanding of the value of the wood species has helped Bryson develop a long and reliable list of customers.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

Ontariologging

By Tony Kryzanowski

C

entral Ontario logger Tim Bryson is a true free enterpriser who is anxious to see if the proposed American tariffs on Canadian goods will end up being good or bad for his log marketing and custom sawmilling business—it could go either way.

It may create more domestic demand for his hardwood and softwood sawlogs or it could make it harder for his customers to ship their finished products into the U.S., thus stifling demand.

Having no signed contracts with any sawmills, he’s massively focused on what might come down the pipe. For example, one of his prime customers are large sawmills in Quebec who may be looking for more domestic log suppliers once the full impact of tariffs on U.S. origin timber becomes known. Also, China is a massive purchaser of hardwood logs from the U.S. and if they are shut out of that market by huge tariffs, they may look to Canadian suppliers like him.

“We’re lucky because we have a diverse standing inventory,” says Bryson. “So we will go to whatever species is working.”

Bryson is sole owner of Tim Bryson Forestry and co-owner of Homestead Sawmill, a custom sawmilling and retail lumber business he operates in partnership with his son, Kiefer. Both are based in Sundridge, about 75 kilometres south of North Bay, Ontario. The sawmill is only a small part of current operations but there are plans to significantly grow this business (see sidebar story on the sawmill on page 18).

Logging has kept Bryson plenty busy since he started out in 2004, but he has still found time to be elected Mayor of Strong Township, home of the picturesque Village of Sundridge.

A forest technician graduate from Fleming College in Peterborough, he comes from a family with a long history in forestry in that area dating back to about 1878. But due to consolidation in the industry, he is the last family member involved in forestry, and part of a dying breed of independent loggers and log retailers from this area two hours north of Toronto in Cottage Country.

Tim Bryson Forestry is a member of the Westwind Forest Stewardship Sustainable Forest License (SFL) group which is active in the French/Severn Forest in the Muskoka/Parry Sound District, logging in the foothills of Algonquin Provincial Park.

The backbone of Tim Bryson's mechanical logging fleet is a Doosan 235 excavator carrier equipped with a mid-range Ryan's dangle head saw (below). Other than a fleet of older cable skidders, he depends on sub-contractors for most of his mechanical logging.

to page 16 Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

15

Ontariologging from page 15 But the company also has a long history of purchasing and marketing standing timber from their own holdings as well as from private woodlots in the area. Their annual harvest from both the SFL and private wood is between 35,000 and 70,000 cubic metres per year of both merchantable softwood and hardwood species, with a ratio of about 70 per cent from Crown land and the rest from private standing timber.

Being part of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Forest, the wood basket around Sundridge consists of many valuable softwood species such as white pine, red pine, hemlock, tamarack, cedar and spruce, and hardwood species like hard and soft maple, red oak, yellow birch, ash and cherry. At present, Bryson is logging a bit of salvage timber impacted by the spruce budworm.

His intimate understanding of the volume and value of all the marketable wood species in the highly diversified forest blocks has helped Bryson develop a long and reliable list of customers. While Bryson has no written supply agreements with anyone, he does have a longstanding handshake deal to deliver white pine logs to a local sawmill to produce softwood lumber.

He also supplies considerable volume to the Haliburton Forest Group which operates four sawmills in that area of Ontario.

“We operate all on spot markets in-

cluding shipments to Quebec. Those mills are an extremely free market,” he says.

“We have no commitments. It’s all about quality for us and not volume … people just got to know that they can get exactly what they want from us.”

Right from the start and given his training and experience in tree marking, Bryson says he jumped in with both feet.

He has spent the past 20 years fine-tuning his business to maximize the potential from his entire wood basket.

For the first five years, they only harvested timber from private woodlots but grew the business over time by purchasing a larger and larger stake in the SFL. “I started out with an old Clark model 664 skidder and began hiring contractors and built up from there,” he says.

Their diet of harvested wood species has changed considerably over time.

Initially, they harvested about 90 per cent hardwood species and the rest, mixed conifer. Today, they harvest 80 per cent conifer and 20 per cent hardwood, representing a greater diversification of their customer base and market demand.

“The biggest part of our business now is custom ordered white pine,” Bryson says.

“We deal with over 40 small mills who do custom lumber orders. We’ll take their lumber order and then fill it with custom logs.”

Bryson believes that there is a good reason why he is nearly the last man standing in his part of the forest as a true,

independent logger and marketer of raw logs. That’s because he maintains high quality standing timber and harvests no trees until he has a buyer.

“It’s a buyer’s market when you harvest it first, and then try to sell it,” he says.

“That’s the conventional way that loggers have done things and I think that’s why it is such a marginal business, because you get the cart ahead of the horse.

“It’s best to get the order first. I think that is the biggest mistake that loggers have made traditionally, is to buy the timber and harvest it and then try to sell it.”

Once Bryson has lined up his buyers, he deploys his logging fleet to fill orders from marked trees, topping and delimbing them in the bush, skidding them to a landing, and delivering them either directly to his yard in Sundridge or to satellite yards.

Once in the yard, tree length logs are slashed to length based on species, grade, diameter and length, as needed, to fill orders. For example, he has five different sorts of birch veneer logs alone, and a list of customers for each one of them. There are up to 30 different sorts of a variety of species and grades at any given time in his yard and even more when considering lengths and diameters.

Tim Bryson Forestry relies on 12 employees but also between 15 and 20 subcontractors providing a variety of services from hand falling to mechanical logging, and everything in between.

The Timmins log trailers produced by Deloupe help Tim Bryson Forestry transport hardwood, softwood and long white pine logs to the yard in Sundridge or satellite yards for merchandizing by species, length and quality.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

Ontariologging From a mechanical logging standpoint, the backbone of their fleet is a Doosan 235 excavator equipped with a mediumsize Ryan’s Equipment brand dangle head for falling and topping their logs.

It was purchased new in 2021. Ryan’s is headquartered in Michigan. This unit targets timber deemed too large for a feller buncher.

With them being so dependent on spot log prices, it’s rare that Tim Bryson Forestry purchases brand new equipment. They avoid having payments on equipment as much as possible. That would explain the old cable skidders in their fleet and parts machines to support each unit.

Bryson is not a fan of feller buncher use in his type of forest because he believes that the amount of movement required to harvest his large diameter trees causes more damage than he can tolerate to both the logs and residual forest. But they still have a place in his operations and working with a variety of contractors and equipment combinations, he can deploy the right combination for the species and terrain that they are harvesting.

“Our excavator with the dangle head can cut up to a 32” diameter tree in one cut,” he says. “And when it is not logging, we can put a bucket on it and build roads. We can use that excavator 11 months of the year.”

To transport logs to his yards, he uses either his Western Star or Sterling-brand trucks equipped with 160 Serco selfloaders to load logs from the decks. The trucks are equipped with Timmins-brand trailers sold by Deloupe Inc., configured either for hardwood, softwood or long white pine logs. They contract out the log slashing in their yards after they are graded and marked, with the contractor using a 290 Serco slasher or a Hoodbrand slasher.

One of his biggest ongoing challenges with logging in Cottage Country is keeping the peace with area cottagers, which is why he spends little time logging in July and August.

“It’s a multi-use forest like no other,” Bryson says. “We are harvesting the forest on Crown land in some cases right next to $10 million cottages. We get a lot of push back, but we have ways of dealing with it and we have forest management plans, work schedules, very selective logging that is highly managed for high values, and we are highly audited.”

He adds that it is also managed for other social, ecological and environmental values.

In addition to high value lumber products, the Homestead Sawmill can also manufacture timbers in a variety of sizes on their Wood-Mizer LT55 portable sawmill.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

17

Ontariologging

Bryson Family’s Homestead Sawmill pursues the high end—and high demand—wood products market

By Tony Kryzanowski

T

im Bryson’s acquisition of a sawmill in 2016—and the launch of Homestead Sawmill—occurred a bit by accident.

The owner of Tim Bryson Forestry in Sundridge, Ontario was able to diversify his business when a sawlog client who was into custom sawmilling decided to pack it in. Recognizing the opportunity and not wanting to lose a source for his logs, Bryson purchased the business built around a Wood-Mizer LT50 portable band sawmill, and relocated it to his yard in Sundridge.

Sawmilling was a bit of a return to his roots, as his father and great uncle operated a small scale sawmill to provide area residents with rough cut lumber. So he was somewhat familiar with the demands of this side endeavor.

Bryson owns this retail lumber and custom sawmilling business with his son, Kiefer, and recognizes its potential as an excellent complement to the well-established log marketing side of his business, given the diversified wood basket growing in his neck of the woods.

Species in that area include softwood such as white pine, red pine, hemlock, tamarack, cedar and spruce, and hardwood species like hard and soft maple, red oak, yellow birch, ash and cherry.

Their log basket also includes such unique and extremely valuable high end logs as bird’s eye maple and curly maple and birch.

There are plans to amalgamate both the logging and sawmilling businesses and expand their milling capabilities.

Although only a small part of their business now, the sawmill is also a bit of an insurance policy.

“One of the ideas of the sawmill is that if markets crashed and I was left with 30 loads of white pine at the end of a winter that was going to deteriorate, at least I could square it and try to save it,” says Bryson.

The company is investigating niche markets as well for specific species. For example, given the impact of the invasive emerald ash borer, the overall volume of ash is dropping in North America. This species is used extensively for gunnels in canoes. So there is demand for it from ca-

18

noe manufacturers, and Homestead Sawmill is trying to anticipate that demand.

Other specialty orders are also finding their way to them.

“We got a 5,000 board foot order for three inches by eleven-inch white oak measuring six foot six in length and we shipped it for use in a Vancouver harbour because white oak stands up to saltwater,” says Bryson. “It was a small order but it sold at $12 per board foot.”

They are currently building up a standing inventory of a variety of lumber lengths and diameters from a wide range of species so they can fill customer orders immediately.

The sawline includes the Wood-Mizer LT50 band sawmill leading into a Butlerbrand edger. Lumber can be customized on a newer Wood-Mizer MP360 planer/ moulder supplied by Wood-Mizer in Lindsay, Ontario.

The Bryson’s have plans for Homestead Sawmill, so that they not only have the ability to saw, plane, and mould their spe-

cialty wood products, but also to dry it to maximize their potential customer base.

“What we have found is that one-third of our calls are for rough cut lumber, onethird is for planed lumber, and another one-third wants it dried,” says Bryson. “So if all you are doing is custom rough cut lumber, you have to turn away two-thirds of the calls you get.”

By adding the planer/moulder, they are already able to fill two-thirds of demand, but plan to tie a dry kiln into the heat generated by their Dorwood top-loaded, residual wood burning furnace that currently supplies heat to their buildings. Then they will be able to fill all their orders.

Being located in the heart of Cottage Country, they envision huge demand potential for both their custom sawmilling services and retail lumber products, and have yet to really promote themselves among customers in their own backyard.

As their lumber inventory grows, they are excited about the future.

Tim Bryson hopes to take full advantage of his Wood-Mizer LT55 portable sawmill to create high value products from such species as bird’s eye maple, curly birch and maple, and ash, which is growing in scarcity.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

TECHUPDATE

By Tony Kryzanowski

Log Bucking and Merchandising Comact

Comact’s Optimized Log Merchandiser is designed to help mills make the most of every stem. By combining advanced scanning with real-time decision making, it determines the best bucking strategy based on true log shape, product mix, and downstream requirements.

personalized services to create value for sawmills, chip mills, and paper mills. Its engineers have worked in the industry for decades in both log and lumber applications, says the company. www.fiberprollc.com

USNR Available in transverse or linear configurations, the system delivers precise saw positioning and consistent cut control, ensuring optimal fibre recovery while reducing waste. Its flexible architecture makes it easy to integrate into new or existing lines, and it supports a wide range of log sizes.

The Optimized Log Merchandiser is a critical asset for mills looking to increase value at the front end of their operations. By aligning bucking patterns with production goals, it enables smarter log breakdown and better product flow throughout the mill.

For sawmills focused on recovery, efficiency, and yield, Comact’s Optimized Log Merchandiser is a reliable solution that delivers results log after log. www.comact.com

USNR offers the popular LogPro-brand merchandiser. This extremely accurate, high production system is part of a fully integrated solution that is proven to maximize value and volume recovery from each stem, says the company. Available in transverse and lineal configurations, it provides everything customers need to build an impressive and productive operation including the infeed conveyor, stem kickers, stem pusher, inclined lug chain conveyor, traveling saw carriages, and outfeed belt conveyor, along with USNR’s scanning and optimization solutions.

USNR’s experience with technology for integrating mechani-

FiberPro

The FiberPro Log Trimmer series merchandiser system features a six-stage rotary indexing cradle and round way guided saw module, with a single high efficiency direct interlocking mechanical drive system for speeds in excess of 80” per second and for safety.

The company’s priority is to supply its clients with performance solutions that encompass safety and reliability. Its latest generation of merchandiser systems have redundant safety systems integrated into the design and oversized components for increased reliability and uptime compared to past designs. It has taken over 27 years of constant development and improvements to reach the speeds and productivity the latest generation systems are currently achieving, says the company.

FiberPro specializes in roundwood and dimensional fibre engineering services, handling systems and processing solutions.

The company’s mission is to use innovative engineering and

cal and PLC controls to optimize the bucking process is described as second to none. It all adds up to an unbeatable system for diverse applications, according to the company. USNR is committed to superior customer service providing support for its products 24 hours per day, 365 days a year. www.usnr.com

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

to page 20 19

techupdate from page 19

L-M Equipment Co

Built on nearly 70 years of continuous refinement, L-M Equipment says its deck saw remains the benchmark for simplicity and reliability in log bucking systems.

As the company’s original and one of its most widely-used models, it is trusted by sawmills around the world for consistent performance and low maintenance, says the company. The deck saw is engineered for operators who value uptime and durability above all else as there is no over complication, just a proven workhorse

that gets the job done shift after shift, year after year. Whether processing softwood, hardwood, or pulp logs, this saw delivers clean, accurate cuts and stands up to demanding environments with ease.

With installations spanning six continents, it is a staple in sawmills that prioritize efficiency without compromising on quality. www.lmsaws.com

up to 500 fpm, holding stems true throughout the scanning process and permitting direct loading and off kicking. The rotary positioner quickly and precisely transfers stems to the cut zone.

Its rugged saw carriages offer multiple blade size configurations, each with near infinite cut position possibilities. The robust outfeed system is designed to take abuse all day, every day for near maintenance-free operation, says the company.

As part of Peak North America (PNA), Endurance Equipment says that it aims to create high quality, integrated solutions for an evolving industry. Its full service team will design, fabricate, install, program, commission and start up new systems. www.enduranceequipmentllc.com

Inotech Canada

Inotech Canada’s Intellibuck optimized stem merchandiser maximizes optimization of stems by determining the most profitable log bucking patterns.

Endurance Equipment

Endurance Equipment describes itself as a leading provider of merchandising technology and equipment for sawmills and related forest products industries. Its strength lies in custom engineering equipment and processing systems to meet clients’ specific needs, setting high standards for its competition through strong engineering and innovation.

Its heavy duty, high speed scan chain designs allow speeds It generates the best bucking pattern from the true shape scanning of the entire stems, not only from diameter and length scanning. It can be used for stems up to 80’ long and 24” in diameter.

Precise traveling of the saw modules occurs via electrical encoded motorization. Ultra soft saw swing action occurs via a heavy duty crankshaft and electrical motorization. Triple stem accumulation devices are independently controlled for high speed operation.

The Inotech Canada system features super heavy duty construction that is well designed to ensure long lasting of components, says the company.

A full mill infeed equipment lineup is available, including stems accumulation deck, stems and logs singulator, V-flight conveyor and other equipment. www.inotechcanada.com 20

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

millyardequipment

MADILL LOG LOADER REBUILD delivers the goods—and now delivering timber

B.C.’s Downie Timber opted to carry out a rebuild on one of their Madill millyard log loaders, working closely with Madill dealer, Nors, and the result, and the rebuilding process, left Nors with a very happy customer.

By Robin Brunet

T

o say the managers at Downie Timber in Revelstoke, B.C., love the Madill brand would be an understatement.

“You can’t compare Madill machines to any other brand in terms of quality of build,” says Downie Timber’s Equipment and Residuals Supervisor Bill Melnyk. to page 22

The recently rebuilt Madill 3800C butt-n-top log loader back at work at the Downie Timber millyard in Revelstoke, B.C.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

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millyardequipment Downie Timber’s 3800C butt-n-top log loader after the rebuild. The machine was sent to Madill dealer, Nors, in Vernon, B.C. for a comprehensive rebuild.

from page 21 Angus Woodman, Downie’s Plant Manager, agrees. “We do a tremendous amount of work using several Madill machines, and they all serve us well.” They are, he says, extremely robust.

Downie are proud owners of three 3800C butt-n-top log loaders, circa 2007, 2014 and 2016, and the reason Melnyk and Woodman were discussing them earlier this year was because they were keenly anticipating the return of their 2007 model which, in December, at 32,806 operating hours, had been sent to Madill dealer, Nors, in Vernon for a comprehensive rebuild.

Their willingness to incur months of the butt-n-top being away from the operation was based on the success of Nors’ rebuild of Downie’s 2014 3800C, which at 23,000 hours took about three months of work last year and was returned “like a brand new machine,” according to Melnyk.

“We spared no expense on that project—it included every hose, every wire, every nut and bolt, a complete cab refresh, the repair of dings to the engine cover and house, even new decals.

“Everything that needed replacing got replaced, and the result was so spectacular that our operator wears slippers in the cab to keep it clean. He’s run it for about a year now, and despite doing a tremendous amount of work there’s not so much as a scuff on the hind end.”

Downie Timber, which is owned by the Gorman Group, consumes 500,000 cubic metres of wood per year and specializes in Western Red Cedar, although it also runs hemlock, fir and spruce. The mill produces cedar boards ranging in size from 1 X 3 to 2 X 12, as well as 4 X 4s; the majority of the products go to the U.S., the hemlock and fir are shipped to Japan, and the spruce lumber goes to Gorman Group’s mill in Westbank, B.C. Melnyk describes how crucial the Madill machines are to operations. “For the most part, all of our unloading happens with butt-n-tops, and then the wood is put into species-specific storage decks,” he says. “Of the 40 loads we get daily, 50 per cent of them are going to be cedar, 25 per cent is fir, another 20 per cent is spruce, and we have a little bit of hemlock.

“And then behind that is what the sawmill is cutting: typically we’ll change what it’s running every two weeks. So from a workload perspective, there’s the 40 loads per day the butt-n-tops unload and sort into decks, then there’s another 40 loads daily they have to set aside for the wheel loaders to bring to the mill. It’s almost like they’re touching each load twice: once to get it off the truck and once to get it ready or prepped for the sawmill.

“That’s why we brag about Madill, and the pins and bushings of the 3800C are a good example of quality: they’re ginormous compared to a competitor. The machines are made of thick steel and very

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

crack-resistant. All of this is crucial to us maintaining a high volume of work.”

When the decision was made to rebuild Downie’s 2014 3800C rather than invest in a new butt-n-top, Melnyk and Woodman were unfamiliar with Nors and what the undertaking involved. “But we met Corporate Major Projects Manager Heather Cornes, and Heather and her colleagues offered us different service levels,” Melnyk says. “If we wanted a complete stump to dump type rebuild, they would do that; same if we wanted a mid-level rebuild. Although our 3800C wasn’t showing any signs of fatigue or stress cracks, there were some known problems with the boom, so we opted for a comprehensive rebuild.”

It turned out to be a great experience.

“I’m a machinist and a millwright by trade, and I really appreciated that Nors assigns a project manager to every rebuild it undertakes,” Melnyk says. “Heather would always walk us through various stages of the rebuild, and we were free to visit their facility and see the process, and ask questions about the work being performed.”

In fact, so happy was the Downie team with the rebuild that it organized a before-and-after You Tube video to showcase Nors’ expertise.

Downie’s 2007 3800C underwent some modification prior to it incurring enough operating hours to consider a rebuild.

“We installed an engine and pump

millyardequipment early on, and because some of the technology changed since 2007 we also installed soft controls,” Melnyk says.

“Before, it was like a bang-bang valve to rotate the head, but when you’ve got a 60-foot log in there and you go to swivel the head, a bang-bang valve is very violent. By contrast, proportional controls have a soft open and a soft close, so you don’t whip everything around.” The socalled soft controls were offered by Madill as an upgrade and became standard on the 2016 models.

Determining when a rebuild is warranted is very much the result of Downie’s hands-on commitment to regular service and maintenance of all of its equipment.

Melnyk explains, “We cycle our equipment through our shop every 250 hours of operation, just for a once-over and to change the oil. This gives us a chance to look for cracking and other problems such as leaky hoses, or wires that get chafed or rubbed off. We also make sure the windows aren’t cracked and deal with any safety issues immediately. This in-house maintenance is helped by the fact that our operators are good about reporting glitches or problems.

“But in terms of a rebuild, everything goes by running hours. You have engine hours, pump hours, your undercarriage wears out every 4,000 hours, so when we add everything up, we typically will consider a mid-life rebuild program at around 20,000 hours, by which time we’ve got about as much life out of the engine as

we’re ever going to get.”

As was the case with the 2014 3800C, Downie opted for a comprehensive rebuild at the Nors facility. “It’s the same degree of rebuild at roughly the same price, and the only thing different is there has been a bit of a delay due to the tariffs nonsense at the border,” Melnyk says.

But tariffs on parts are a minor hiccup.

The quality of Nors’ work remains the same, and Downie showcased the rebuilt 3800C at the Interior Logging Association convention in Kamloops in May. Woodman says, “We wanted everyone to be able to open up the engine hood, see all the new wiring and new hoses; check out the new tracks, pumps, engine, new cab, even new gauges—everything.”

When asked if a three-month wait (or longer) for a rebuild poses any challenges to Downie’s operations, Woodman replies, “No, because we’ve always had three Madills in the fleet: at any given time, two of them are running. That’s what we’ve learned with these particular machines: it’s better to have three of them and make sure two of them will never break down. That’s more financially beneficial in the long run than trying to downsize your fleet or run one machine flat out 24/7—because if a single butt-ntop breaks down, it’s not like the trucks stop coming in or the sawmill stops needing logs.”

Of course, the Madills are part of a larger fleet: Downie also uses a Cat 980M wheel loader to feed logs from the log

yard to an older cut-off saw. Finished lumber goes to an 82-bin sorter, then to a stacker and a Cat 926M forklift that takes it out to the lumber yard.

As for a Cat 330 that has been an integral part of Downie operations in the past, Woodman says, “Our sister company down in Westbank had a buttn-top breakdown, and they didn’t have a backup machine. So we took the old 330 and low bedded it down there. It worked there for about a month and now it’s back in our yard and we use it sparingly. It can do in a pinch, but only for a couple of days at a time. It’s strictly for emergencies.”

As Melnyk and Woodman took delivery of their 2007 3800C, Melnyk again praised Nors and its team of experts for taking the sting out of what is often a nerve-wracking proposition.

“I can’t say enough good things about Heather and her colleagues. In both rebuilds, they did a complete teardown and evaluation, and they never fail to show you what they’re finding. I visit once a month to see how the work is progressing, and they ask if I’m okay with specific points of wear and recommend what needs replacing.

“In short, they engage us step by step, from start to finish. It’s comforting when you have people you can trust and interact with. And like I say, the results are phenomenal.”

Madill machines back to being built in B.C.

W

hile Madill equipment rebuilds, such as at Downie Timber with Madill dealer Nors, happen from time to time, Madill equipment itself got a new manufacturing home last June when DC Equipment opened its new manufacturing facility in Prince George, marking the return of Madill equipment production to British Columbia.

The first machines to be produced at this facility were Madill 3000B Log Loaders, heralding a new chapter in Madill’s rich history and strong heritage in B.C. “We are excited to bring Madill manufacturing back to its roots in British Columbia,” said Dale Ewers, Owner and Managing Director of DC Equipment.

“This is more than just a strategic move for us; it’s about preserving and continuing the legacy of Madill, which has been

a cornerstone of the logging industry for over a century.”

The establishment of the new facility in Prince George is set to have a significant positive impact on the local economy, creating numerous employment opportunities and fostering job growth within the community.

“Our commitment to local manufacturing is also a commitment to the local economy,” Ewers emphasized. “We are creating jobs in which we hope contribute to the economic development of the region. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

“By manufacturing locally, we can ensure faster delivery times and maintain the high standards of quality and innovation that our customers expect from Madill and DC Equipment,” he added.

Since acquiring Madill in 2023, DC

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

Equipment have dedicated resources to improvement and optimization of the existing range while also leveraging off current technology available to the manufacturer of steep slope forestry solutions. Examples of these include upgrades and alterations to the Madill 3000B, a predecessor of the current Madill 3000.

In addition, a release of a Madill 1100 RFM (remote felling machine) prototype was also announced, giving an insight into what’s next for the brand.

“Our goal isn’t to be the largest manufacturer, but to deliver the best solutions to our customers,” explained Ewers. “We see exciting opportunities to enhance these machines with our innovative technology, especially for use in challenging steep slope conditions.”

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eastcoastharvesting Greg Bavis: a career in forestry extending from chainsaw hand felling to pioneering mechanized pre-commercial thinning in central New Brunswick.

A pioneer—

in pre-commercial thinning After starting off his career in conventional timber harvesting, New Brunswick logger Greg Bavis is now doing some pioneering work in pre-commercial thinning, with a Develon/TMK shear head combo.

By George Fullerton reg Bavis’s career in forestry extends from chainsaw hand felling to skidders, to cut-to-length harvesters, and most recently pioneering mechanized pre-commercial thinning in central New Brunswick.

His harvester experience began in 2000 with a John Deere 608 harvester with a Log Max 5000 head. In 2016, he moved to a Cat 501 with a Log Max 5000, and in 2018 moved into another Cat 501/Log Max. Bavis commented that his new adventure—in mechanized pre-commercial

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

G

thinning—brings many challenges and simultaneously, many worthwhile rewards.

He added that, on a personal level, it was time for him to take a step back from the stress that came with contract harvesting.

For a good deal of his contracting career with skidders and harvesters, Bavis

eastcoastharvesting

The Develon 5.5 tonne machine that Greg Bavis owns (above) is powered by a 47 horsepower diesel engine, with a track length of eight feet, and track width of six-and-a-half feet. The TMK 200 shear head (at right) features a blade made from Hardox steel designed to cut trees up to eight inches in diameter. worked for Jorg and Gloria Beyler, who owned and intensively managed numerous woodlots in central New Brunswick.

Jorg worked as a professional forester in New Brunswick prior to moving to Nova Scotia, working for the Department of Natural Resources, initially managing a tree nursery, and then landing in the upper levels of DNR management overseeing management planning and silviculture.

Jorg and Gloria have continued to acquire woodlots and to have an interest in businesses that acquired woodlands, and have gone on to manage them intensively, promoting qualities of the Acadian forest and driving stand structure in a direction that mitigates the effects of climate change.

The focus of the Beylers is to manage for long lived (tolerant), climate resilient species and they have—with the help of Bavis and other contractors—created high

quality mixed age stands.

In addition to a paycheck, the experience working with the Beylers widened Bavis’s understanding of silviculture that fits the Acadian forest type. Bavis also honed his harvester operating talents, through silviculture strategies, to meet the Beyler vision for their forests.

Bavis built a reputation for thoughtful partial harvesting and silviculture, and worked for many landowners and contractors throughout central New Brunswick. He sold off his harvester in 2022, and began looking for a new ‘later in life’ career.

The exercise to find a new career led to the purchase of a 5.5 tonne Develon mini excavator, with the plan to offer excavation services in his home community of Stanley.

Following discussions with Anne McKnight, the Silviculture Manager at the York-Sunbury-Charlotte (YSC) Forest Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

Products Marketing Board, about the opportunity for working at pre-commercial thinning, he added an order for a TMK 200 shear head through his Develon dealer, Paul Equipment.

The YSC Forest Products Marketing Board represents woodlot owners in the central and southwest areas of New Brunswick, providing marketing and woodlot management services, including delivery of a provincial silviculture assistance program.

McKnight, like all silviculture managers across New Brunswick as well as industrial operators, has witnessed a major decline in silviculture workers.

“Our current workforce for planting and thinning is aging out and moving into retirement. The low compensation offered and difficult working conditions for to page 26 25

eastcoastharvesting

Greg Bavis tracks and maps his daily production with an Avenza program on his cell phone. Avenza is a great little tool, says Bavis. The maps show the woodlot boundary lines and the block perimeter, and it also shows features like water courses, and very wet and very steep ground.

The consideration that mini excavators had potential to address the lack of manual labour came about through discussions with his friend Kirk Donovan, a former mechanized harvest contractor.

“We had heard about excavators with shear heads working at pre-commercial thinning in Nova Scotia with some success, so we thought that it might possibly be an opportunity to keep both of us in the forest industry, but with less financial risk and fewer headaches relating to finding stumpage, dealing with landowners, mills and truckers,” says Bavis.

Donovan mounted a TMK tree shear head on his 3.5 tonne mini excavator, to test if it would be an effective machine for pre-commercial thinning.

“Kirk went to work with the small machine and very soon realized the three tonne carrier was in fact too small to perform effectively in the forest environment.

Our discussions led us to understand that an excavator in the five to six tonne range would be much better,” added Bavis.

The Develon 5.5 tonne machine that Bavis owns is powered by a 47 horsepower diesel, with a track length of eight feet, and track width of six-and-a-half feet.

Body overhang to rear is zero and only one-and-a-half-feet on the sides. Operating reach is fourteen feet, while the TMK adds another foot to the effective reach.

Ground pressure is 4.4 pounds per square inch. The cab is ROPS and FOPS, with AC and heat, a touch screen for machine data, and a back-up camera.

The TMK 200 shear head weighs in at 360 pounds. An arm closes in on the stem, forcing it across shear blade. The blade is made from Hardox steel and the head is designed to cut trees up to eightinches in diameter.

Bavis has operated in a variety of naturally regenerated stand types, including dense softwood stands around six feet tall to dense hardwood and mixed wood stands to heights of around thirty feet.

He establishes trails 30 feet apart and reaches 15 feet into the stand on both sides of the trail, to cut and drop stems, while maintaining the healthiest and best form trees as crop trees. The naturally regenerated stands which qualify for pre-commercial thinning have a stem count often in excess of 25,000 stems per hectare. A spacing of 8 to 10 feet between crop trees yields around 1750 stems per hectare.

The New Brunswick Silviculture Program (cost shared by the land owner and provincial government) qualifies young stands up to nine metres (30 feet) in height. Managers like McKnight realize

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

from page 25 silviculture jobs makes it very difficult to attract and retain workers,” she said.

“Mechanized pre-commercial thinning and mechanized planting are seriously being considered to help us meet the need to carry out silviculture—and ensure the private woodlot sector continues to help maintain the provincial wood supply and contribute to the economy.”

Bavis explained that he was generally aware of the YSC Board’s challenge to secure thinning saw operators to conduct pre-commercial thinning for private woodlot owners.

they have an abundance of stands that are approaching the height limit, and also know clearly that they will not find manual thinners to tackle those stands, due to the difficulty to directionally fell the cut trees. On the other hand, excavator/shear head machines can effectively handle those advanced stands.

“Every stand type presents unique operating challenges,” explains Bavis. “Overall, my average production has stabilized around 0.6 hectares in an eight-hour work shift.”

Pre-assessment stem counts are often in excess 25,000 stems per hectare, while the final count 1750 stems per hectare.

After evaluating the business case for mechanized pre-commercial thinning, the YSC Board agreed to use their in-house Forest Management Fund to bump up the rate to a point that the contractors could make a fair pay.

As the 2025 season got underway, Bavis and McKnight have been keeping detailed records of machine hours and areas completed, in an effort to ensure a fair pay rate. The collected data will be presented to DNR to develop pay rates specifically applicable to mechanized precommercial thinning.

As part of the record keeping exercise, Bavis tracks and maps his daily production with an Avenza program on his cell phone. He can text the maps directly to the YSC office.

“Avenza is a great little tool,” he says.

“The maps show the woodlot boundary lines and the block perimeter. It also shows features like water courses, very wet and very steep ground, keeping me on track and out of trouble.”

Challenges with the Develon/TMK have included broken hydraulic hoses, a broken side window which Bavis replaced with Lexan cut at a local auto glass shop. He has realized that hose routing for dirt work is not satisfactory for forestry work, and plans have been laid out for guarding to be added in mud season. Similarly, he has plans for some guarding on the TMK head.

Early on, Bavis relied on his own welding talents to build a toolbox in the frame of the grading blade. Spring maintenance will see a skid plate added to the grading blade, as an addition to the excavator’s skid plate.

Prior to operating next winter, cleats will be added to the tracks to improve traction.

Fuel consumption is 4 to 5 litres per hour, and Bavis said he did not experience any overheating through the summer.

eastcoastharvesting Bavis explained and demonstrated that it is important to cut stems on the trail and move them off trail if a spot is available. If a stem is only pushed down, there is the risk of the stem popping up and jillpoking the engine compartment when the machine reverses. Bavis maintains that the backup camera is useful to see stems that may damage the excavator, and equally important, to see how close the excavator body gets to crop trees along the trail, or when backing up to reposition the excavator.

One of the challenges occurs when cutting small spindly stems that jam between the shear and the arm, and are not completely severed. In such cases, the small trees are simply pulled out of the ground.

Operating in winter in a hardwood-dominated stand, Bavis can lay the (leafless) cut stems on the ground quite effectively.

He points out that when leaves are on, the operating technique switches to shearing off the top of the tall trees and putting it on the ground, and them shearing the base of the stem. He explained that he continually looks ahead to determine which trees will be crop trees, and to also identify spots where cut stems can be piled, similar to operating a conventional harvester.

“We are so pleased with the great work that Greg Bavis and our other mechanized contractors are doing,” says Anne McKnight. “They are completing pre-commercial work that otherwise would not get done. The development of those young stands they are thinning has been paused, and following pre-commercial thinning, they will accelerate their growth and have a shorter rotation—and in a shorter time period, generate a return for the landowners and supply quality fibre for our forest industries sooner.”

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

27

SUPPLIERNEWSLINE

The entire site will be equipped with Comact’s AI-powered technology suite, including advanced scanners, Smart Vision, and the OPER8 digital platform.

Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin this year with startup anticipated in early 2027. www.comact.com

Munden new Western Canada dealer for Eco Log

Munden Truck & Equipment Ltd. is the new Western Canadian Dealer for Eco Log Forestry.

Eco Log Forestry (based out of Soderhamn, Sweden) is an OEM machine manufacturer that supports cut-to-length (CTL) harvesting methods which includes their line of 8-wheeled forwarder and 6/8-wheeled harvester machines.

Eco Log began building and designing CTL machines in 1965, originally as Kockums.

With this partnership, Munden says it is looking forward towards continuing to support the Canadian forest industry with sustainable harvesting methods that promote and protect healthy forests in Western Canada.

With forest fire threats and timber supply shortages on the rise, Munden believes there is great opportunity within the industry to better support forests by increasing commercial thinning and fire mitigation projects, and it is looking forward to supporting those discussions with the Eco Log product lines. www.mundengroup.ca

John Deere sets new standard with launch of H series forestry machines

By Tony Kryzanowski

deliver engine power and torque to enable faster cycle times and improved cutting efficiency compared to the G series. Advanced hydraulic systems, now featuring three dedicated pumps, provide greater power for feed rollers, saw units and boom movements. Compared to the G series, H series harvesters enable significantly increased productivity and remarkably lower fuel consumption per harvested cubic metre, says Deere.

The H series harvesters and forwarders set a high standard in boom capability, delivering impressive lifting and slewing power, stability, and efficiency in challenging forestry environments, says the company.

Compared to the G series, the new forwarders offer 25 per cent more load capacity, helping to increase efficiency and reduce costs per cycle.

F9 and F10 booms extend reach up to 10.7 m and enhance lift torque for smoother, more efficient load handling.

The new frame lock system enhances stability, even with full loads on uneven terrain. www.johndeere.com

Hampton Lumber selects Comact for new state-ofthe-art sawmill in South Carolina

John Deere has launched its large size H series wheeled machines, which the company says are designed to elevate productivity and operational efficiency.

Featuring the all-new 1270H and 1470H harvesters and 2010H and 2510H forwarders, these machines integrate enhanced hydraulic systems, advanced automation and ergonomic operator enhancements. By combining powerful performance with sustainability-focused fuel economy, John Deere says that the H Series redefines modern logging operations.

The 1270H and 1470H harvesters

Comact has been selected as the equipment and technology supplier for Hampton Lumber’s new state-of-the-art sawmill in South Carolina.

In addition to supplying the mill’s advanced systems, Comact will be responsible for managing and executing the full construction and integration of the project, delivering a comprehensive solution from design to start up.

The new Hampton Lumber facility in South Carolina will be purpose-built to process Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) and will feature advanced Comact technologies throughout. At its core is a high performance 20’ saw line, supported by three continuous dry kilns and a complete Comact planer mill.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

KDS Windsor launches new industrial mechanical group with expanded service

Lumber dry kiln manufacturer KDS Windsor has launched its Industrial Mechanical Group, which the company says expands its capabilities to meet the growing demand for expert field service, maintenance, and mechanical installation work across the wood products industry.

With over 100 continuous dry kilns (CDKs) in operation globally, KDS originally built its service team to support its systems in the field. But over time, customer needs evolved, and so did KDS. What began as a support crew for CDK customers has evolved into a full service mechanical division, now available to serve mills of all types, regardless of whether they own KDS equipment.

Today, KDS Windsor operates five dedicated mechanical crews and has over 100 skilled professionals in the field, providing a range of services that include kiln rebuilds, equipment installation, fabrication and welding services, as well as air control and material conveying systems. www.kdswindsor.com

Ponsse’s 55/30 Anniversary was a celebration to remember

This year marked a major milestone for Ponsse: 55 years since forest machine pioneer, Einari Vidgrén, founded the Ponsse factory in his hometown of Vieremä, Finland, and 30 years since Ponsse planted roots in the U.S.

suppliernewsline To honor this remarkable dual anniversary, the company recently hosted a dynamic blend of history, innovation, and celebration in Wisconsin.

The event started by showcasing the very first machines that arrived in the U.S. in the early ‘90s: a HS15 and S15. While the HS15 was up to the task of cutting trees, the S15 remained stationary—sacrificed for spare parts to keep customers running strong.

From there, Ponsse rolled through the evolution of machines, including the HS16, HS10 Cobra harvesters, and S16 forwarder.

Fast forward to a 2013 8WD Ergo with an H7 head and C4 crane, and this rep-

resented an impressive bridge between past and present. Then came the stars of today: the Scorpion Giant, Scorpion King, Ergo, and Cobra harvesters, featuring the new-style H7 and H8 heads, 360-degree rotator, and cranes including the C5, C44+, C50, and C50+.

On the forwarder side, Ponsse showcased the Elephant, Bison with Active Frame and CVT transmission, Buffalo King, Wisent, Buffalo with a GMT grapple saw and the company’s milestone 21,000th machine—a Buffalo delivered to Scheff Logging in Minnesota. Key features on display included the Active Seat, Active Cabin, and Active Crane.

Ponsse welcomed around 600 guests,

including customers, dealers, suppliers and 25 visitors from Finland—among them the Finnish Management Team, Vidgrén brothers (owners), Product Managers, IT, and R&D. www.ponsse.com

SUBSCRIBE HERE!

SPECIAL FOR THE FOREST INDUSTRY MEMBERS.

Oregon’s new SpeedMax XL Anti-Vibe harvester bar engineered for enhanced performance Oregon Tool Inc.’s new SpeedMax XL Anti-Vibe is the bar that answers the needs and addresses the pain points of harvesters. From reduced vibration to efficiency and improved quality of cut, the new bar is a cut above, says the company.

The new bar, which comes in 80”, 82”, 90”, 97” and 100” lengths, is engineered with a steel alloy that is 2.5 percent thicker than any competitor and 5 percent thicker than the current SpeedMax XL bar.

The thicker bar results in reduced movement and vibration. Minimizing that vibration, or waggle, was a key focus of the SpeedMax XL Anti-Vibe development, as it is a frequent complaint of loggers, says Oregon.

“We listened to our customers and engineered the new SpeedMax XL Anti-Vibe to meet their needs,” said Jean Jones, Senior Product Manager at Oregon Tool. “The thicker bar with increased rigidity leads to faster, more efficient cutting and an improved

quality of cut. In testing, harvester operators have been very happy with the results.”

The thicker SpeedMax XL Anti-Vibe also results in less downtime as the bar resists bending and damage, and less chain throw leading to less time out of the cab. In addition, the thicker bar rails mean that the rails don’t spread, resulting in faster, more efficient cutting and even wear on both rails.

“The new bar is very smooth and very rigid,” said Lucas Broderick, a harvester from Wisconsin, and a SpeedMax XL Anti-Vibe test user. “What everybody’s looking for is production and the fewer times I have to get out of the machine to change a bar or the less time I have to spend at home on a bench fixing a bar means more production.”

The SpeedMax XL Anti-Vibe is purpose-built for cold weather cutting, designed for hardwood, and performs in any cutting conditions. www.oregontool.com

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

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AD INDEX ADVERTISER PAGE AGRI-COVER..........................................20 Burton Mill Solutions........................... 7 Eastonmade Manufacturing.............. 6 LINCK GmbH........................................... 2 Lumberline Laser................................... 5 Maynards................................................27 Ponsse.....................................................31 Ryan's Equipment...............................17 Swift Fox Industries ...........................27 Tigercat...................................................32 29

thelastword

Many reasons to feel cautiously optimistic about the application of AI in the Canadian forest industry

By Tony Kryzanowski

A

rtificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, remote piloting, and robotics are beginning to have a profound impact on the forest industry as we have known it, from forest management to log harvesting and delivery and right through to lumber production. This is only the beginning.

In a recent interview, Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, the company that designed and developed essential computer applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint for desktop computers, said that AI will have a more profound impact on humanity than the personal computer (PC) did.

Asked if he was afraid of the impact that AI will have, Gates answered ‘yes’.

Fear of the unknown is a natural and healthy human response. Given Gates’ advanced age, his response is not surprising. Perhaps during the interview, he had forgotten that when he was a student at Harvard University and building Microsoft, many working with older technology at the time were afraid of the profound impact that his inventions would have on humanity—yet we are still here.

As is typical with any new tool developed by humans—and this ability to develop tools is what generally differentiates us from all other biological species—two outcomes are inevitable. One is that this new technology will be used in both positive and negative ways. For example, your Smartphone is a valuable tool for instant messaging, online purchases and banking.

It is also an easy pathway for scammers to try to steal from you. The second inevitable outcome, if the technology proves valuable, is that it will proliferate throughout society a lot faster than we think, whether we like it or not. An example here is how quickly the PC and Smart-

phone were accepted and became widely used, in combination with another invention that we can’t live without anymore, the Internet. Talk about an invention with so many pros and cons!

As younger workers enter and dominate the workforce, working with AI, machine learning, remote piloting and robotics will become commonplace. These are generations that not only grew up playing video games but also learned important lessons about the potential for remote education and employment because of the COVID pandemic. So the forest industry would be wise to welcome these new tools because they will likely become essential to attracting new workers.

From a forest management perspective, AI offers incredible potential for planning forest cutblocks and reforestation. In the face of climate change, forest companies will have no choice but to design forests that are more resilient to forest fires, pest and pathogens. The ability of AI to provide a variety of solutions in minutes, based on collating and analyzing past research, will make a forest technician’s job easier, while providing better solutions. This is a clear example of using AI for good—and we should make the most of it.

From a log harvesting perspective, remote piloting and autonomous driving of forest equipment is already a reality and this offers huge forest industry opportunities. Among the first is attracting younger workers as equipment operators, where the workplace is a climate-controlled office workspace 20 minutes from home, rather than having to drive out to a remote work location or living in a remote camp.

The long term downside, of course, is that the combination of AI, machine learning, and robotics might completely

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2025

eliminate the need for human operators eventually and we have to accept that this is possible, raising many fundamental questions about what human beings will do for work in future.

From a sawmilling perspective, integration of AI and machine learning is already allowing some forest companies to reduce the number of operators to roughly half of what has traditionally been needed to operate a sawmill. What it will also do is open up the potential for the establishment of remote, highly-automated sawmills where operators need not be located in the remote location, but potentially thousands of kilometres away. From a resource extraction perspective, it makes a lot more sense to harvest commercial fibre in these remote locations rather than allowing it to become overmature and therefore kindling for massive forest fires. However, the danger here is that harvesting and sawmilling will become so fast and efficient that we won’t be able to grow trees fast enough to replace what we have harvested, while also doing potential catastrophic damage to the natural environment.

So for the moment, there are many reasons to feel cautiously optimistic about the influence AI, machine learning, remote piloting and robotics will have on the forest industry. Managed carefully, it could result in significantly healthier, more productive and more resilient forests, a much more comfortable work environment for operators, and much higher sawmilling productivity.

Fear of the unknown is healthy, but let’s not fail to recognize the opportunities that these technologies represent, especially if the market continues to move toward survival of the fittest, tariffs and economic warfare.