Issuu

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March/April 2018

CANADA’S FIRST DOWEL LAMINATED Timber plant starts up TRACTIONLINE WINCH-ASSIST SYSTEM gets traction in B.C. ADVANCE COVERAGE: BC Saw Filers’ Convention With this issue…

The Edge!

CANADA’S TOP LUMBER PRODUCERS: Who’s on Top?

FEATURES March/April 2018 Volume 49 • No. 2 Editor Paul MacDonald Contributing Editors Jim Stirling Tony Kryzanowski George Fullerton Tech Update Editor Tony Kryzanowski

Publisher Rob Stanhope • (604) 990-9970 E-mail: stanhope@forestnet.com

Associate Publisher Anthony Robinson • (604) 990-9970 E-Mail: robinson@forestnet.com Sales Associates James Booth • (604) 506-8631 E-mail: jbooth@forestnet.com Perry Rosehill • (604) 613-3001 E-mail: rosehill@forestnet.com

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Accounting Manager Shelina Jessa • (604) 731-1535 E-mail: accounting@forestnet.com

Office PO Box 86670, 211 East 1st Street North Vancouver, BC V7L 4L2 Phone: (604) 990-9970 • Fax: (604) 990-9971 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. Airmail $165. Single copy, Canada $6; elsewhere $10. Reproduction prohibited without permission of the publisher. ISSN 0226-7572. Back copies from 1996 onward are available through our website www.forestnet.com Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064045 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to CIRCULATION DEPT. PO Box 86670 Stn Main North Vancouver BC V7L 4L2 e-mail: SubscribeLSJ@forestnet.com POSTMASTER: Send US address changes to LSJ Publishing Ltd., PO Box 610, Edmonds, WA 98020-0610 Published March/April 2018 Printed in Canada on 20% recycled paper.

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On the Cover:

B.C. Interior logging company Wadlegger Logging and Construction Ltd. are deploying their leveling feller bunchers and the Tractionline winchassist system to help their logging equipment work efficiently and safely up and down steep slopes. (Photo by Anthony Robinson)

6 Spotlight:

New biofuel investment for Newfoundland

British-Based AEG is targeting Newfoundland for its first Canadian investment in its biofuel technology—and it is looking to re-start a business plan involving forestlands in Alberta.

12 Top Lumber

Producers—Who's on Top?

Logging and Sawmilling Journal’s exclusive annual listing of Canada’s Top Lumber Producers, produced in co-operation with industry consultants, International WOOD MARKETS Group.

18 An outstanding

logger...

The Canadian Woodlands Forum’s Atlantic Outstanding Logging Contractor Award has gone to veteran logging contractor Dana Day, who has been involved in forestry for more than 50 years.

26 Move over CLT—

make room for DLT (Dowel Laminated Timber)

Mass Timber Products are a hot item these days, and B.C. is now home to a multi-million dollar production facility that is turning out a fairly new product to North America: Dowel Laminated Timber (DLT).

DEPARTMENTS

Calendar.......................................... 10 Tech Update: Winch-Assist Systems... 72 Suppliernewsline............................. 75 Classifieds....................................... 79 Subscriptions................................... 79 Ad Index.......................................... 81

34 BC Saw Filers

Convention coming up

Logging and Sawmilling Journal previews the upcoming BC Saw Filers Convention, to be held in Kamloops, B.C. April 26-28, which promises to be a great exhibition of all the latest in technology, products and services in saw filing.

44 Getting traction in the B.C. Interior

A Tractionline winch-assist system is meeting the multiple needs of B.C. Interior logging operation, Wadlegger Logging and Construction Ltd., including on steep slopes and tough ground conditions.

54 Going the distance...

Building logging road and bridges on the tough B.C. Coast requires equipment that can go the distance—and then some— and Powell River contractor Bob Marquis has found the right equipment that can take on some pretty punishing ground.

67 The Edge

Included in this edition of The Edge, Canada’s leading publication on research in the forest industry, are stories from the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre, Alberta Innovates, Alberta Agriculture and FPInnovations.

82 The Last Word

The traditional lands decision from the Supreme Court of Canada is resulting in more dialogue and accommodation, says Tony Kryzanowski.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

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spotlight

With the launch of its first Coalswitch biofuel production facility in Utah (pictured), AEG now wants to build another commercial plant in Newfoundland.

New biofuel investment for Newfoundland British-Based AEG is targeting Newfoundland for its first Canadian investment in its biofuel technology—and it is looking to re-start a business plan involving forestlands in Alberta. By Tony Kryzanowski

ritish-based Active Energy Group (AEG) has secured an agreement in principle for the right to harvest some 140,000 cubic metres of wood each year for 20 years from the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland, as part of plans to build a biofuel facility in the province. AEG is planning to build a biofuel production facility in the region through a subsidiary, Advanced Biomass Solutions, applying the company’s CoalSwitch technology that involves using wood fibre. Company CEO Richard Spinks told Logging and Sawmilling Journal (LSJ) that the company has earmarked $47 million (U.S.) for capital spending on the Newfoundland project this year. They are hoping to locate their biofuel production plant at an idled sawmill and pellet plant located in Roddickton. The plan is to produce 40,000 tonnes per year, using wood fibre from their forest holdings, as well as wood waste

from other suppliers, but the company is waiting for government approval to initiate Phase 1 of their investment plan. The company anticipates that five to seven ships will transport their biofuel through the nearby port of St. Anthony to markets in Europe, where Spinks says that they have already secured buyers. They

are also hoping to develop a local market for their biofuel to use as a heating fuel alternative to propane and natural gas. The biofuel production plant is expected to employ about 56 people in Roddickton and another 14 in St. Anthony. More people will be employed within their forest harvesting operations. AEG recently opened a CoalSwitch biofuel production facility in Utah. It claims— with the backing of research investigating the CoalSwitch production process and final product at the University of Utah—that the main benefit of its biofuel is that it can be substituted for coal without the need for any retrofitting by the coal-fired power plant. It describes the finished product as a cellulose-based fuel using low value wood waste, such as forestry, pulp mill and sawmill byproducts. The finished fuel can be delivered in a range of different compacted to page 8

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

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spotlight from page 6 formats such as pellets, granules, briquettes or bales. The name AEG may ring a bell with some LSJ readers, as the magazine reported in 2014 that the company had developed a joint venture with three northern Alberta Metis communities and Ronald M. Derrickson, Grand Chief of British Columbia for Life, who is Chairman of the RMD Group, to monetize timber resources within their communities. Shortly after that, a joint venture, KAQUO Forestry and Natural Resources Development Corporation, was launched. The goal was to both sell timber permits to the over 200,000 hectares of forest under Metis control as well as work with the communities on a variety of forestry-related manufacturing ventures. But the situation went sideways. The Alberta government stepped in with a Ministerial Order based on an independent review, demanding that more ‘due diligence’ be conducted to lay out the joint venture’s plans for managing the forest resource before it would allow development to proceed. What ensued over the next three years

Energy company AEG says that it can use any wood fibre to produce its Coalswitch biofuel, including salt-saturated hog material commonly stockpiled on B.C.’s coast. was plenty of drama. There was considerable dialogue between the Conservative provincial government of the day, representatives of the Metis communities and AEG, as well as a decision by Derrickson to leave the joint venture, and eventually, the complete collapse of the joint venture. Spinks describes the behavior of the

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Conservative government as nothing more than an unvarnished attempt to put the brakes on the joint venture. He says that AEG was notified by the government that because it was the Metis Settlements and not AEG that was being investigated, the government would not review their ‘due diligence’ documents on this endeavor.

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spotlight “Some 6,500 printed pages of due diligence, prepared by three leading Canadian law firms, three independent forestry consultancies and verified by a global investment group managing over $50 billion using their own independent consultants,”—that’s how Spinks describes the material that AEG was eager to share with the Alberta government. “Due diligence cost (us) over $1.5 million.” He says that government never did review AEG’s material. That lack of review was, in his opinion, to cover the government’s own mishandling of the issue. However, this contentious relationship changed with the election of a new NDP government in Alberta. The Court also quashed two governmental Ministerial Orders related to the joint venture in May 2017, primarily because the joint venture no longer exists. Spinks says that the new government is much more welcoming, even adopting a new policy of encouraging more aboriginal involvement in future renewable energy projects. And AEG itself has adopted a new approach in its dealings with the three Metis communities. Instead of working with all three communities at once, it is aiming for a more phased-in approach, choosing to work with one community at a time. But the goal is still to help all three Metis communities to eventually monetize their considerable timber resources and deploy AEG’s CoalSwitch technology. The community it is hoping to work with first is the Paddle Prairie Metis Community. “Let bygones be bygones, is my position,” says Spinks, regarding what has occurred in Alberta. “We still care very much about our friends in the Metis Settlements in Alberta, and we still intend to operate a business with them.” Settlement representatives were in attendance at AEG’s launch of its biofuel facility in Utah. There were many positive outcomes from the turbulence in Alberta, Spinks says, one being that all three communities now have forest management plans. Since 2014, there has been an election at the Paddle Prairie Metis Community, with four new representatives on the five-person council, including individuals who have considerable experience in the forest industry. Representatives did attend the launch of AEG’s facility in Utah. When contacted by Logging and Sawmilling Journal, they said that there was nothing imminent between the community and AEG, and that based on what they witnessed in Utah, they will be carefully watching the evolution of

the commercialization of the CoalSwitch technology as well as AEG’s plans for capital investment in Newfoundland to evaluate if further discussions with AEG are worthwhile. In the meantime, they have adopted an open door policy and are in early discussions with a number of companies interested in working with the community to help them develop their forest resource. Spinks says that delays forced upon the joint venture partners by the Alberta

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

government mean that business development with the Metis in northern Alberta is now further down AEG’s development plans. For now, it is focused on developing its Newfoundland project, where Spinks says they have found a government much more agreeable to work with because commercialization of the forest in the Northern Peninsula is to their mutual benefit. to page 10

spotlight from page 9 The timberlands being made available to AEG in Newfoundland were turned back to the Crown by Corner Brook Pulp and Paper in 2010. According to a government assessment of the forest resource in that area, the timber is primarily smaller diameter balsam fir and black spruce. It is described as being difficult to monetize for solid wood products, making the AEG business proposal to use the

wood primarily as raw material for biofuel production a good alternative. Spinks says that AEG is currently involved in the negotiation and due diligence process with the Newfoundland government regarding their plans for a biofuel facility in Roddickton with the goal of achieving a full agreement very soon, adding that there is strong local support for what the company has planned. “Everything is looking very solid there

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and I hope we will be announcing something in the very near future in terms of moving the situation on to more of a commercial footing,” says Spinks. The Newfoundland and northern Alberta projects are just two of many potential projects that AEG is investigating in Canada. Spinks says since they now have a demonstration of their technology in Utah, he anticipates greater interest and faster development of future projects. One particular raw material source that is noteworthy and being investigated by AEG is the potential conversion of the large volume of salt-laden hog material on the B.C. Coast into biofuel using the company’s CoalSwitch technology. Spinks says that its technology is capable of converting this raw material into biofuel, which to this point, has proven difficult to accomplish because of its salt content. AEG claims that its process ‘cleanses’ the biomass raw material of salts, minerals and other contaminants before the conversion process.

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lumbermarkets

HOT MARKETS mean high lumber prices for Canada’s top producers

The current hot markets for lumber have resulted in soaring prices, but the last year has seen subdued production trends at Canada's top lumber producers, with some major companies seeing actual declines in production, due to the impact of forest fires and the ongoing impact of the mountain pine beetle. By Russ Taylor

EA Canada/WOOD MARKETS’ 2017 annual survey of the top 10 Canadian lumber producers featured mixed production trends in the west versus the east, despite a runaway lumber market in the U.S. Of the top 10 companies, four in Western Canada recorded production declines — not the trend you’d expect during a time of near-record-high to record-high lumber prices.

North American Shipments: Up 1.2 per cent

Total North American softwood lumber shipments rose for the seventh consecutive year in 2017, but were up just 1.2 per cent versus 2016 (from 61.16 billion board feet to 61.90 billion board feet). Steady growth in the U.S. housing market, combined with strong activity in residential repair and remodelling and a favourable export market in China, did not result in any significant production gains, but it did yield very high prices. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

Supply disruptions in western North America interacted with other events, leading to production stoppages or slowdowns. As a result, Canada’s total shipments declined by 1.7 per cent (-480 million board feet to 28.04 billion board feet), with total U.S. shipments gaining 3.7 per cent (+700 million board feet to 33.86 billion board feet). The growth in U.S. shipments during the year was the strongest in the South—up to page 14

lumbermarkets

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

lumbermarkets

All regions in Western Canada recorded declines, with the largest volume drop seen in B.C. (-700 million board

feet to 12.92 billion board feet; -5.1 per cent). B.C. Interior mill production was constrained by forest fires, ongoing sawlog supply limitations caused by the mountain pine beetle infestation, and the implementation of duties on Canadian lumber exports to the United States. The top 10 Canadian producers have seen their shipments grow at a slightly slower pace than the overall Canadian industry since 2014. In 2017, the softwood lumber shipments of the top 10 decreased marginally versus a larger decline in Canada as a whole (-1.4 per cent for the top 10; -1.7 per cent for Canada). The Canadian top 10 saw their output decline from 16.39 billion

14 CFI_Bidgroup_COMAC_HPJanFeb18_MLD.indd 1

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

from page 12 880 million board feet (+5.1 per cent) to 18.23 billion board feet; the West was at 14.04 billion board feet (+2.0 per cent). Shipments from Eastern Canada overall rose, led by Ontario with an increase of 270 million board feet to 2.37 billion board feet (+12.8 per cent), growth in Quebec of only 0.7 per cent, and a small (1 per cent) increase in Atlantic Canada.

Volume Drop in B.C.

board feet in 2016 to 16.16 billion board feet last year, while their share of national production held at 57.6 per cent. The drop in shipments is a function of many factors, but the implementation of import duties to the U.S. in early 2017 was one in particular that caused Canadian companies to re-evaluate their markets and mills—especially B.C. Interior mills (i.e., in terms of optimizing for anticipated changes in the log profile and projected reductions in overall timber supply). Given the duties, Canadian mill investments in the U.S. South are proving very strategic due to ample timber supply in the region and high sawmilling margins (the result of subdued timber prices due to oversupply). There was one notable U.S. acquisition in 2017: West Fraser’s purchase of Gilman Lumber’s six sawmills. Currently, the collective U.S. mill count of West Fraser, Canfor and Interfor (45 mills) allows their sawmill operations to enjoy excellent diversification on both sides of the border. Turning to the ranking of the top 10 to page 16

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lumbermarkets from page 14 Canadian firms, six were based in Western Canada and four in the East. The top five Canadian producers in 2017 were ranked as follows: West Fraser, Canfor, Resolute (to #3 from #4), Tolko (from #3 to #4), and J.D. Irving (of note, the latter’s Canadian production entered the top 5 for the first time). Collectively, these producers had production of 12.1 billion board feet (43.2 per cent of Canadian lumber

output) versus 12.2 billion board feet in 2016. There were a few ranking changes in the top five list: West Fraser retained its top spot, increasing its output only incrementally to 3.80 billion board feet (+0.3 per cent) at 13 Canadian mills; Canfor stayed in second position with 3.74 billion board feet and recorded a small output decline of 43 million board feet (-1.1 per cent); Resolute moved into third spot and gained 167 million board feet (+9.1 per cent) to reach a healthy 2.01 billion board feet; Tolko placed fourth, with its output falling by 277 million board feet to 1.62 billion board feet (-14.6 per cent) after closing its Merritt, B.C. mill in Q1/17; and, at #5, J.D. Irving recorded 920 million board feet of production.

Wild Card for 2018

The wild card for 2018 is the extremely high level of U.S. lumber prices (inflated partly by the imposition of U.S. duties on Canadian lumber and also as a result of only small increases in North American lumber output). High prices attracted a 50 per cent increase in offshore exports in 2017 and there are a dozen new sawmill projects planned for the U.S. South. As a result, U.S. lumber production will be expanding, but at some point this new supply (and imports) will put negative pressure on prices. This will be discussed at length during WOOD MARKETS’ Global Softwood Log & Lumber Conference, to be held in Vancouver May 9–10, 2018. ___________________________________ International WOOD MARKETS Group Inc. has provided industry and market expertise in the solid wood products field to its clients since 1993. The firm also publishes a number of strategic industry multi-client reports including its landmark WOOD Markets Monthly International Report (since 1996), the monthly China Bulletin (since 2007), and various five-year forecast reports. The company’s various conferences are key ways to inform producers, exporters and importers of key trends in global markets. Further information is available at www.woodmarkets.com In August 2017, WOOD MARKETS was purchased by Forest Economic Advisors LLC (FEA) based in Massachusetts. Russ Taylor, formerly the President of the International Wood Markets Group, has assumed the role of Managing Director of FEA-Canada. Russ and his team will continue to spearhead the production of WOOD MARKETS’ key publications and Russ will remain available to lead independent research projects. 16

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

contractorprofile

An outstanding logger... The Canadian Woodlands Forum’s Atlantic Outstanding Logging Contractor Award has gone to veteran logging contractor Dana Day, who has been involved in forestry for more than 50 years. By George Fullerton

he Canadian Woodlands Forum sponsors the Atlantic Outstanding Logging Contractor Award to recognize contractors and their contributions to sustainable forest management, and the 2017 award went to Dana S. Day Ltd., a harvest contracting operation based out of Wittenberg, in central Nova Scotia. Dana Day has been involved in forestry for more than 50 years, with his first forestry job coming at age seven, going in to a lumber camp with his father on the weekends to feed horses. As a youth, Day worked in the woods with family, on weekends and holidays, then went to work full time following high school. His first paid employment was trail cutting eight-foot wood for his uncle, Carl to page 20 18

Nova Scotia logging contractor Dana Day (above). Day's operations have been a repeat stop for the Canadian Woodlands Forum’s annual Teacher Tour. “It’s important for the forest industry to share with the public how our industry works and how we manage the resource sustainably,” says Day. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

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contractorprofile from page 18 Gilroy, who had a sizeable harvest contracting operation. “My uncle was a great guy to work for,” says Day. “He certainly taught me a lot about forestry work and equipment.” When Gilroy decided to downsize (aiming to retire) he sold a forwarder, a Buckmaster (sort of a pulpwood slasher) and pulp log loader to Day. After operating the forwarder for a time, Day sold it and bought a skidder. Over time, he hired crew and added skidders, building the operation to 22 employees, only a couple of which were younger than him. The business expanded to include trucking wood. Since his early days in contract harvesting, Day has been associated with the pulp mill operating at Abercrombie Point in the western end of the Nova Scotia mainland. In the early days, the mill operated as Scott Paper, and after a few different owners, is currently operating as Northern Pulp. Day moved into cut-to-length harvesting with a double grip Rottne in 1990, but soon traded up to a single grip Rottne,

and had a series of three machines through to 2004. “The challenge with single grip harvesters was to have the quality of wood which allows the harvester to work productively.

Our typical stands were more often low volume and a feller buncher followed by processors were much more productive.” Day eventually moved away from the harvesters, and teamed feller bunchers

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

contractorprofile Dana Day’s confidence in Cat equipment resulted in the purchase of the new 521 B processor (left). The machine is dressed up with a remanufactured LogMax Extreme head. It’s a high capacity and high performance head, and the 521 B machine is a great match for it, says Matthew Day (inset photo), Dana’s son.

with tracked processors, but stuck with Rottne for forwarding power. His current harvesting kit consists of two bunchers, two processors and two Rottne 16 tonne forwarders.

Day’s operator team includes Derek Ruggles on a John Deere 835G buncher with a Gilbert head. Carl Killam operates a TK 711 processor with LogMax 7000 head. Day’s son, Matthew, runs the new Cat 521B processor with LogMax 7000 Extreme head. Day’s cousin, Donnie Day, is the full time operator on one of the 16 tonne Rottne forwarders. With the exception of Donnie Day, the crew has been working with Day for around 20 years. On site is a second buncher, a TK 711 with Gilbert head, and a second Rottne 16 tonne forwarder. These act as backup machines and Day operates either, depending on where the extra machine is required.

The sixth man on the team is Ralph Larkin, who in addition to taking care of machine maintenance and repair, also acts as safety rep, keeping an eye on the whole operation from a work safe perspective. The crew participate in monthly tailgate meetings specifically for safety review. “Our crew focuses on safety every day,” explains Day. “We often use our two-way radios to bring attention to potential safety risks we see, so everyone stays aware and avoids those risks.” The Day operation is also audited periodically by the Nova Scotia Forest Safety Society and has a Certificate of Recognition. Day confesses a certain affinity with Caterpillar equipment for bunchers and processors. “I have great confidence in the quality and performance of Cat (and Timber King) machines. We have gained a good deal of experience with Cat, and we understand what they need for long life and productivity. There is also a certain efficiency in

to page 22

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contractorprofile from page 21

“With the FPDats, everyone is accountable,” he says. The operators punch in codes to identify uptime or downtime. The data it provides shows the contractor the uptime for the machine and reasons for downtime. Day said that if the

machines are working productively, but roadside volumes are not meeting targets, there is a good argument to look at the nature of the stands and consider an adjustment on pay rates.

stocking parts that fit in several machines. “I’m very committed to using Cat OEM parts,” he added. “I know and trust Cat parts and filters. When I bought our first Cat-powered machine, a service rep pointed out that service life for major components (engines, pumps etc.) was about 10,000 hours. I told him I didn’t like to hear that, and if the salesman had shared that information before the deal was signed, I would not have bothered to buy the equipment in the first place.” But that service life estimate has been significantly exceeded. “I’ve found that my Cat machines have operated in excess of 30,000 hours before we had major rebuilds on those components” says Day. “We take good care and focus on service and are satisfied with the life and production we get out of the gear.” That confidence in Cat resulted in purchase of the new 521 B processor. The machine is dressed up with a remanufactured LogMax Extreme head. The head was overhauled by LogMax at their Moncton, New Brunswick, shop. It is a high capacity and high performance head, and the 512 is a great match for it, says Matthew Day. For years, Day operated his machines on a double shift basis. “I never liked that schedule very much,” he explained. “I’m old fashioned, and I don’t sleep while I have people out working for me. Our night shift would get done at midnight and the day shift would start at 5 a.m. I would not go to sleep until midnight and then I would be up at 5 a.m., to see the crew get started. “It was an intense schedule and I got tired of it so I decided I would move to single shift. I made my intention clear to the logging supervisors and they were not very happy, but I was convinced to go single shift. I knew my production and my business structure and I knew it would work. I would never consider going back to double shift.” Currently, the work shift typically starts at 5 a.m. and operators shut machines down around 5 p.m. Extended commutes to the work sites may adjust the start/quit times somewhat. All the machines are equipped with FPDat data recorders. Day explained it was his decision to install the devices. He uses the data to analyze machine productivity and shares the information with Northern Pulp logging personnel if there is concern about production or rates.

The operation’s TK 711 buncher with Gilbert head (above). Dana Day confesses a certain affinity with Caterpillar equipment for bunchers and processors. “I have great confidence in the quality and performance of Cat (and Timber King) machines,” he says.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

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Contractor Dana Day active in local watershed group, and school tours

ova Scotia logging contractor Dana Day makes an active contribution to the local Wittenberg community, including his faith community. He is also active in the Stewiacke Watershed Group. “I live in the Stewiacke River Valley and I heard the watershed group was looking for volunteers to serve on committees,” he explained. “I emailed the group offering to participate—and they replied that I would be welcome.” Day brought a wealth of knowledge of forestry operations and protecting water quality to the organization. He began working on a set of Best Management Practices guidelines for forestry operations. The guidelines were ratified first by the Stewiacke Watershed group and also by the provincial government. Dana S Day Ltd. operations have been a repeat stop for the Canadian Woodlands Forum’s annual Teacher Tour. “It’s important for the forest industry to share with the public how our industry works and how we manage the resource sustainably,” says Day. “Teachers are very important because they can share what they learn on the tour with their peers and their students. I explain our operation in detail and I always underline that whatever I harvest, it turns green behind me. “I am actually harvesting in the same blocks I harvested in when we were operating with skidders, in the early years.” Day’s operation has also become a repeat destination for the South Colchester

High School students who tour workplaces, which give students a perspective of diverse industries which don’t necessarily require a university education. “We share the ins and outs of the forest industry, and our operation. The students get in machines, we get them to increment bore trees, and many other things such as GPS mapping,” explains Day. He shares with the students that while they might not need a university education to work in a mechanical harvesting operation, they won’t be able to go to work with a contractor with only Grade 6 abilities. The Day operation typically works within about a one-hour commute of their base in Wittenberg, Nova Scotia. Occasionally, Northern Pulp has a more distant block assigned, as was the case recently, with a harvest block (on Crown land) south of Aylesford, in the Annapolis Valley. The Annapolis valley has some of the most productive agricultural soils in the province, with orchards, vineyards and all sorts of cash crop and livestock operations. Heading south from the valley, the rocks get bigger and more numerous, with every kilometre. At the Day harvest site, the granite boulders are presented in all sizes, right up to the proportions of a modest bungalow. The terrain is hard on tracks, hard on operators, and hard on maintenance staff. The buncher will pick a good trail and Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

work around obstacles, and the processors just have to follow that initial trail, confident they have a good safe trail. The forwarders follow the trail, and can work productively. “Sometimes I will work around a particularly rocky spot, and get in as best I can,” explained buncher operator Derek Ruggles. “And sometimes we just have to leave some, simply because we cannot access them because there is just too much big rock.” Paul Gilbert, forest operations supervisor with Northern Pulp, was behind the nomination of Dana Day Ltd. for Outstanding Logging Contractor of the Year. While Gilbert has only three years at Northern Pulp, his career has seen him working in the industry for nearly 30 years. “It was simply an honour to nominate Dana for the award. Not only is he a gentleman, he is very professional in his business dealings and his forestry operation. When I am working with Dana, there are no worries about safety, environment or production targets,” says Gilbert. “His work sites are always tidy, as is his service truck. The truck is well designed, well equipped and well managed, with parts and tools in their proper places. “Dana’s crew always meets performance targets and he’s the first operator to shut down when conditions get wet and there are environmental concerns,” said Gilbert.

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Move over CLT —make room for DLT (Dowel Laminated Timber)

ass Timber Products are one of the most in-demand construction materials these days, and a B.C. company is now on the cutting edge in this market, taking Mass Timber Products even further with a new engineered wood product manufacturing facility—turning out a new product—in the Fraser Valley, near Vancouver. Replacing traditional structural systems such as concrete and steel, prefabricated solid wood panels such as Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) are very successful at 26

creating a construction method which is clean and sustainable—and very, very fast. But StructureCraft Builders Inc recently opened a new 50,000 square foot production facility in Abbotsford, B.C., which is now turning out a new product to North America: Dowel Laminated Timber (DLT), with panels that can be used for floor, wall and roof structures. The company’s new plant—constructed of a variety of mass timber and engineered wood products—is the first mill in North America to develop and automate the production of DLT for green construction purposes. Illustrating the speed of Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

timber construction, the manufacturing building superstructure was completed in just five days. While there is a fair bit of equipment in the plant—mostly European-manufactured—the production process for DLT is relatively simple: laminations of premilled finger-jointed dimensional lumber are friction-fit to each other, on edge, using a series of ¾” hardwood dowels, that are hydraulically pressed into pre-drilled holes. The lumber used as raw material at StructureCraft is generally undervalued SPF, and includes pine beetle-affected

engineeredwood wood from B.C. However, the process lends itself to virtually any softwood, like Douglas fir, Hem Fir or Cedar. The plant creates a high quality wood product without nails or glue, as is required in Nail Laminated Timber (NLT) and CLT. The new plant will produce more than half a million square feet of product annually, on one shift. And in terms of input and output, any board width can be used, not just 2 x material. Boards of 3 x, 4 or even 6 x material can be processed through the company’s finger jointer, moulder and DLT machine. In addition to being the first DLT plant in North America, StructureCraft is able to produce the largest DLT panels in the world, with lengths of 60 feet, vs. lengths of 40 feet in Europe. “It makes sense to have that because the trucks and roads allow longer loads here,” says Gerald Epp Jr., estimating engineer with StructureCraft. It also makes sense that their equipment is sourced from Europe, since the market for DLT is well established there, where there are upwards of 15 DLT manufacturing plants. DLT offers a number of benefits, including being more cost effective since the system uses less material than competing methods, and the replacement of concrete and steel with DLT offers high carbon sequestration potential. But perhaps its biggest benefit is the speed with

which it can be erected, vs. conventional construction. And regardless of the project, whether it is a hotel, condominiums or an office, time is money, to developers and builders. For those involved with the industry, StructureCraft Builders may be a familiar name. The company has 20 years of experience in design, fabrication and construction and working with architects to build complex timber structures. It was founded by Gerald Epp, President of StructureCraft, who feels the time has clearly come for DLT. “This kind of innovative manufacturing using large quantities of Canadian forest products will help fuel the rapidly growing demand for advanced green building products that is revolutionizing the construction industry in North America,” he said. Gerald Epp Jr., his son, sees a big market niche for DLT. “It’s a huge opportunity—I think we are going to be very busy with this new equipment.” Prior to building the new facility, StructureCraft had a smaller production plant in Delta, B.C. where they produced NLT and other engineered wood products. “We were kind of crammed in there, but it did the job for us for quite a few years,” says Epp. “But the dream was always to to page 28

StructureCraft Builders Inc recently opened a new 50,000 square foot production plant in Abbotsford, B.C., which is now turning out Dowel Laminated Timber (DLT). The company’s new plant is the first mill in North America to develop and automate the production of DLT for green construction purposes. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

engineeredwood from page 27 build our own timber building. It suits us so much better.” Both the building, and the DLT equipment it contains, were custom designed for the company. He noted that StructureCraft has had a tradition of being involved in complex, one-off timber design projects. “But those projects usually come in spurts. And we wanted to have something that will give us a baseline of work—and invest in machinery and have a product line that provides us with much more consistent business.” And the business they chose was Dowel Laminated Timber. “We could have invested in a CLT plant, but one of the main reasons we opted for DLT is that no one is producing DLT in North America right now,” says Epp. “We see DLT as having a number of distinct advantages, including structural efficiency and aesthetics.” Another advantage of DLT is that they can produce it quickly—unlike CLT, there is almost no glue involved in producing DLT, so there is no glue or press curing time. The fully automated loading and pressing process means a panel can be manufactured as quickly as every five to 10 minutes, at the Abbotsford plant. The only glue in DLT is in the finger jointed wood that goes into the DLT. “The end product is 99.99 percent wood,” says Epp. “There is only a bit of glue—one-half of one per cent of what CLT uses—in DLT, so that is a pretty big advantage for people looking for an all-wood product.” This gets the product big points on Leadership in Energy and Environmental

Gerald Epp Jr. (right) and Stephen Clark of StructureCraft Builders, with samples of Dowel Laminated Timber (DLT). Design (LEED) projects. It also gets points, of course, for wood being a natural product, vs. steel or concrete. Epp added that the new plant features a lot of new technology, and they worked with their suppliers to drive up the speed of the production process. The customdesigned DLT machine was a year in research and development, and is said to be the largest and fastest in the world. This is important because they see DLT as the next evolution, in a number of ways, from CLT and NLT, in Mass Timber Products—with a fast growing market. With the new equipment set-up and DLT, they are also able to produce a finer product finish. “For a hotel project we are doing, for example, we are able to offer a much finer finish now with DLT because we are doing four-sided moulding. And on the construction side, we can also put it

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

in much faster since it is a panelized system—and the finish is built into the panel, so there is no need for drywall.” And, he adds, there are a number of surface profiles available. Essentially, StructureCraft is dealing with marketing DLT to architects, and they stress its structural efficiency, and speed of construction. “Cost-wise, a Mass Timber type project might be more expensive, but you have faster construction, quieter construction, cleaner construction—and that finished product,” says Epp. Mass Timber structures are also 30 per cent lighter than their steel equivalent, and 60 per cent lighter than equivalent posttensioned concrete building, meaning they can have smaller foundations, and lower seismic loads. to page 30

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engineeredwood from page 28 At a time when some regions in the U.S. are experiencing shortages of skilled construction labour, DLT and other Mass Timber products also offer the advantage of requiring fewer construction workers. “There are fewer people required, and all that the people on the site are doing is screwing panels together, making mechanical connections,” says Epp. There are definitely some architects who are leading the move to using Mass Timber Panels, such as DLT—Michael Green of Vancouver is one. Green has spoken many times about the advantages of building with wood products, and was involved with a high profile Mass Timber project in the U.S., as was StructureCraft (see sidebar story). In addition to the hotel project, StructureCraft is producing and installing DLT panels for a museum project in Texas, an airport expansion project in Smithers, B.C. and a roof over a pool in Aldergrove, B.C. The company figures that, eventually, 70 to 80 per cent of their DLT sales will be to the U.S. “The market is so much bigger down there,” explains Epp. Being an engineered wood product, they are able to steer clear of the softwood lumber duties. Right now, their sales are split evenly between Canada and the U.S. Epp noted that in Canada and in B.C. particularly, contractors are used to working with CLT and glu-lam products, so the knowledge and acceptance level of Mass Timber Products is reasonably high. “It’s less so in the U.S., where the product is still pretty new,” he says. “But with our production and design staff, we think that we can add a lot of value to people who are not that familiar with using wood.” The company has 10 experienced timber engineers on staff to capably handle just about any type of building, from residential through to large office buildings. They are able to offer turnkey service, doing design, supply and delivery of the DLT panels. “We can take it right through to providing our own crews, to install the panels, on any site in North America.” Customers, of course, are able to order DLT panels for a project, and arrange for the construction themselves, too. Though they will end up shipping a lot of product south, staying in B.C. makes a lot of sense, says Epp. He says they appreciate and benefit from the infrastructure

Panels made of beetle-killed wood used on Mass Timber project

he largest modern Mass Timber building (to date) in the U.S. was completed in 2016—and StructureCraft Builders Inc crews were able to install the 180,000 square foot timber superstructure in only 9.5 weeks, reflecting the speed with which they are able to complete projects, with this building material. With the successful launch of the building, dubbed T3 Minneapolis (Timber, Technology, Transportation), the project reinforced the trend of tall wood construction in North America reaching new heights. Internet retailing giant Amazon is the first major tenant in the building. It was designed by Vancouver-based Michael Green Architecture. Company principal Michael Green has been a big proponent of the use of wood in building construction. While StructureCraft recently opened its new Dowel Laminated Timber (DLT) plant in Abbotsford, B.C., the company used Nail Laminated (NLT) Timber on the Minneapolis project. Approximately 3,600 cubic metres of SPF wood were used in the seven

to page 32 30

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

storey structure, which will sequester about 3,200 tonnes of carbon for the life of the building. That was an important consideration, since the building is LEED Gold Certified. Timber was erected at a speed exceeding conventional steel-framed or concrete buildings—a floor was completed at an average of every nine days. Over 1,100 8’ x 20’ NLT panels were used in the project—the equivalent square footage of nine hockey rinks. The majority of the NLT was made of lumber from trees killed by the mountain pine beetle in B.C. It was, says Gerald Epp Jr., estimating engineer with StructureCraft, a terrific project to be involved with. “As engineers, our love for pushing the edge in timber construction led us to create new connection ideas, erection methodologies, and carry out full scale testing for this project, in pursuit of creating the most efficient structure possible,” said Epp. “We have a vision for perfecting this new system of building with wood and are eager for new opportunities to apply our ideas.”

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engineeredwood from page 30

production cost. It’s hard to predict, but we see lumber prices leveling off, because they are so high right now.” They currently source their lumber through brokers, but they might look at having a direct relationship with sawmills or forest companies, if there are benefits to that approach. Generally, they use #2 and better SPF, but sometimes they use different species, such as Douglas Fir or Alaskan Yellow Cedar. “It might help, dealing directly with a mill, but we’ll see how it goes,” says Epp. For now, they are focused on tweaking their equipment, so they can meet what they expect will be a very healthy order sheet. “All the CLT manufacturers are solidly booked right now—and we expect we will be, too, soon,” says Epp. “We see a lot of potential with DLT, and we think the next year is going to be very busy. “As with any new equipment, the challenge is going to be in fine tuning it, and that is going to be our push over the next few months.”

the wood industry has in B.C. Through the federal government, the company received a $1.9 million investment from the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program. It offers non-repayable contributions to Canadian forestry businesses to implement innovative, first-in-kind technologies in their facilities. The goal of the program is to provide funding for projects at the pilot to commercialization phase, with the intent of helping these technologies get to market. Even though they are not subject to duties on shipping DLT to the U.S., there has been an impact on StructureCraft’s costs, due to the increase in lumber prices with the softwood dispute. The tariff has the effect of driving up global prices for all wood products, whether it is dimensional lumber or DLT, says Epp. “It’s not good for the wood manufacturing industry and companies like ourselves, but we have not seen it slowing down peoples’ interest in DLT. At the end of the day, the raw material is only a certain percentage of the total overall

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

B.C. home to world’s tallest Mass Timber tower—at least for now

he world’s tallest Mass Timber tower, Brock Commons Tallwood House, was completed in 2017, in Canada. Suitably, considering the province’s great forestry heritage, it was built in B.C. The 18-storey, LEED Gold, student residence building is at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. It was said to be extraordinary for the speed at which the timber structure and prefabricated facade went up—in only 66 days. At 2,233 cubic meters, the building utilizes a large amount of timber that stores 1,753 metric tons of carbon dioxide and avoids production of 679 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. B.C. based Structurlam manufactured the building’s Mass Timber package, including Crosslam CLT panels and Glulam PLUS pillars, at its plant in Okanagan Falls, B.C. Prefabrication of the Mass Timber components took place at the plant, allowing the building process to move much faster than anticipated. After the building components were completed, the materials arrived on site in the exact order in which they were needed for installation, allowing for a swift, streamlined assembly. At a pace of one floor per three days, the entire process took a total of only eight weeks to reach topping off.

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BC Saw Filers:

Sharpening their skills The upcoming BC Saw Filers’ Association Conference and Trade Show—being held April 26 to 28 in Kamloops—will feature the latest developments, with industry specialists talking about everything from bandsaw alignment best practices to the latest developments in precision-cutting technology.

By S.J. Trotton

embers of the BC Saw Filers’ Association (BCSFA) know that the decision on where to position the blade on any given log can be just as important, from a financial perspective, as ensuring the teeth on a saw used in a mill achieve the best results in value recovery.

That’s one of the reasons why they continue to organize an annual saw filers’ conference and trade show that is typically a heavily-attended function with dozens of industry specialists from around the province gathering in the B.C. Interior to hear about the latest industry developments. This year’s annual event, to be held at

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

the Coast Hotel and Convention Centre in Kamloops April 26 to 28, is looking like it will again be a success, with demand from both exhibitors for floor space and attendees who recognize the value in learning about everything from bandsaw alignment best practices to the latest developments in saw knife and precisioncutting technology.

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Saw Filers’—Exhibitor List Andritz Iggesund Tool Canada Ltd. www.andritz.com

Jayrod Consulting & Sales www.jayrodcanada.ca

Saw+Add LLC www.saw-add.com

Bestar LLC www.bestar-steel.com

Kennametal www.kennametal.com

Canadian Forest Products www.canfor.com

Key Knife www.keyknife.com

Simonds Int. / Burton Saw / Cut Technologie www.burtonsaw.com

Carbide Tool Works Ltd. carbidesawsharpening.ca

Logging & Sawmilling Journal www.forestnet.com

Chevron Canada Ltd. www.chevron.ca

Optimil Machinery Inc. www.optimil.com

Cut Technologies cuttech.com

Peerless Saw Company www.peerlesssaw.com

Fuchs Lubricants www.fuchs.com

Petro-Canada Lubricants www.lubricants.petro-canada.com

Grache USA www.grasche.com

Precision Guide Machinery and Repair www.pgmr.ca

HMT Machine Tools Canada www.HMTCanada.ca

Premier Bandwheel & Equipment Ltd www.premierbandwheel.com

Hodgson Saw Ltd.

Promac Group www.promacgroup.ca

Industrial Autolube International www.autolube.ca

The provincial association that runs the affair is an independent, grassroots organization which aims to encourage the wide-ranging dissemination of knowledge and resources for the benefit of all those involved in the saw filing trade. Attendees will once again hear about the developments in saw filing optimization, the most up-to-date trends in auto-

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mation and the continuing need for more people to consider entering the saw filing trade. “The association has identified the need for more qualified saw filers for many years and the need continues to grow” says Matt Graves, BCSFA secretary and Tolko Industries Lavington Division saw filer veteran. “With more filers con-

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

Streifel Industries Ltd. www.streifelindustries.com Supersaul Chemmex Inc. www.supersaulchemmex.com The Sharp Tool Company www.sharptool.com USNR www.usnr.com Voestalpine Precision Strip www.voestalpine.com Western Forest Products www.westernforest.com Williams & White Group of Companies www.williamsandwhite.com YGE Equipment www.ygeonline.com

tinuing to retire, the aging demographic gap is more apparent than ever.” Since 2016, the industry’s answer to combating the skilled saw filer shortage has been to hire back filers—who had already retired—on a contract basis in to page 36

industryevents from page 35 order to keep filing room operations running smoothly. Mill managers admit the solution is only a stop-gap measure and doesn’t begin to be a long-term answer. For this reason, this year’s conference and trade show will highlight recruiting information about training opportunities such as the program offered at the School of Trades and Technology at Thompson Rivers University (TRU). Located at the TRU campus in Williams Lake B.C., the saw filer apprentice program provides the knowledge and skills required to become both a provincially and inter-provincially certified tradesperson. It is the only program of its kind in Canada and the Western United States. The industry has always supported the program, recognizing how much it relies on skilled trades workers who can produce optimum results. Canfor Corporation is an example of how supportive the industry is of programs like the saw filing apprenticeship program in Williams Lake. to page 38

The BC Saw Filers’ Association has identified the need for more qualified saw filers for many years and the need continues to grow, with sawmills looking to maximize production, to take advantage of very healthy lumber markets.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

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industryevents from page 36 Last year Canfor donated a Vollmer CHC20 top and face grinder. With this donation, students were given a handson opportunity to learn how to operate, repair and make adjustments to this machine, which is considered to be one of the most crucial pieces of machinery used by industry saw filers. Before the equipment was donated, Canfor partnered with HMT Machine Tools Canada to rebuild the grinder. The work done by HMT will prolong the life of this equipment and ensure the learning environment suitably mimics the real-world. This year’s B.C. Saw Filers Conference and Trade Show will take place April 26 – 28. The trade show portion of the event will run two days this year and will begin at 12 pm and end at 7 pm both Thursday the 26th and Friday the 27th, and is open to all filers, mill managers and maintenance supervisors. “Building on the success from past years, this year’s conference once again promises to be a must-see exhibition of all the latest in technology, products and services,” Graves says. “And for this year, we are putting together a program that is bigger and better with the top names in saw filing all under one roof.” Last year, the trade show brought together dozens of exhibitors who featured the latest innovations in filing technology, products and services. Already confirmed for this year’s event are manufacturers known throughout the industry. Popular

Saw Filers Trade — Facts at a Glance • Saw filers operate, repair and adjust saw sharpening equipment and are trained to bench all circular and gang saws, including tensioning, welding cracks, welding on teeth and any other work that is usually performed by a saw filer in the lumber manufacturing industry. • Two trades make up the saw trades: saw filer and bench person. • Bench person endorsement certifies the trades person in bench band saw operation including the lining up of head rigs, grinding of band wheels and other tasks. • To begin an apprenticeship as a saw filer, learners must complete 840 hours of work-based training, working in a saw filing room and assisting saw filers in their work. • Once students have successfully completed the apprenticeship requirements, they receive a Certificate of Apprenticeship and are certified as a journeyperson in the trade.

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• Since its inception in 2013, the Thompson Rivers University Saw Filer program in Williams Lake has produced 219 graduates. The program’s current group has 16 apprentices. • The apprenticeship saw filing program in Williams Lake has a wait list. Those interested in applying are encouraged to visit: https://www.tru.ca/forms/trades/ apprenticeship/ • According to industry reports, saw filers in Canada can make anywhere between $29 to $47 per hour. • When saw filers sharpen their blades, the widely accepted two most important standards they evaluate are the clearance angles ground into the sides of the tips, and how dull the saw blades are run between sharpenings. • B.C.’s Industry Training Authority is responsible for overseeing all apprenticeship programs. To learn more about saw filing careers in general, visit: http://www.itabc.ca/ program/saw-filer.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

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industryevents from page 38 brand names like Saw+ADD, Corbilt, KeyKnife and the newly merged Simmons Knife & Saw, Burtons Saw & Supply and BGR will be front and centre at this year’s show. “We are expecting as many exhibitors as we had last year, if not more,” says Graves. “We’re excited to confirm these names and expect to be adding more shortly.” In addition to the exhibits, attendees will have a chance to hear from speakers who address topics that include best practices for working safely, safety products for filing rooms and the newest trade technologies currently available. “The speakers at this conference are always a popular attraction as they truly understand the needs of the industry and the fact our annual event is considered an important educational opportunity for all those in the industry,” maintains Graves. “For this reason, we always try to ensure we have something

new to offer attendees each year.” Following the annual general meeting, this year’s conference program will include: a talk from WorkSafeBC, a luncheon sponsored by Simonds International, an in-depth look at hand safety, an update from the Industry Training Authority (ITA) on the saw filer program, and highlights from industry leaders Precision Machinery, HMT Machine Tools and SiCam Systems.

centre stage. Hypnotist Wayne Lee is the confirmed act for this year. A published author, performance coach and awardwinning entertainer with more than 4,000 presentations to his name, Lee’s hypnotic techniques are said to “entertain, excite and mesmerize.” Those wishing to register as an exhibitor can do so through the association by filling out the registration form at: http:// bcsawfilers.com/news/. In order to streamline registration and to establish numbers for the dinner and show in advance, the association is offering pre-registration opportunities. When that process is complete, registration will open up to anyone else who may also want to attend. The association has also arranged for a block of rooms at the Coast Kamloops Hotel. Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-663-1144 using group code GFC 5212 or reference BC Saw Filers.

“Building on the success of past years, this year’s Saw Filer’s Conference once again promises to be a mustsee exhibition of all the latest in technology, products and services.”

“These conventions help with getting to know people in the industry. It’s a close-knit community which is open to helping each other out with challenges they may face at work,” says Graves. When the trade show wraps up, a full buffet dinner and entertainment will take

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GETTING TRACTION in the B.C. Interior

A Tractionline winch-assist system is meeting the multiple needs of B.C. Interior logging operation, Wadlegger Logging and Construction Ltd., including on steep slopes and tough ground conditions.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

steepslopelogging By Tony Kryzanowski

he amount of accessible wood located on flat or rolling terrain in some of Canada’s most active commercial logging environments is becoming scarce. So forest companies are now looking for ways to harvest good quality logs on steep slopes that, up until now, have been difficult to access safely and economically. The question now becomes how loggers can equip themselves to fulfill their clients’ needs, work safely, and still make money.

One veteran B.C. Interior logging company, Wadlegger Logging and Construction Ltd., owned by Hans and Sepp Wadlegger and based in Clearwater, have deployed their leveling feller bunchers and winch-assist technology developed in New Zealand called Tractionline to help their logging equipment work efficiently and safely up and down steep slopes. Winch-assist systems are most often applied for feller bunching, hoe chucking and skidding on steep slope. The Wadlegger logging operation recently put their Tractionline twin-line traction winch-assist system to work

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

developing ski trails on ungroomed powder snow away from the resort crowds for Blue River, B.C.-based, Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing. What was unusual about this contract is that they were purposely seeking fall lines, or the steepest way down the mountain for the purpose of skiing, rather than taking the conventional logging approach of choosing a path that to page 46

steepslopelogging

The equipment line-up at Wadlegger includes a Cat 558 hoe chucker, Cat 325DFM hoe chucker, Cat 325C log loader, and a Cat 535B grapple skidder. The company also operates a construction side that uses all the equipment needed to construct forestry roads, install bridges, and drill and blast. from page 45 is the most operationally efficient. Both Hans and Sepp are experienced skiers, which helped on this project because they could think like skiers with their plan of attack. Hans says that skiing in this type of environment is an amazing experience. “It wrecks the concept of going to a regular ski hill once you ski in this type of country,” he says. The Tractionline winch-assist system was developed by a company in Rotorua, New Zealand called Electrical & Machinery Services Ltd (EMS). The EMS product line is distributed in North America by Technical Forest Solutions (TFS) of Kelso, Washington. TFS is a dealer in the U.S. and it provides sales and service and distributes the EMS products into Canada through a network of dealers. TFS provides full factory support to the dealers. Woodland Equipment is one of that network of dealers, and sold the equipment to Wadlegger. Woodland is not the only dealer in B.C., as TFS distributes the 46

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

equipment on a non-exclusive basis in the province. This winch-assist technology is a system that can be installed on existing 25 tonne or larger excavators, allowing contractors to potentially extend the life of older excavators or purchase cheaper second hand units, re-purposing them as winchassist units without a huge capital outlay. According to EMS, the company designed considerable safety features into its winchassist system, stating that to its knowledge, it is the only system designed and manufactured to meet the stringent AS1418-1 safety standard, “which demands a safety factor of five-to-one on all components”. What this five-to-one ratio means is that the winch-assist system is designed to safely handle a much bigger load than other systems on the market, which have a 3:1 safety factor, whether they are single or dual lines. They chose the twin-line traction system for added safety. Hans says that it’s fine to have a winch-assist system, to page 48

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steepslopelogging from page 46 but owners and operators must have confidence that the system is designed in such a way that should a malfunction occur, there are safety measures in place for the forestry machine operator working at the end of the cable. And that is what this twin-line system provides. The Tractionline winch-assist system not only allows them to tackle logging on steep slopes, but also on terrain with less severe grade but with challenging ground conditions. Where the Wadleggers logged these ski trails, there was only about 50 per cent slope in some areas, but not the best ground conditions “It’s not always that the ground is too steep,” Hans says. “It’s often because it is too rocky, too difficult to maneuver, because of high stumps, or it is too wet. The Tractionline helps mitigate all that. The feller buncher operator can basically drive up and down as needed and relatively quickly. With what we are doing here, the only other way is traditional cable yarding.” The Wadleggers used their Tractionline

The Wadleggers used their Tractionline unit to assist both the feller buncher in harvesting wood and the hoe chucker to move logs down the hill on a particularly interesting project recently: the winch-assist system was put to work developing ski 1803WG12-Logging and Sawmill Journal March Westerra ILA-PrintReady.pdf 2018-03-21Skiing. 5:02 PM for Blue River,Doosan B.C.-based, Mike Wiegele1 Helicopter to page 50 trails April

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

steepslopelogging

Winch-assist logging works well on heli-ski trails

volved vertical clearcut logging of three ski runs following the fall lines, so that they get good skiing on these runs. “We are located in a very good snow belt in Blue River, so that gives us a chance to ski in very good powder all the way down the mountain.” The major difference with this type of logging is that it is vertical versus conventional clearcut logging which tends to be more horizontal to capture certain tree species at specific elevations. The average grade is about 40 per cent, which is challenging from a conventional logging perspective because it means that logging occurs straight up or straight down a hill for quite a long distance. Sayer was very pleased and impressed with the work that the Wadleggers were able to do, and that they were able to use the new ski trails this year once the snow was deep enough. Once the site is cleaned up this summer, they will be able to use the trails next November when there is only about a metre of snow.

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fairly easily by selective logging. Gladed ski trails are where some forest is purposely left standing for better trail visibility in poor light conditions. “Gladed ski trails are where you are taking out two-thirds of the trees, leaving a full one-third of the forest behind, which is harder to do with high lead logging,” say Sayer. He says that the company has been working with the Wadleggers to develop both gladed and conventional heli-ski trails since 2003. This latest project in-

ob Sayer, Operations Manager at Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing, says that based on his observations of Wadlegger Logging and Construction’s deployment of its Tractionline winch-assist system on the recent Blue River heli-ski trail development project, he believes this logging approach is faster than cable yarding and efficient, without sacrificing quality. “This approach gave me good fall line skiing and it happened quite quickly,” says Sayer. “We will still use some cable yarding in areas where it is too steep, but I think with this equipment, it will allow us to build the kind of runs that we are looking for.” In addition to faster project completion, he says it will also allow the company to develop more gladed ski trails

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Wadlegger Logging and Construction Ltd. recently made a major investment in Tigercat equipment, including two Tigercat 630E skidders which—like the other Tigercat equipment the company owns— have delivered solid uptime, and excellent fuel economy. from page 48 unit to assist both the feller buncher to harvest the wood and the hoe chucker to move logs down the hill. This particular project presented an interesting challenge for the logging and winch-assist system; typically, there would be just over 150 metres between both units. In this case, though, at times there was as much as 350 metres between each unit. The Tractionline winch-assist system consists of three main components: a winch cable retrieval system mounted on the back of the excavator which also functions as the counterweight, a pulley tower that connects to the excavator boom, and a pulley system mounted to the end of the boom near the excavator bucket which helps to maintain tension and cable control to the forestry machine that the winch-assist unit is connected to. The excavator bucket is planted into the ground, which stops the winch-assist unit from tipping forward. EMS says that the system provides constant cable tension with large back up and emergency brakes all controlled through wireless communication between the winch-assist excavator and forestry machine. Wadlegger says with this system, 50

it does not require an adjustment in how the forest machine operator does his job as the cable tension adjusts to the movements of the forest machine and maintains constant tension. The operator is able to adjust the amount of tension, because as Hans explains, the operator may not require a great deal of tension where the ground is less steep, resulting in smoother operation. “He can reduce that tension in the machine, or if he finds himself in some challenging terrain, then he will increase the tension to ensure the machine maintains proper traction,” he says. “When they are hooked up to the cable, they just go, because there is so much confidence in the system and it works so well.” The Wadleggers are well-acquainted with the environment in which they log, as their father, Joe Wadlegger, immigrated to Clearwater in 1965 from Austria. There he met their mother, Hazel Ludtke. They established a small sawmilling operation focused on railway ties, but also evolved through the entire development of mechanical logging in Canada, taking on contract work for the sawmill located in Clearwater. At present, their Tigercat logging fleet consists of a Tigercat 870C feller buncher, Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

a Tigercat L870C feller buncher, a Tigercat LS855D shovel logger for hoe chucking, two Tigercat H855D carriers with Waratah 623C processors, two Tigercat 630E skidders and a Tigercat 875 loader. They also complement their operations with a Cat 558 hoe chucker, Cat 325DFM hoe chucker, Cat 325C log loader, and a Cat 535B grapple skidder. The company also operates a construction side that uses all the equipment needed to construct forestry roads, install bridges, drill and blast, and whatever else the industry can throw their way. Hans says the decision to make a significant investment into a complete line of Tigercat equipment was fairly recent and tied in with their plans to integrate the Tractionline winch-assist system into their operation. The exceptional uptime on the Tigercat units, their ability to integrate well with the Waratah brand processing head, their leveling capabilities, and general operator satisfaction working with this equipment gave Wadlegger Logging and Construction confidence to deploy the brand within all of their logging functions. “The core structures of these machines to page 52

steepslopelogging from page 50 are so good, the fuel economy is excellent, they hold their value and the service support from the dealer, the Inland Group, has been great,” Hans says. Also, there is a lot of similarity among the machine components for easier maintenance. The Wadlegger operation has over 500 hours of experience with their Tractionline winch-assist unit. It is their first winchassist system. Hans says that it has been “glitch-free”. What he also likes about the system is its simplicity and ease of operation. It was a very short learning curve to integrate this system into their general logging operations, although it is not in use all the time. His operators like the fact that it provides them with that added safety measure working in this environment, and at the same time, Hans says he ensures he has the right operator in the cab working with this system. “You are always a little nervous about new technology,” he adds, “but they (EMS) have really done their homework and they researched and developed the product for quite a while before bringing it to market.”

From a business perspective, Wadlegger says that having this steep slope capability could open up new business opportunities for the logging business as forest companies become aware of the extra service that they can provide, and it is always good to be first in the door. Given their location in Clearwater, the Wadleggers have also demonstrated that they can be a valuable asset to the heli skiing industry by helping to develop more heli skiing sites. Implementing this new Tractionline technology with Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing made sense

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

since the logging company has over a decade of experience working with them on other projects. Development of these trails is expensive, so being able to capture the fibre value during development by working with a logging contractor with the capability of capturing and marketing that fibre helps to offset some of the trail development costs. Most of the wood salvaged from this trail development project was sold to Canfor, with the cedar sold to Gilbert Smith Forest Products.

BCroadbuilding

Bob Marquis (right) comes from a long family line in the forest industry. And these days, the next generation of the Marquis family in the bush is Bob’s son, Brett (left).

Going the distance…

Building logging road and bridges on the tough B.C. Coast requires equipment that can go the distance—and then some—and Powell River contractor Bob Marquis has found the right equipment that can take on some pretty punishing ground. By Paul MacDonald

hen it comes to construction equipment, B.C. contractor Bob Marquis likes yellow—and that also extends to his personal vehicles. Sitting in his garage in the Sunshine Coast town of Powell River, B.C., is one of only a handful of bright yellow 1932 Ford five-window coupes that were used in filming the movie, American Graffiti. “When I saw the movie, I thought, ‘I have to have one of those’,” he says. “It took me 15 years to track one down.” That liking for yellow also extends to the dependable John Deere equipment to page 56

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

BCroadbuilding from page 54 that he uses to build logging road and install logging road bridges on the B.C. Coast. “From our perspective, it’s true—nothing runs like a Deere,” says Bob. “There are diehard Cat guys out there, and Komatsu guys. Really, at the end of the day, it’s all about what does the job for you.” And for Bob Marquis Contracting Ltd., they look to John Deere and B.C. Deere dealer, Brandt Equipment, to do the job for them. Included in his equipment line-up are three John Deere 350 GLC excavators, two 270 CLC excavators and a 160G LC excavator. Illustrating the amount of road construction Marquis Contracting does, they also have two Tamrock 700 rock drills, and three Terex TA 30 rock trucks. Helping to round things out on the equipment side are a Caterpillar D6D dozer, a 50 ton Western Star tri-drive low bed truck, a 30 ton tri-axle Trail King equipment trailer, a 2012 Kenworth T800 gravel truck, a 20,000 litre Western Star fuel truck, and

two Chevy shop trucks. “On the pick-up side, we only run Chevy trucks,” says Bob. In all, they have about 22 pieces of equipment. Maintenance and repairs are done at their shop in Powell River, with their own heavy duty mechanic. But Bob says they receive a high level of service—and interest—from Deere and Brandt Tractor. Bob notes that once an equipment purchase is made, the interest by a dealer in a customer can be, to be kind, not quite as high. “But when we do a deal with Brandt, they don’t forget about you,” he says. “The Brandt and Deere people like to talk to contractors, and want to know how they can build better machines—and that’s an advantage for them, and for us.” The end result is he gets better iron out in the bush, and it helps keep Deere/Brandt competitive. Bob has been dealing with Brandt/ Deere for 30 years himself, and his family, through his father, Lawrence, for over 60 years. In fact, Lawrence Marquis bought among the first skidders Deere ever made, in the 1960s. Service for them is of paramount im-

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

portance, in part because of their location up the B.C. Coast. “We may have 22,000 people here in Powell River, and we’re right on the coast. But at the end of the day, you may as well be at the end of the inlet—we are landlocked here, with no road links out. So for us, it’s all about service. If you don’t have that product support for your equipment, you’re SOL.”

BCroadbuilding

Bob Marquis Contracting Ltd has been involved with building road and harvesting timber for the Powell River Community Forest, most recently doing about 4.7 kilometres of road work, and some spur roads. They often get same day parts service from Brandt Tractor, with parts flown in from one of the Vancouver Island branches of Brandt, or the Brandt branch in Surrey, just outside Vancouver. Bob Marquis comes from a long family line in the forest industry. As you might have guessed from the name, his family came to B.C. from Quebec. Bob’s grand-

father ran a small steam-powered sawmill in the Abitibi and La Sarre regions in Quebec, before moving to B.C. His father, Lawrence, who is now 85 and came from a family of eight, set up a logging operation in B.C., and also ran a small bandsaw operation later. Lawrence still occasionally gets out to the bush, and when he does, he gets to

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

see the next generation of the Marquis family in the forest industry: his grandson, Brett, Bob’s son. The town of Powell River has changed considerably since the Marquis Family moved there. Back in the day, it was, like many forestry communities, a company town. It was home to the Powell River Company, and western Canada’s first pulp and paper mill. The mill in Powell River was at one time the largest pulp and paper mill in the world. In its prime through the 1950s and 1960s, one in every 25 newspapers in the world was printed on paper from the Powell River mill. “Those were the days, when old man Bennett was in charge,” says Bob, referring to W.A.C Bennett, who was premier of B.C. for two decades, through the 1950s and 1960s, and oversaw a period of huge expansion for the forest industry. In recent years, the Powell River mill has cut back on production and gone through several ownership changes. Catalyst Paper now produces newsprint to page 58

BCroadbuilding from page 57 and specialty papers, with three machines remaining in production. The logging equipment has changed a lot, too, in that time, from the tower and cable skidder that Lawrence Marquis started logging with. That said, it was a huge step forward from the horse logging his family had been doing in Quebec. The equipment was often around their acreage, so Bob got quite used to sitting in the cab of a skidder or dozer at a young age. He started work with his father while still a teenager. Bob also worked for Percy Logging for nine years, which at one point was the largest logging contractor for forestry giant, MacMillan Bloedel. “I was in road construction and the logging end for Percy—in those days, you did a bit of everything. So I got a lot of experience there.” Bob remembers those times very fondly. Percy Logging ran five camps, with upwards of 100 guys, and they were like family, with George Sr. and his son, Don Percy, who was called a modern “Bull of the Woods”, running the operation.

Following that, Bob set up his own operation in Powell River, doing selective logging on private forest land, land clearing and roadbuilding. He recalls industry innovations that are taken for granted now, like when hydraulic thumbs became available on excavators. “Developments like that really changed the industry.” In addition to building literally hundreds of miles of logging road, Bob is also a veteran logging bridge builder. “We’ve done over 50 forestry bridges,” he says, including work up in Haida Gwaii, formerly the Queen Charlottes. He noted they are a bonded company, which is an advantage, when it comes to taking on such work. And he added that they don’t shy away from demanding projects that may involve fisheries, because they have plenty of experience in those areas. “Not every company has the comfort level to take on that kind of work,” he says. “And we also do a lot of work in remote areas.” Marquis is a big believer in the concept of community forests in B.C., and the Powell River Community Forest in particular.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

“It’s a big asset to the community and for the community—the profit from the community forest does not go into general revenue for the town. Instead, this year some $2 million will be invested in programs and facilities right here in Powell River. “You can actually see the results of the community forest—I think we have the

BCroadbuilding Bob Marquis Contracting Ltd. looks to John Deere, and B.C. Deere dealer Brandt Equipment, as their major supplier of construction equipment. Included in their equipment line-up are three John Deere 350 GLC excavators, two 270 CLC excavators and a 160G LC excavator.

best community forest model in B.C.” He noted that the community forest in Powell River has some solid forest industry and business people on the board, and in general manager Chris Laing, who has been with the community forest since its inception, 10 years ago. “Chris does a great job, doing the engineering, laying out the road, laying out the

cutblocks, overseeing the reforestation.” Bob’s company has also been involved with building road and harvesting timber for the community forest. The work for the community forest goes out to bid to companies in the community. Recently, he was doing about 4.7 kilometres of road work for the community forest, and some spur roads. As always, they were working carefully, mindful of some extremely wet weather the region had received early in the year. “Erosion control is very important,” he says. “We don’t want the soil going anywhere—after all, that’s what grows our trees.” Sometimes, they have to carefully plan their activities, to let some areas dry out, before continuing roadbuilding, and to

make best use of their equipment. They recently put one of their Deere 350 GLC excavators to work widening a rock quarry, during one such wet period. They were about to bring in a crusher to produce some three/four-inch minus rock for the road work. From time to time, they will bring in equipment from Delta, B.C.-based Skreenquip to do the crushing. Skreenquip is the B.C. dealer for Terex Finlay crushing and screening equipment, and specializes in mobile screening, washing, recycling and crushing equipment. “We get a far better product for our road, with a better gradable surface, using the crusher,” says Bob. The equipment they get from Skreenquip is very automated, he notes. The operator feeding the hopper can also operate the crusher. But the rock to feed that crusher is not always easy to find, he says. “You’d think that working on the west coast, that rock would be everywhere. But I just finished building four clicks of subgrade, and I couldn’t find any rock in it. So we hauled

to page 60

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

BCroadbuilding from page 59 it in from elsewhere on the community forest.” He noted the community forest does a fair bit of planning out, which is helpful to him as a contractor. “They’re ahead of the game,” he says. That same degree of planning is sometimes not there with licencees, he notes. When he started in the business, he recalls, licencees were usually a year ahead of the falling and yarding. “They were able to let the road settle and season a bit—and as a result, have a harder, better road. “But now there is a lot of phase congestion with licencees because they are working the markets closely to get the wood out. The community forest sees the advantage of putting the roads in a bit earlier, and having the road network already in place, so you can work the market, and not have the phase congestion.” In addition to working with the Powell River Community Forest, Bob says they also work with First Nations bands. “They are great loggers—when I worked with Percy Logging, half of the loggers there were First Nations guys.” And, he notes, the First Nations bands are steadily working at developing their capacities in forest management, with their own RPFs and

forest technologists. Bob says they have generally been busier in the last few years. Some of that is due to stepped-up activity in the forest industry. “But I think the main reason is that there are fewer experienced companies out there now,” he says. He is seeing a lot of contractors retiring—or just plain exiting the business. “It just does not work for them financially any more. It’s a hard grind to make it work—and you better be good at what you do.” Contractors, whether they are building road or harvesting wood, face high equipment acquisition and operating costs. And, unfortunately, the large forest companies, who are making healthy profits these days, are not sharing their improved situation with the contractors who work for them, he says. “We don’t see anything trickling down to the contractors,” says Bob. Like many contractors, he’s very much looking forward to the Contractor Sustainability Review report that George Abbott is doing for the B.C. government. The review is said to be the most significant piece of work to affect timber harvesting contractors in almost 20 years, says the Truck Loggers Association of B.C. Bob believes that rates need to change,

Logger Sports has special significance

his coming July, Powell River contractor Bob Marquis will be working hard behind the scenes, as he always does, at the Logger Sports show in Powell River, B.C. On July 13-15, the 23rd annual Powell River Logger Sports takes over Willingdon Beach in the town, and Bob will be helping out, however he can. Bob Marquis Contracting is among the many forest industry related companies and contractors supporting the event. But for Bob, it has special significance. Part of the reason he is so involved with Logger Sports is in memory of his brother, Bill, who died in a falling accident in 1984. And Bob, who is president of Powell River Logger Sports, will be working with others involved to make sure the Logging Sport activities are carried out safely. “Safety is also a big focus for my

and that forest companies need to share some of the good fortune they are now enjoying with the companies that do the work for them in the bush—and in the communities in B.C. that still rely, in large part, on the industry. They do some work for forest companies, but it’s more on a fill-in basis, when they are not busy. “I’m glad to help them out when they need it, but I don’t rely on the licencees to keep us busy. With the rates they offer, it does not make sense from a business perspective.” Bob says he fully understands that the forest companies have shareholders they have to be accountable to—but the sustainability of the contractor sector in B.C. is at stake. He sees the emergence of other industry players, such as community forests, B.C. Timber sales, and cuts going to First Nations bands, as positive developments. “There is now a broader band of work to bid on.” Generally, he would like to see the province exercise more control of the forestland that is currently granted to licencees, with benefits being more equally shared, including with the contractor sector. “After all, the land belongs to all British Columbians.”

company,” he says. “I tell my guys that, yes, we need production to keep going. But at the end of the day, I want to hear that everyone is home safe, with their families—and I really mean that.” This year, Powell River Logger Sports will be hosting contestants from all over the world, including New Zealand, Australia, the U.S., Germany, competitors throughout Canada, as well as locals from Powell River. They will all be there to win Canadian Championships, World Championships and North American Championships—in fact, more titles than any other show on the Canadian Logger Sports Circuit. The 2018 Power River Logger Sports will be the host to seven world championships, 16 Canadian championships and two North American championships.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

Quebecsawmilling

Cutting lumber— for close to a century

The Gaston Cellard sawmill in the Gaspé region of eastern Quebec has been a mainstay of the local economy and, remarkably, will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in a few years’ time. By George Fullerton

aston Cellard Inc is a relatively small sawmill operation on the Bay of Chaleur coast of the Gaspé region of eastern Quebec, but it has a very deep history. The family-owned mill plays a leading business role in the Gaspe region, providing a market for logs, retailing lumber locally and is an important employer. The mill processes both hardwood and softwood logs, and as such is one of the very few markets for hardwood sawlogs in the region. The business is still managed by Cellard family members, and in only a

few years, it will be celebrating 100 years of operation. Annual production is around three million board feet of softwood, and one million board feet of hardwood. Lumber is marketed through brokers, in addition to the retail sales through the mill gate. Gaston Cellard’s Uncle Eugene founded the sawmilling operation in the community of Pointe-a-la-Garde, in 1925. Eugene employed his brother Valmond in the sawmilling enterprise, which early on included up to three portable sawmills which were moved into the bush to saw logs. Valmond’s son Gaston went to work in the family business, after studying busi-

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

ness administration at the University in Charlottetown, in PEI. Currently, five of Gaston’s children work in, and manage the sawmilling operation. Gaston’s eldest son, Michel, operates a log truck, hauling from harvest operations to the mill, as well as handling mechanical work on their trucks, and various mobile mill yard equipment. Danielle is the general manager. Gerald operates the wheel loader in the mill yard, feeding logs to the mill, moving lumber bundles from the green chain, loading lumber on transport trailers as well as loading chips and sawdust into tractor trailers. Johanne works in the office along with Danielle, handling

Quebecsawmilling phone and office duties, as well as retail sales and weighing log trucks. Rejean manages the sawmill (and planer mill), overseeing daily production and equipment maintenance. “Gaston Cellard Inc has definitely been a family operation,” explained Danielle. She notes that the sons began helping out in the sawmill at a young age, while she began assisting her father with bookkeeping, accounting and business chores when she was just 14-years-old. “My Dad would come home and have long lists of numbers to add up, and of course it was well before we had calculators, so I would help out by adding those columns of numbers. “We all contributed our talents to the family business. I liked working with numbers, and that kind of work, which led to me taking on administration responsibilities,” says Danielle. The mill has small log and large log sides. Small logs are debarked with a Forano 18” unit and large logs with a Mobark 36” debarker. Small diameter logs, less than eighteen inches in diameter, are processed by a PHL twin saw, while large diameter logs are processed with a Hardy carriage with a 52-inch saw and a 30-inch top saw. Lumber from the large log side is edged with a Hardy edger.

Coming close to celebrating 100 years of family operation: Danielle Cellard on the front left and Johanne Cellard on the front right, with the Cellard mill crew.

The trim table at the Gaston Cellard sawmill (above). The bulk of the lumber produced by the mill is marketed rough, through lumber brokers. But Gaston Cellard also operates a planer mill, and sells dressed lumber to local contractors and homeowners with building projects.

Slabs from the main breakdown saws are directed to a PHL resaw, to maximize lumber recovery. Small log cants are further processed by a Hardy bull edger. Square cants from the large log side are also broken down by the bull edger. The mill features well planned and constructed catwalks and guarding around work stations to ensure worker safety. Hardwood lumber is ‘preclassified’ after the trim saws. The preclassification is a rudimentary grading system which segregates low grade (pallet stock) from lumber with higher grading potential. Brokers market the high grade lumber to processors who handle drying and specific hardwood grading. The grade data is shared back to the Cellard mill. The mill relies on a manual green chain because of the large number of lumber sorts produced by the operation. Residue from the milling operation is chipped and sold along with softwood and hardwood sawdust to the Uniboard particleboard mill in Sayabec and some hardwood chips are sold to the Tembec pulp mill in Matane. Softwood chips are sold to the AVCell dissolving pulp mill in Atholville and some of the bark is sold to Twin Rivers Paper in Edmundston, New Brunswick. Hardwood and softwood, chips and sawdust, are segregated in large outdoor bins. Chips, sawdust and planer shavings are top loaded into trailers with the mill’s Hyundai HL-760-9 wheel loader, or with the back-up loader, an older Case WC24. The HL-760-9 loader was purchased in 2013 and replaced a Hyundai HL 25 which Cellard operated for 19 years. Gerald Cellard operates the Hyundai, and he keeps very busy feeding logs into the mill, unloading trucks without loaders, moving bundles of lumber off the green chain and loading chips, sawdust or lumber as required. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

Gerald really likes the machine and says it works great. “This machine is a lot better than the older loader,” he says. “It’s much stronger, faster, a lot more comfortable and well thought-out and the components are well placed for easy access for servicing.” Gerald also commented that controls are well placed, and the cab is very comfortable and offers great visibility. The HL760-9 has a base weight of 40,000 pounds, and is advertised as 6.5 per cent heavier than the average fullsize wheel loader. The engine is a fourcylinder turbocharged unit, generating 212 horsepower. Cellard managed their own harvest operations until 1998, when they decided to focus their energies on sawmilling. Currently around 75 per cent of Cellard’s wood supply comes from Crown land operations, which they buy from the provincial government agency. Cellard shares roadbuilding costs with other processors or contractors, hauling wood off harvest operations. In the case where Cellard is the only mill buying wood from a harvest block, it carries all of the roadbuilding costs. About 10 percent of the saw log supply comes from harvesting contractors operating on independent contracts on Crown land. Fifteen per cent of the log supply is purchased from private woodlot owners. Private wood is purchased from the woodlot owner syndicates and co-ops. Cellard sometimes contacts the syndicates when they are looking for logs to purchase, and other times the organizations call on the mill to sell their wood. The woodlot owners or their organizations handle the harvest and log transport with independent contractors. to page 64 63

Quebecsawmilling from page 63 Cellard currently operates two log trucks for hauling logs; Michel Cellard operates a Kenworth tractor hauling a quad axle Deloupe trailer equipped with a Serco loader. A hired driver operates a Western Star tractor hauling a Trailex trailer, also with a Serco loader. In 2012, the Quebec government changed the timber allocation system. Every mill now has an allocation of wood guaranteed, but as Danielle explains, the changes allow any person or corporation to participate in the bidding process to operate in Crown harvest blocks, and to ship the wood to the designated mill. The winning contract bidder has two years to harvest the wood. All road construction and harvest activities are subject to specific operating and environmental regulations. Logs delivered to the Cellard mill are weigh-scaled, then piled down in the log yard. Logs procured from Crown land operations are subject to random scale checking (stick scale) to provide statistics on log quality. Danielle explained that the stick scaling is videotaped and the video is submitted to the provincial government agency, along with the scale data. Hardwood logs are purchased and sawed through the autumn and winter

Gerald Cellard operates the mill’s Hyundai HL-760-9 front end loader and he keeps very busy feeding logs into the mill, unloading trucks without loaders, moving bundles of lumber off the green chain and loading chips, sawdust or lumber as required. months in order to avoid issues around staining and subsequent quality devaluation. Cellard encourages producers to sort hardwood species, and also requires truckers to keep hardwood species sorted. Even with species sort encouragement all along the production and delivery sequences, Gerald will occasionally be required to sort out the odd hardwood log that ended up in the wrong species pile. While they have not acquired certification for their lumber products, Danielle

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

said they recognize that there are increasing requests for ISO and FSC certification. She said that lumber product retailers are increasingly requesting certified products, which their customers want. Danielle added that mills buying their chips and sawdust would also like to have the residues FSC certified, which would allow them to claim certification of their finished products. The bulk of the lumber produced by Cellard is marketed rough, through lumber brokers. Cellard also operates a planer mill, and sells dressed lumber to local contractors and homeowners with building projects. Cellard produces common lumber dimensions as well as squared timber for various uses. Retail sales is generally carried out by customers selecting lumber from product stacks on the green chain or in the millyard, then stopping at the office on exiting the mill, with Johanne tallying the lumber and issuing an invoice. Retail customers are from both Quebec and New Brunswick, from across the J.C. Van Horne Bridge in northern New Brunswick. The Cellard mill is an important regional employer providing secure employment for 15 skilled workers. The Cellard family is proud of their sawmilling heritage and, as it comes closer, are looking forward to celebrating their first 100 years in business. As the current Cellard management team looks forward, they take encouragement that several members of the next generation of the Cellard Family have been gaining summer employment in the family-owned mill—there must be sawdust in their blood, too.

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March/April 2018

The Edge

FPInnovations launches new report for adapting resource road infrastructure to climate change

he changes to climatic conditions in Canada are anticipated to have a significant impact on the Canadian forest industry. Resource roads are considered particularly vulnerable to the immediate and short-term impacts of climate change. Adaptation strategies for resource roads and infrastructure must be developed and implementation initiated to ensure that the road infrastructure required for forest access is maintained and made resilient to climatic impacts. Given the significance that resource roads have to economic and social wellbeing, efforts are required to understand

the implications of climate change in order to adapt roads and infrastructure to its impacts. Until recently, discussions have been focused on the understanding of the challenges and efforts to mitigate climate change through reductions in the production of greenhouse gases, a primary contributor to climate change. The adaptation of resource roads to climate change is a relatively new concept and there currently exists very little information that identifies adaptation practices, assesses performance and recommends implementation practices that allow for mainstreaming of adaptation for resource roads. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

This report presents the risks and vulnerabilities of resource roads to climate change and suggested adaptation methods and practices.

The report is available free of charge; please visit FPInnovations’ blog at blog.fpinnovations.ca to access the document. More information can be obtained by contacting Mark Partington, Senior Researcher, Roads and Infrastructure at mark.partington@ fpinnovations.ca.

The Edge

Fuel-saving strategies in forest operations Excavator

ince the cost of fuel is an important consideration in using off-road equipment, it is to the advantage of all machine owners to get the best out of this inevitable expense. Some work habits and operational factors have an impact on fuel consumption. Recent tests conducted by FPInnovations’ researchers have made it possible to explore certain potential improvements in energy intensity (litres of fuel burned to produce one cubic metre of wood) and measure the savings.

Feller-buncher

The feller-buncher is a complex machine, due to its many hydraulic systems. Maintenance, which may seem optional when the machine is always in operation, may be difficult to contemplate. However, hydraulic tune-up tests have helped increase productivity and reduce energy

intensity from 0.54 L/m3 to 0.43 L/m3, which corresponds to an improvement of approximately 20 per cent. The return on investment in carrying out maintenance has been evaluated at less than 200 hours (Info Note 2017, no. 16). Sharpening saw teeth can reduce fuel consumption and boost productivity by increasing energy intensity by 13 per cent. A daily inspection of the saw teeth is therefore recommended to check whether they are still very sharp and safe (Info Note 2017, no. 10). A change in engine operating speed may have a negative impact on fuel consumption. A 100 rpm engine speed drop test reduced productivity and increased fuel consumption and energy intensity by 6.5 per cent. This practice is therefore not recommended on this type of machine; however, other machines may react differently (Info Note 2017, no. 17).

Excavators and machines mounted on a similar chassis are often equipped with an economy mode on the throttle lever. Tests have shown that this mode, when used in the right conditions, can reduce fuel consumption by 20 per cent, while having a negligible effect on productivity (Info Note 2017, no. 11).

Danglehead processor

It is preferable to change the chain on the head of a danglehead processor as soon as it shows signs of losing its sharpness. A used chain reduces productivity and increases operating costs. It has been shown that using a well-sharpened new chain may reduce energy intensity by 15 per cent (Info Note 2017, no. 12). Tests performed with a swing machine with three different power level settings (economy, power, and high performance) and equipped with a danglehead processor showed a linear increase in both productivity and energy intensity. The high performance setting had 15 per cent more production than the economy mode but consumed more fuel, with a 12 per cent increase in energy intensity. Power mode struck a balance between productivity and economy (Info Note 2018, no. 2).

Grapple skidder

The position of a skidder’s grapple can have a large impact on the resistance force of the trunks on the ground and therefore on fuel consumption as well. Pulling the trunks from a high position reduces their resistance, resulting in lower fuel consumption. A difference of 25 per cent in consumption was noted between the high and low position on a favourable slope. Tests on a 5 per cent gradient showed that the grapple position had less impact on consumption (a difference of 3 per cent between the high and low position). Skidding on an unfavourable slope can increase fuel consumption and unit operating costs (Info Note 2017, no. 7). For more information, contact Cameron Rittich, Senior Scientist in FPInnovations’ Transport & Energy group. FPInnovations members can also find more information by consulting the various Info Note reports indicated in this text. 68

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

The Edge

FPInnovations collaborative research leads to a winter weight premium extension of eight days in Alberta

ollowing FPInnovations and Laval University’s industrial NSERC Chair recommendations, Alberta Transportation recently changed its winter weight premium (WWP) policy allowing an estimated average of 8 days of WWP extension. In Alberta, one of five Canadian provinces to allow premium weights for log hauling during the winter, the onset of the winter weight premium season traditionally started when local frost depths reached 1.0 m. Thanks to a recent policy change, it will now start at a frost depth of 0.75 m and end at a thaw depth of 25 cm. Alberta’s starting frost depth threshold will now be consistent with thresholds used in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Although eight days’ extension is predicted based on recent winter freezing patterns, even greater extension will occur in warmer winters when freezing rates slow and the time between 0.75 m and 1.0 m frost depth grows longer. The policy change will generate more than $2 million in haul savings for the forest sector annually. Other benefits include an estimated reduction in pavement maintenance costs of $1.4 million annually and the operation of fewer trucks on the road for the same total volume

(safer, reduced greenhouse gases). The WWP program is also available to heavy haulers and the extended WWP period is expected to benefit their business through greater flexibility as to when and how they transport heavy loads. The shallower frost depth requirement will also allow operations in the southern part of the province, where frost depths don’t consistently reach 1 m, to now benefit from WWPs. This win-win policy change is a result of several years of research and, more importantly, collaboration between FPInnovations, Alberta Transportation, and academia. “The key ingredients here were the identification of a true industry need and collaboration between all parties towards a science-based outcome with tangible benefits to our members and the forest sector,” notes FPInnovations’ Executive Vice-President Trevor Stuthridge. FPInnovations initially conducted layered elastic modelling of frozen Albertastyle pavements and winter truck loadings to document the minimum frost depth that could be used to start WWPs without negatively impacting pavements. Preliminary results indicated that shallower frost depths provided enough support to heavy loads but further investigation was needed Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

to validate these findings. FPInnovations teamed up with Laval University’s industrial NSERC Chair on the interaction between Climate, Pavements and Loads (i3C Chair), led by Professor Guy Doré. In their state-of-the-art, fullscale loading simulator, Doré’s team built a replicate of a typical Alberta pavement and applied a series of wheel loads. The fully instrumented pavement was entirely frozen and pavement responses were collected at different frost depths. The results corroborated and reinforced the preliminary findings from the advanced modelling conducted by FPInnovations. Similar results were obtained with a thicker Québec-style pavement also recently tested by Laval University. A wide range of weaker Alberta pavement structures were modelled and the analysis confirmed that there would be no reduction in service life resulting from the reduction in starting frost depth.

For more information, please contact Glen Légère (glen.legere@ fpinnovations.ca), Research Manager, Transportation and Infrastructure at FPInnovations. 69

The Edge

CWFC team succeeds at building vital bridge between researchers and practitioners

BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI

he Technology Development and Transfer Team at the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC) has been highly successful during its first year at building better communication bridges between focused researchers at the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) and forest practitioners. Now, the Team will be fine tuning the methods of communication and program delivery it tested over the past year in its continuing effort to bring forest research to life. This will include taking full advantage of what digital media can offer to not only facilitate knowledge transfer from researchers to forest practitioners in a timely manner, but also to communicate feedback to researchers from practitioners to help them refine their research focus so that their work provides shorter term, practical value. Through the national long term research study network of the CFS, a considerable amount of the testing and validation of forest management concepts and technology has already been done. In some cases, it is just waiting for presentation and application in the working forest, with a bit of updating and focused application to address specific current needs. Helping to facilitate that transfer is the pivotal role that the Technology Development and Transfer Team is playing. Derek Sidders, Program Manager, Technology Development and Transfer, says the Team works under the umbrella of the major deliverables guiding CWFC. These are: wood characterization for optimizing end uses; next generation enhanced forest inventory; stand establishment practices for a resilient forest, which includes plantation establishment and partial harvest systems

for mitigating mid-term timber supply; and a sustainable wood supply for an evolving bioeconomy by adding value to what was previously considered non-commercial or residual wood fibre. The Technology Development and Transfer Team has adopted five technology and knowledge transfer approaches. One is the development and testing of techniques and technologies to apply research knowledge informed through historic research field studies related to the development of site preparation, vegetation management techniques and partial harvest systems, and then updating them to address today’s forest management challenges. One example is applying understorey site preparation and planting in understorey/shelterwood scenarios in an attempt to promote mixedwood forests to mitigate the impact of a changing climate. “We are also looking at a variety of new tools and techniques to assist us with inventory and reforestation precision,” says Sidders. “We are looking at on-the-ground validation through sampling our data and looking at growth response of a lot of our treatments. This will assist us in not only validating new inventory techniques, but also in monitoring and tracking a lot of our long term research study sites.” He adds that in another case, the Team is testing a drone precision seeding application for sites where appropriate micro-sites exist and growing conditions are suitable. A second approach is the development of field guides for best practices that incorporate research results and progress. Partial harvest, short-rotation wood crop and site reclamation/revegetation systems are among the subjects addressed. A third approach is the demonstration of applications and practices that ‘operaLogging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

tionalize’ research and validate forecasts. One example is taking silvicultural systems and deploying them in different areas and applications that have not been addressed previously or in new applications such as in climate change mitigation and adaptation. A fourth approach that has already been a longstanding CWFC and CFS technology transfer practice is the development of field tours. Finally, the Team is developing a higher profile for the research being done by CFS, transferring knowledge through publications, presentations, and the use of digital media, particularly to provide better visual information of research sites and results for forest practitioners. The Team’s technology development and transfer priorities for this year are to validate the considerable research work related to establishing short rotation woody crops, as well as their harvesting and transportation applications, because of their potential to support the evolving bioeconomy and partial harvest systems to address mid-term fibre supply issues. They also plan to make greater use of historic research at the 100-year-old Petawawa Research Forest, which is the Forest Capital of Canada 2017-2019, and at the Acadia Research Forest in New Brunswick. This will include practical demonstrations, once again aimed at addressing today’s forest management challenges and incorporating expanded wood fibre use and production. For more information and/or to investigate potential collaborations with the Technology Development and Transfer Team, contact Derek Sidders at Derek.sidders@canada.ca.

The Edge

INVENTURE$ Conference aims to shine global spotlight on Alberta and spur investment in innovation BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI

xcitement is building for the inaugural INVENTURE$ event being hosted this spring by Alberta Innovates, with the announcement of a high-profile keynote speaker. Guy Kawasaki, a recognized pioneer in evangelism marketing and a driving force behind the success of Apple’s Macintosh computer, has been confirmed as a speaker. He is chief evangelist at Canva (an online graphic design tool), a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, and an executive fellow of the HAAS School of Business at UC Berkeley. The overall aim of INVENTURE$ is to provide a forum where attendees can make new connections with local, national and international innovators, investors, researchers and industry representatives. It will take place June 6-8 at the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary. Alberta Innovates CEO Laura Kilcrease says INVENTURE$ is the “must attend” conference of the year for those wanting to connect with individuals, industry representatives and venture capitalists well outside of their usual networking boundaries. There will be many opportunities for face-to-face meetings in both traditional and novel settings. The name “INVENTURE$” is derived from the words innovation, ventures and capital—three themes currently driving economic development in Alberta. The province wants to encourage investment and commercialization of new technologies and businesses that will contribute to greater economic diversification. “We want to connect the big ideas with the businesses and backers they need to get off the ground,” says Kilcrease. The goal is to achieve real results and nearterm commercialization. “This conference will also put a global stamp on what we have available here in Alberta,” she adds.

Thematically, the conference will focus on several areas. These are: emerging technologies; health and life sciences; food and fibre, with a focus on forestry, agriculture and biotech; and clean energy, with emphasis on emissions reduction, carbon capture, water, oil and gas, and electrical power production. INVENTURE$ will also feature expert speakers, knowledge transfer and network building opportunities in the fields of

biomaterials for construction and green building; nanotechnology; sensor technologies; autonomous vehicles; artificial intelligence; Omics like genomics; the Internet of Things; and what’s new in gaming, software and information communications technology. As it relates to the forest industry, INVENTURE$ aims to provide a platform to help Alberta’s forest sector make connections that will enable local companies to diversify beyond traditional lumber, pulp and paper, and panelboard products and markets. Industry has already shown interest and made investments in advanced biomaterials derived from wood. Other business opportunities are emerging. These include development and use of wood-based structural building materials such as mass timber, new bioproducts from lignin, and use of wood feedstocks for bioenergy and bio-based alternatives to plastics and fibreglass. INVENTURE$ attendees will find plenty of value in their quest to find potential new joint venture partners, potential new applications for wood-based bioproducts, and systems and technology developers who can improve efficiency and help industry gain a greater competitive edge within their current operations. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

The main program features more than 80 keynote and sessional presentations, with 150 speakers and industry leaders in big data, lean start-up and global research. In addition, INVENTURE$ Connect is a value-added aspect to this event, taking place outside of regular programming. It provides an outstanding opportunity for face-to-face networking beyond the usual conference structure at such events. A food showcase and tasting event hosted by Genome Alberta, a meet-up and reception hosted by Mikata Health, and an Experimental Art Installation hosted by the Alberta Podcast Network are among the INVENTURE$ Connect events that have already been booked. Kilcrease describes Connect events as having a “single-stream” theme and expertise. They will focus on specific topics relating to a specific industry sector such as forestry, agriculture or health, or be hosted by groups from a specific business sector to share information about the latest trends within their areas of interest. “And the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association is holding their annual conference here at the same time,” says Kilcrease. “So they will have their one-day programming for their own members around investing and the latest trends, but then some of their members will stay over for INVENTURE$ and perhaps listen to some of our pitch tracks.” INVENTURE$ will offer four pitch tracks in front of three potential capital sources. Five to eight selected businesses looking to raise the profile of their products or technology and attract investment will make presentations to these investors.

For more information, and to register for INVENTURE$, visit www. inventurescan.com, or contact Alicia Powers, alicia.powers@albertainnovates.ca or Bruce Marpole, bruce. marpole@albertainnovates.ca. 71

TECHUPDATE

By Tony Kryzanowski

WINCH-ASSIST SYSTEMS HSM

HSM offers the 208F20 clambunk forwarder for difficult conditions, with a built-in winch system. The company says that its powerful 10 metre reach crane is able to handle large timber in very challenging terrain, adding that this type of unit is a key asset for many logging fleets, allowing loggers to access fibre in

exclusively for John Deere wheeled harvesters and forwarders. Winch-assist systems are installed on the front or rear of a machine, allowing customers to work above or below extraction roads, providing access to areas they have not been able to reach before. Additionally, these systems can be fitted with an optional straw-line winch, simplifying set-up. John Deere tracked carriers can also be used with third-party winch-controlled traction-assist systems. These systems allow tracked feller bunchers or harvesters to be tethered together using a winch or cable system, helping with traction and increasing machine stability. www.johndeere.com

Summit

Summit Attachments and Machinery says it was the first to introduce steep slope winch assist to the forests of the Northwest U.S. With nearly three dozen ‘Made in the USA’ systems now at work, Summit offers a safe and dependable system that is both cost effective and productive, says the company. Summit systems include: extreme duty LANTEC winch with 1950’ of 1” SUPERPAK wire rope, military-grade long range radio system, simple automatic operation using load cell-controlled

steeper ground. It is possible to mount a directional felling head on the forwarder and work as a combo. The winch has pulling force of 11 tonnes and 500 metres of wire rope. HSM says that the 60 per cent crane tilt angle provides all the swing power needed, even in the most challenging conditions. Within an hour, it is possible to swap the winch to the front or rear, making possible to skid in adverse conditions. Topdown Enterprises in Kamloops is the B.C. dealer. www. topdownent.ca

HAAS Maschinebau

The steep slope logging industry has rapidly increased its pace of activity in recent years, and as a result of the uptick in demand, John Deere has continued to develop wheeled and tracked forestry equipment designed to integrate with winch-assist systems. From a wheeled machine perspective, the Germanbased HAAS Maschinebau winch-assist solution was developed

automatic line tension with touch screen adjustment, tablet computer with live GPS harvest map and video allowing timber to be cut and piled directly under the skyline, and fuel consumption of under 38 litres per day while cutting. Whether tethered to a skidder or paired with a Summit Yoader and hydraulic grapple carriage, winch assist allows loggers to dramatically increase production. Summit says that it’s about safety, production and efficiency. www.summitattachments.com

TIMBERMAX

Canadian-based Inovforest offers the TIMBERMAX tractionwinch system. It is described as robust, powerful and reliable. The compact spooling system makes it compatible with a wide range of different machines and configurations, each with their own operating limits. For contractors looking to access additional 72

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

techupdate fibre in steep and difficult terrain, Inovforest says that the TIMBERMAX offers the simplest, least expensive and most versatile solution. It improves productivity and reduces costs in areas where conventional forest machines reach their traction and stability limits, as well as in areas where yarders are too expensive and hand falling crews are not available. It also provides a tool to improve productivity and even to allow for logging in deeper snow, as well as the opportunity to extend the logging season, reduce soil disturbance in wet or sensitive areas or to continue logging in wet and/or steep ground conditions. www.inovforest.com

PONSSE Synchrowinch

The PONSSE Synchrowinch allows for effective logging in areas where previously only expensive and slow special logging methods have been used. It allows for operating the same machines in flat and steep sites with no need for additional machinery or methods. Synchrowinch preserves soil from rutting and erosion, saves

fuel and reduces stress in drive transmission components. It has traction assistance winch energy efficiency of approximately 80 per cent because of direct transmission of traction force to movement and no slip. The winch speed is automatically synchronized to machine driving speed so the operator doesn’t need to operate or adjust it during normal work. Cable tension can be set and the winch can be operated from a remote control unit, making it easy to hook the cable, for example, to a tree or a stump uphill. The optional tilt-able loader makes loader work efficient and easy. Synchrowinch is available for Ergo and Bear harvesters and Buffalo, Elephant and ElephantKing forwarders. www.ponsse.com

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

to page 74

techupdate from page 73

Falcon

The Falcon Winch Assist system can be fitted to any excavator over 27 tonnes. Its single drum 1 1/8-inch rope provides continuous traction support for felling and shoveling machines on slopes up to 50 degrees/110 degrees. With the option of 500 to 650 metres of rope length, the Falcon Winch Assist can be designed to suit a logger’s specific requirements. Designed to be multi-purpose, the Falcon Winch Assist system can be used effectively for digging, loading and shoveling, says the company.

control. Fixed winches have the disadvantage that they depend on the power of the base machine. When using the T-Winch, however, the overall system is expanded by 145 hp. Due to the extremely low fuel consumption of the T-Winch, about 4.5 litres per hour, the whole system consumes conceivably less fuel than without the use of a winch. There is no limiting factor in terms of cable length and diameter, so 1600’ of ¾˝ cable is available on the T-Winch. By using a running rope, the force is distributed over the entire cable length, which leads to longer cable life. Cable speed is about 4 kms/hour. www.ecoforst.at

Tractionline

The felling machine operator only has to manage one rope when operating down the slope, reducing complexity and potential for snags. The winch system design features less mechanical and electrical complexity, reducing the opportunity for faults and breakdowns. The Falcon winch assist has been designed and tested through thousands of operational hours in a wide range of slope and soil conditions, and features a number of safety feature alarms which give operators the safety and security to concentrate on the task at hand. These include: overspeed alarm triggering a rope management system in the winch, which automatically slows it down to prevent shock-loading: movement alarm to alert the operator if the winch machine experiences any movement; cab door tamper detection alarm; over-tension alarms; drum over-speed alarm/arrest; maximum rope pay out alarm/arrest; and live feed camera system. www.dcforestryequipment.com

Ecoforst

The Ecoforst T-Winch was developed as a traction winch independent of the base machine. As a result, Ecoforst says that the machine to be secured can be changed in minutes without any effort. The T-Winch is also equipped with an easy-to-use remote

Technical Forest Solutions (TFS) is located in Kelso, Washington and represents EMS forestry products of New Zealand which includes the Tractionline winch assist system and the Harvestline mobile yarding system. The product is marketed in Canada through a number of dealers. As the forest industry is demanding mechanization for sustainability, TFS says that contractors today require innovation and new technology to handle the changing marketplace. The company says it has the products for the next evolution. The industry is changing, moving forestry operations back onto steep ground and TFS says along with its dealers, it can provide loggers with the equipment, parts and support to handle this task. TFS is the Tractionline and Harvestline dealer for the western United States and provides product/parts distribution into Canada through a network of dealers. www.technicalforestsolutions.com

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

SUPPLIERNEWSLINE New web site for R&S Cutterhead

Richard Fischer, President of R&S Cutterhead Mfg. Co Inc., is pleased to announce that a new web site with an online product catalogue and quoting via email is up and available to hogging and tenon head users. Well known to the oriented strand board and other engineered wood products manufacturing communities across North America, R&S Cutterhead has been serving the needs of the forest industry for almost 45 years. The new web site is at: http://randscutterhead.com

Barko Strong-Arm grapples optimize loader performance

Barko says its new Strong-Arm grapples provide a highly productive solution for log handling and delimbing applications. Designed to optimize the performance of Barko B-Series loaders—including all trailer/truck mount, tracked, rough terrain carrier and stationary loader models— the grapples are said to deliver superior rotator torque, clamping force and arm speed. The Strong-Arm grapple line-up consists of three models. The 4250, 4850 and 5250 grapples have maximum openings of 42”, 48.1” and 52.1” respectively, with each rated for up to 50,000 lbs of lift capacity. Engineered for seamless integration with Barko loaders, the grapples offer powerful rotation torque and clamping force. A

By Tony Kryzanowski

compact rotator allows for hoses to be contained in a single bundle between the boom and grapple, providing better hose protection. Other features include 360 degree continuous rotation and a fully supported rotator drive pinion gear. The hydraulic motor is designed to maximize hydraulic flow, making each grapple exceptionally fast and productive. By minimizing flow restriction, horsepower efficiency is enhanced, allowing operators to accomplish more while maintaining excellent fuel economy. The grapples are constructed of high tensile, wear-resistant steel and include hard face welding on the arm tips to extend working life. www.barko.com

VAB Solutions’ lumber bending test bench guarantees production quality

VAB Solutions says that one of the best and easiest ways to determine lumber’s Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) and the Modulus of Rupture (MOR) is with its fully automated bending test bench. The VAB bending test bench will guarantee production quality in accordance with NLGA standards. With more than 31 systems installed in North America, the VAB Solutions FLX system has a proven design that the company says will assure productivity, precision, and reliability. www.vab-solutions.com

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

to page 76

suppliernewsline from page 75

Traditional babbitt-type knives or Key Knife components are available. The stationary 5050H can be configured from 600 to 1000 hp at the disc, depending on application needs. An additional 600 hp electric motor powers the needs of the hydraulic system. www.petersoncorp.com

New delimber debarker disc chipper from Peterson

The all-new Peterson stationary, electric 5050H delimber debarker disc chipper produces high quality, low bark content chips for wood pulp and pellets, processing whole trees in one continuous operation.

John Deere expands reach of extended boom option

Equipped with a large feed throat, the 5050H can accept up to 23” diameter single trees or multiple smaller stems. The 5050H can be configured with a three or four pocket disc, with several optional sheave sizes to make precisely the chip needed. The standard three-pocket disc produces chips from 5/8” to 11/4” long, while the optional four-pocket disc produces chips from ½” to 1” long. Chipping production rates up to 136 tonnes per hour can be achieved, depending on chip size and wood characteristics. Peterson’s heavy duty 66” diameter, 4 3/4” thick chipper disc has replaceable 1/2” wear plates.

John Deere’s extended stick boom option is now available for the 800MH-Series tracked harvesters. With a design based on customer feedback, the company says that the new extended boom stick offers a longer reach option so operators can minimize the number of cut trails. “With the extended boom, operators are able to harvest larger areas, reducing the frequency of required movement of the machine. This not only benefits the surrounding terrain, but also improves the efficiency of the machine,” says Jim O’Halloran, product marketing manager for John Deere Tracked Harvesters and Feller Bunchers

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

suppliernewsline Designed for use with smaller attachments, the new extended stick boom option reaches 32.5’. Additionally, the extended option features a narrow boom tip, allowing the operator to reach past standing timber in thinning applications. This also helps operators minimize damage to the trees being harvested. www.johndeere.com

Sellick Equipment opens new manufacturing facility Sellick Equipment Limited recently cut the ribbon on an all-new $21 million manufacturing facility in Harrow, Ontario with state of the art technology to maintain Sellick as a leader in the rough terrain forklift market. The new 126,000 square foot purposebuilt factory was designed for new product innovation, improvement to quality control and flexibility in product design. To ensure higher quality standards, all areas of the manufacturing process were upgraded, including a new machining centre consisting of CNC-controlled laser cutting, milling, and turning machines, automated storage and retrieval systems for raw materials and aftermarket parts, and a state of the art metal preparation and paint line was implemented to enhance product longevity. Nearing its 50th year in business, Sellick Equipment continues to produce a wide variety of rough terrain forklifts, each custom built to meet the customer’s application and supported by a dealer network throughout North America. “Our long term plan is to increase

the business through new product,” says President Howard Sellick. “The sky’s the limit on what we can produce in this new facility.” www.sellickequipment.com

USNR acquires Mid-South Engineering

USNR has bought Mid-South Engineering Co., described as one of the leading consultants and providers of engineering services to the wood products industry in North America. “Mid-South is a great addition to USNR because it brings into the USNR family a large group of experienced professionals who know a great deal about the many things, beyond just equipment, that go into the successful building and operation of wood processing facilities,” says USNR President George Van Hoomissen. “This gives USNR much greater capacity to deliver large-scale turnkey solutions to our customers.” To further develop USNR’s turnkey capabilities and processes, USNR has promoted Jeff Stephens (formerly President of Mid-South), to the position of senior vice-president at USNR, with responsibility for leading USNR’s turnkey offerings worldwide. In this new role, Stephens will oversee both USNR personnel and key resources drawn from the Mid-South organization. Mid-South’s longtime vice-president and CFO, Marc Stewart, has been to page 78

Prince George

www.prolenc.com Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

877.563.8899 77

suppliernewsline from page 77 appointed to replace Stephens as President of Mid-South Engineering. Although Mid-South Engineering is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of USNR, it will continue to operate as a separate business to preserve the company’s ability to act as an independent advisor to its clients. www.usnr.com

Wood-Mizer introduces LT15START sawmill

Wood-Mizer now offers the LT15START sawmill, engineered specifically for sawyers looking for a North American-made sawmill that is low cost, highly durable, and saws accurately. The compact, economical LT15START joins the popular LT15 sawmill series known throughout the world for its quality, versatility, and affordability, says the company. The LT15START sawmill offers many of the same robust features of the LT15 sawmill including a 2” X 6” box steel frame, adjustable side supports, log clamp, and the ability to upgrade with a trailer package or bed extensions as sawmilling needs grow. Featuring a Kohler 14 hp recoil start gas engine, push bar feed system, and 11’ standard

log length capacity, the LT15START offers a 28” log diameter capacity with a 26” width of cut. Longer logs can be sawn with optional bed extensions which can extend the sawmill to any required cutting length in 6’ 8” increments. www.woodmizer.com

TimberWest gets Aboriginal Business Certification

B.C.-based forest company TimberWest is the first Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program participant to achieve the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) Bronze certification under the Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) program. This certification demonstrates to Indigenous communities that TimberWest is a good business partner, a great place to work and is committed to the prosperity of Indigenous communities, says the company. TimberWest is also the first B.C. forest company to earn PAR certification. The PAR framework evaluates companies on four PAR performance areas known as the PAR drivers, which are designed to ensure comprehensive business engagement with a community. The four PAR drivers are: leadership actions, employment, business development, and community relationships. PAR certification is said to provide a high level of assurance to communities because the designation is supported by an independent, third-party verification of company reports. The final PAR level achieved by a company is determined by a jury comprised of Indigenous business people. www.timberwest.com

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

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thelastword

Traditional lands decision from the Supreme Court resulting in more dialogue and accommodation By Tony Kryzanowski

hen the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) announced in 2014 that it was opening the door to allowing First Nations to claim control over traditional lands beyond their reservation boundaries, many predicted mayhem in the forest in terms of resource development. It hasn’t happened—nor will it—and here’s why. As a reminder, the SCC in an 8-0 decision granted the Tsilhqot’in First Nation aboriginal title to 1,700 square kilometres of land, or about 440,000 hectares, south and west of Williams Lake in the B.C. Interior, outside the boundaries of their reservation community. In effect, the court recognized that six area First Nations bands had occupied the region for centuries. Soon after, some suggested that this would allow aboriginals to claim the entire country of Canada as ‘traditional lands’, given that they occupied the landmass that would later become Canada, before European settlement began. But as in most SCC decisions, it is incredibly important to read the fine print. First, the Tsilhqot’in First Nation actually made a claim to 4,380 square kilometres and was granted less than half of that, so the cautionary note here is to be careful what you ask for. It may not include that resource-rich target you wanted to gain control over. Second, it will take First Nations a lot more than just an assertion of traditional lands for it to magically occur, although the SCC said that if there is an assertion, industry has a responsibility to consult with the First Nation to make ‘accommodations’. Basically it means that industry can’t just walk into potential traditional lands, even if they have permits in hand, to begin resource extraction without talking to nearby First Nations, finding out if the activity will disrupt their traditional activities—and

also, more intelligently, to find out if there are opportunities for the First Nations to benefit from the resource extraction activity by way of payments, jobs, joint ventures, and sub-contract work. Third, the SCC did a remarkable job of developing a test for aboriginal communities as to whether or not they can make a legitimate claim to traditional lands. In this case, the court definitely drew a line between those First Nations whose traditional way of life was more sedentary versus those who were nomadic. In other words, those communities who came out significant winners in this decision were groups like the Haida, Algonquin, Ojibway, Iroquois, and others, who tended to live in established communities within a well-defined geographic area rather than a nomadic lifestyle. That’s because the SCC test states that an aboriginal group asserting title must prove that it occupied the land prior to sovereignty, meaning before European settlement; the group must have continued to occupy the territory in question from pre-sovereignty till now; and finally, they must have been the exclusive group to have occupied the territory. In other words, it is not enough for an aboriginal group to say that they have traditionally hunted, fished, and lived in a disputed area by habitually walking in and out or establishing temporary settlements and leaving once the local food source ran dry. It must be permanent, continuous, exclusive occupation since about the 17th century, before the establishment of the fur trade, and, the First Nation, depending on physical evidence and traditional history, has to be able to prove it. So then it should come as no surprise that the two areas most likely to be impacted by claims of traditional lands are B.C. and Ontario, where from an historical perspective, First Nations are more

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - March/April 2018

likely to be able to prove permanent occupation within a defined land base since the 17th century. But if the B.C. situation is any indication, First Nations generally are not looking for confrontation. They are looking for accommodation. For example, last year, four British Columbia pulp and paper producers signed a Memorandum of Understanding with B.C.’s First Nations Forestry Council (FNFC) “to promote and support the growing role and influence of First Nations in the B.C. forest sector.” The four companies include Catalyst Paper, Nanaimo Forest Products (Harmac), Paper Excellence Canada and Zellstoff Celgar Limited Partnership. As purchasers of pulp wood on the open market, these companies have astutely realized that to gain access to forest resources on deemed traditional lands, they must make “accommodations”. For its part, the FNFC has stated that it is willing to work with these partners to continue to develop and implement the voluntary Compliance Management System, which could become the price of admission to B.C. forest companies gaining access to lands deemed as traditional aboriginal lands. A work in progress, the compliance system allows First Nations to track any elements of industry operations within their territory that is of importance to them. This includes such issues as environmental standards, aboriginal culture and values, worker and community safety, enforcement of benefits sharing agreements/contracts, tracking for referral processes, and consultation and accommodation tracking. There are currently three pilot projects with pulp and paper producers for application of this compliance system in partnership with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to establish working models with three of its B.C. First Nations communities.

CONFIDENCE BY DESIGN The all-new E-series 855 shovel logger cab has all the comforts you’ve come to expect. The full-length front window, larger side windows and narrow side posts provide exceptional visibility. Reduced noise levels allow you to take full advantage of the Bluetooth® and Sirius ready sound system. And the optimally positioned skyVIEW and rearVIEW camera systems allow for maximum productivity and comfort. Contact your dealer today to experience the redesigned LS855E cab for yourself.