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July/August 2018
B.C.’S HANNAH DEHOOG proves there’s room for women in the forest industry TOLKO TACKLING THE TOUGH JOB of fire salvage in the woods
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DEALING WITH FOREST FIRE SALVAGE WOOD at the sawmill SAN GROUP MAKING BIG B.C. SAWMILL INVESTMENTS
FEATURES July/August 2018 Volume 49 • No. 4 Editor Paul MacDonald Contributing Editors Jim Stirling Tony Kryzanowski George Fullerton Tech Update Editor Tony Kryzanowski
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On the Cover: Hannah Dehoog of Smithers, B.C., is catching a lot of attention in the logging community. It’s not just her engaging presence on social media, but her determination and skill as a young female heavy equipment operator working in a decidedly male dominated industry. Read all about Dehoog and the logging work she is doing beginning on page 8 of this issue. (Cover photo courtesy of Tigercat).
4 Spotlight:
Safety evolving with silviculture sector
The Western Forestry Contractors’ Association set out recently to gain an insight into how the silviculture sector has evolved—and where health and safety programs might need to be changed, to reflect that evolution.
8 Logger girl
There is a place for young women in Canada’s forest industry, and B.C.’s Hannah Dehoog is proof of that. She loves being in the bush operating logging equipment, and has run everything from skidders to leveling feller bunchers, doing steep slope work.
12
Big B.C. mill investments
The San Group, which recently acquired a mill operation on Vancouver Island, has some ambitious spending plans for its B.C. sawmill and reman operations, including adding a small log mill operation, with HewSaw equipment.
20
Dealing with the aftermath of forest fires— at the sawmill
B.C. forest company Tolko Industries is successfully handling fire salvaged timber from last year’s massive forest fires, thanks to some changes at their mill operations.
30
Tackling the tough job of fire salvage
Last summer’s forest fires in B.C. created a lot of salvage work for forest companies including Tolko Industries. But just as Tolko’s employees and contractors were up to the task of fighting the fires, they’re also up to the tough job of salvaging the fire-affected timber.
39 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 and Alberta Innovates.
54The Last Word
Tony Kryzanowski says the forest industry needs a better communications approach for advocating wood-based alternatives in the battle against plastic.
DEPARTMENTS
Calendar............................................ 6 Tech Update: Tracked Harvesters........ 42 Suppliernewsline............................. 48 Classifieds....................................... 52 Ad Index.......................................... 53 Subscriptions................................... 53
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
3
spotlight The development of safety programs is a key area of focus for the new Western Forestry Contractors’ Association (WFCA). The newly combined WFCA is the result of the Consulting Foresters of B.C. and the Western Silvicultural Contractors’Association joining forces in 2017.
SAFETY EVOLVING
with silviculture sector
The Western Forestry Contractors’ Association set out recently to gain an insight into how the silviculture sector has evolved—and where health and safety programs might need to be changed, to reflect that evolution. By Jim Stirling ilviculture and associated consulting services occupy a distinct ecosystem within the forest industry. It makes sense therefore that for health and safety programs to be most effective they should be tailored to fit the sector’s changing activities and operating realities. The Western Forestry Contractors’ Association (WFCA) set out recently to gain an insight into how the silviculture sector has evolved and where the health and safety programs for it need to reflect the changes identified. “We looked at different models on how we might do that,” recalled Jordan Tesluk. “We decided to do more in-field work and meet with people in the sector in their work environment in an informal way.”
The result was an exercise in communication and consultation which began during the 2017 silviculture season with Tesluk hitting the road as the WFCA’s first in-field forestry safety advocate. The WFCA membership is comprised of people and companies involved with activities like forest engineering, timber cruising, timber supply analyses, seedling production, silviculture services, tree planting, stand tending like brushing and spacing, and wildfire management services. Companies working in the sector generate more than $500 million in annual revenues, according to the WFCA. The association is the result of a 2017 fusion between the Consulting Foresters of B.C. and the Western Silvicultural Contractors’ Association. The organizations believe
4
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
S
the newly combined WFCA will create a more comprehensive voice for the sector in its dealings with governments and industry. The development of safety programs is one of three key areas of focus for the new WFCA, along with business practices and policy advocacy. Tesluk was a sound choice to help chart a course for a responsive forestry safety program, with 15 years’ experience as a tree planter on his resume. He said he made about 20 visits to contractors and organizations during 2017, both in the field and in their offices. “It worked very successfully” he said. “No one said no.” On each occasion, Tesluk delivered to page 6
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spotlight
The harvesting sector is highly mechanized these days, but in a tree planting or silvicultural camp, working with motorized equipment is pretty much limited to quads, pick-up trucks and chain and brushing saws. Physically, the work of a tree planter is still very demanding and repetitive. from page 4 to his hosts binders containing pertinent safety and training information. And, as importantly, he talked with them and listened to their comments and suggestions for improvements. “It’s about getting people in conversation,” he summarized. The diversity among the WFCA’s membership and the need to close couple health and safety programs to the realities of a specific job is well illustrated by looking at the tree planting fraternity, suggested Tesluk. Traditionally, silvicultural services like tree planting are seasonal, non-unionized with a piece rate payment format. And that, he believes, introduces a whole different set of pressures. The harvesting sector is highly mechanized these days but in a tree planting or silvicultural camp, working with motorized equipment is pretty much limited to pick-up trucks and chain and brushing saws. But physically, the work of a tree planter is very demanding and repetitive. Then there’s the worker experience level to consider, he continued. “It’s more a transitional job than a career for most.” Most tree planters only return for three or four seasons, with a turnover of at least 20 per cent 30 per cent each year. It means health and safety training programs must be geared from scratch for the planting newcomers to the appropriate updates for those with more experience. “The safety measures also have to be 6
applied under the pressures of production,” he cautioned. The experience of supervisors represents another variable in health and safety program delivery. “They may not have much experience,” said Tesluk. Then there’s the size factor of the tree planting contractor. “The larger silvicultural companies get more attention from the enforcement agencies while the smaller ones can often miss out.” Tesluk is referring to operations with six to 20 people with operating budgets that might not stretch to offering complete safety and training packages. “I try to visit them, find out what they might be missing (on the health and safety front) and try to fill the gap,” he added. Tesluk said he visited a couple of First Nations contractors during his initial year as the in-field forestry safety advocate. “First Nations communities play a very important role in seasonal silvicultural work. It’s important they do it safely right from the beginning,” he continued. Tesluk was gearing up for the 2018 round of visits to sector contractors this summer to learn more about their safety requirements. “This is a new approach to building relationships between the field and the groups that drive safety program development in the industry,” he said. The goal is to make the various work sites for the silviculture sector safer—and keeping them that way.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
CALENDAR
September 13-15
Pacific Logging Congress In the Woods Show, Corvallis, OR 360-832-1745 www.pacificloggingcongress.org September 16-17
WOOD MARKETS/FEA China Global Wood Trade Conference, Chongqing China 604-801-5996, www.woodmarkets. com/conference/conferences-china September 17-19
Wood Pellet Association of Canada AGM, Vancouver, BC 250-837-8821, www.pellet.org September 26-28
Alberta Forest Products Association 76th AGM, Jasper, AB 780-452-2841 www.albertaforestproducts.ca September 25
2018 FEA Forum, World Forestry Center, Portland, Oregon 978-496-6334 www.getfea.com/conferences October 17-19
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industryprofile
Logger girl
Hannah Dehoog worked at a tree nursery and sawmill, and now is an equipment operator for Groot Bros. Contacting in Houston, B.C.
There is a place for young women in Canada’s forest industry, and B.C.’s Hannah Dehoog is proof of that. She loves being in the bush operating logging equipment, and has run everything from skidders to leveling feller bunchers, doing steep slope work. By Samantha Paul
H 8
annah Dehoog—also known as Logger Girl and Hanimal—of Smithers, British Columbia, is
catching a lot of attention in the logging community. It’s not just her engaging presence on social media, but her determination, bravery and skill as a young female heavy Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
equipment operator working in a decidedly male dominated industry. Dehoog has been exposed to and involved in various aspects of the forest industry for the majority of her life. Before
industryprofile
Hannah Dehoog is an adrenaline junkie. “My heart is like a compass that points to anything that feeds adrenaline,” she states. When Hannah is not logging, she is sledding or dirt biking.
she was even old enough for school, Dehoog was marching around the bush alongside her father, a log buyer at the time. In high school she worked at a tree nursery and a sawmill, and now at the age of 22, Dehoog works as an equipment operator for Groot Bros. Contracting Ltd. out of the town of Houston, in B.C.’s northern interior. The first question Dehoog usually gets asked when someone discovers what she does for a living is, “How did you get into that?” Although her father, Chris Dehoog, is a log buyer for West Fraser, she was introduced to operating equipment by an ex-boyfriend. While visiting him at a remote logging camp, a crew member suggested that she get a job on the crew. “No one thought I would take the suggestion seriously but as soon as the idea of running equipment came into my mind, it lit a fire in me. This is what I want to do,” she says. Dehoog wasted no time. Before making the long drive home, she found the name and address of the contractor and stopped at his house to convince him to hire her. She had no operating experience, but was extremely determined. She recalls that after some persuasion the contractor said to her, “I will give you a chance, just don’t piss me off.” She was ecstatic. She couldn’t wait to tell her Dad. “Guess who’s going logging Dad?” Dehoog yelled. Her Dad was thrilled. Her father is well known in the logging community and is a huge motivator for Hannah. She works hard every day, not only to prove herself as a female operator but to make her Dad proud. “That drive will never change,” she states. “Most people think the start of my career as an equipment operator got handed to me by my Dad, but it didn’t. I did it all on my own,” she explains. “My Dad will be the first to tell you that he did not lift a finger. He did not make a phone call or be a reference.”
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
How many young women could survive life in the middle of the bush, with no cell service, infrequent showers and only the company of an all-male crew for weeks on end? Dehoog happily took on this challenge. “It was intimidating being the only girl in the camps. It is definitely more challenging for girls,” says Dehoog. “It took a while to get used to only showering every ten days,” she said. When we spoke with Dehoog, she had just finished eight months of night shift, working alone with just a satellite SOS phone and the stars. “I got used to it. Some nights I got freaked out, but I did what I had to do. It was an adventure.” Dehoog started out on an excavator, learning simple hydraulic controls and basic machine maintenance. On day three she got behind the seat of a processor operator and by day four she was on her own, operating the processor. She recalls her boss telling her not to fire a log through the cab. After two years operating a variety of machines including excavators, processors, skidders and loaders, Dehoog finally got her hands on a Tigercat feller buncher, an LX870C. Dehoog had always wanted to run a leveling machine. “I’ve tackled some pretty steep ground with that tilter and loved every minute of it,” she states. Tigercat quickly became her favourite brand. Having run an 880 logger, several Tigercat skidders and both an LX870C and 870C, it was clear to her that Tigercat manufactured for the operator. “Life changing,” is how she describes Tigercat’s Turnaround skidder seat. “And I love how accessible everything is with the buncher. The hood flips open, the auto hydraulic pump is great and all the doors and guards are easy to use.” When mechanic Dave Hunter and to page 10
9
industryprofile from page 9 Dehoog were both working at Matt Hromatka Contracting, he gave her the nickname Hanimal and it has stuck with her over the past three years. When asked what type of Hanimal she is, she always responds with, “I’m a Tigercat.” She considers herself a bit of an animal—a little wild and outgoing in almost every aspect of life. Dehoog is an adrenaline junkie. “My heart is like a compass that points to anything that feeds adrenaline,” she states. “When I am not logging, I am sledding with my family, dirt biking or hanging out with my boyfriend, and pit bull, Phoenix.”
She loves taking on new challenges. “There is nothing a guy can do that I can’t do. That is what fuels me,” explains Dehoog. “If someone doesn’t think I can do it, I want to prove them wrong. “I am very proud of what I do as a female forestry equipment operator and so I want to share it with the world,” explains Dehoog. “I also don’t think there is enough promotion for women in logging.” Since she started sharing her logger girl lifestyle on social media, other women have been curious about what it is like to be a woman working in harvesting. Dehoog provides them with candid insight whenever asked. Due to Dehoog’s social media presence,
Day in the life of Logger Girl Time 2:15 am 3:00 am 4:00 am 4:30 am 4:00 pm 4:30 pm 5:30 pm
What’s Happening Alarm goes off, then snooze! Out the door to work Arrive at the cutblock, check fluids, warm up the machine Start bunching Finish daily service Complete maintenance and drive home Cheers!
she often gets recognized around Smithers and Prince George, B.C. She loves the attention but understands other young women are watching her, so she tries to behave online. “I have a cheeky way about explaining some of the challenges I face, but I absolutely love my job and truly encourage other women to give it a try.” The next step in her career is to get certified for lowbed equipment as she feels that would be a useful skill. Dehoog could also see herself working steep terrain abroad and has had job offers in New Zealand. It takes a certain type of person to log every day whether you’re a girl or a guy. “I don’t think women are superior to men and I don’t think men are superior to women. We are equal and we all need the same opportunity,” she says. Dehoog is driven, hard working and tough. She is proud of what she does and isn’t going to stop promoting her logger girl lifestyle anytime soon. This story was originally published in the Tigercat publication Between the Branches, and is reprinted with Tigercat’s permission.
Plan and schedule phase integration to reduce the risk of congestion in your operations. Visit worksafebc.com/forestry
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
BCsawmilling
COMPANY
IN A HURRY
San Group CEO Kamal Sanghera (left) and Suki Sanghera, San Group President, with the company’s Port Alberni B.C. sawmill in the background.
B.C.’s San Group Inc is a company in a hurry, having recently purchased a mill operation on Vancouver Island—and they will be adding to the mill operation soon with a small log line. 12
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
By Paul MacDonald
W
hen you’re a mid-sized familyowned company, sometimes the decisions can be made quickly, easily—and on a ferry. That’s sometimes the case with B.C.based San Group Inc., a forest products company with remanufacturing operations in Langley, just outside of Vancouver, and relatively newly-purchased mill operations in Port Alberni, on Vancouver Island.
In the short time since then, San Group has made a number of changes to the operation, including adding another shift and a molding line. And there are intentions to invest upwards of between $30 million and $40 million over the next several years, that will include a small log manufacturing operation to complement the existing large log mill. They are having
a R200 completely rebuilt by HewSaw, to be installed later this year. It would be an understatement to say that San Group’s Kamal Sanghera is a man in a hurry. When the Coulson operations became available, the decision to purchase them was made quickly. to page 14
While travelling between the two operations between the Mainland and Vancouver Island on B.C. Ferries, San Group CEO Kamal Sanghera and his small executive group will review operations, and make plans—and execute them quickly. Just over a year ago, San Group purchased the long-established Coulson Forest Products sawmill, based in the Vancouver Island forestry town of Port Alberni, about 80 kilometres west of Nanaimo. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
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BCsawmilling “We have a long relationship with Coulson, going back to 1991, when they built the sawmill in Port Alberni,” he explained. It was, and is, a good fit, added Bob Bortolin, vice-president of business development for San Group. “If you talk to any reman operation, what is their biggest problem? Getting fibre —finding raw material,” says Bortolin. “So it was natural for us to purchase Coulson. “Over the years, we had been processing a lot of material from the mill already, so we knew their fibre, the manufacturing, and we knew how to take that material and maximize the recovery. You could say the gears just meshed perfectly between the operations.” “We were missing the sawmill component,” added Sanghera. “So it was a natural fit for us. We had the logs from timber sales from BC Timber, but we did not have the sawmill to process them.” With Coulson, came its logging department, giving San Group access to a wealth of expertise on the logging and timber management side. They currently have
four logging operations on the B.C. coast, some of which is done with helicopters, with Pacific International Heli-Log. In addition to having logs processed in Port Alberni, they are also using, and will continue to use, Lower Mainland operations such as S&R Sawmills and Mainland Sawmills to do contract cutting for them. “We have a lot of very good partners. But Port Alberni is now meeting most of our reman needs.” They also purchase wood products, for remanning, from the majors’ primary sawmills. “But now we have control of the wood from the standing tree to sending it as a finished product to whatever market we ship to,” says Sanghera. “We can process the wood to a finished end product, and put it out into world markets.” And they ship to a lot of markets, including Australia, the UK, Japan, China, South Korea and the Middle East. “You name it, we are there.” And it all goes by container. That variety of markets gives them choice in where, and what product, to send. “Australia might take this product, Belgium might take that product—this enables us to move all grades of lumber.” says Sanghera.
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
from page 13
BCsawmilling In addition to its mill operations on Vancouver Island, San Group Inc. has remanufacturing operations in Langley, just outside of Vancouver.
And, he noted, they are very customer focused. Sanghera or one of the senior management group visits each customer regularly. “We do that because we want to understand what their needs are— that’s how relationships are built.” With the Port Alberni operation, San Group is looking to get the maximum value out of every log, but even more so on a broader, operational basis, since it
does remanufacturing into products as varied as solid wood boards right through to engineered siding products. “We are applying technology to get as much out of the fine grain timber as possible.” Their plans include producing more engineered wood products to make use of fine grain western red cedar, such as a laminated core product with a cedar veneer. “So out of that one piece of wood
that would normally yield a single piece of tongue and groove, we would be able to make several clear pieces of tongue and groove out of it. We are adding labour to it, but we are also getting good value from it. “We want to do more value added,” added Sanghera. Value added has been their specialty since the company was set up in 1979. After acquiring the mill, Sanghera and his team were quick to review operations, and implement changes. “We walked in the first day, and we knew that it could be configured better from a reman perspective, that things could be done more efficiently—and that started in the week after we bought the company.” They have since added 40 employees to the Port Alberni operation. Sanghera says the company expects to invest $100 million in the Port Alberni and Langley operations over the next several years, combined, and will be hiring 100 new employees in the next year, most of them in Port Alberni. There is plenty of room for expansion in Langley, where they have an 80-acre site on the Fraser River, which in addition to reman facilities, also includes drying equipment with kilns from Porta Kiln. to page 16
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
15
BCsawmilling from page 15
Coulson stays involved with the forest industry—through aviation wing
T
he Coulson family may be shifting out of sawmilling in Port Alberni, in selling their mill operation to the San Group, but it is still going to be involved in the industry through its aviation company. The Coulson Group includes Coulson Aircrane, run by Wayne Coulson and owned by the Coulson family. It has been in the aviation business for 30 years, and operates both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. Its operations include helicopter logging and forest fire suppression.
Its equipment includes two massive C-130 Hercules aircraft used for air tanker work, and the fabled Martin Mars planes, the world’s largest water bombers, with their massive 60,000 lb. payloads. The company’s two Mars aircraft, the Philippine and Hawaii Mars, have worked on hundreds of forest fires, saving untold thousands of acres of valuable forestlands, delivering massive amounts of foam or water exactly where and when it is needed.
Senior company staff travel a fair bit between the two operations, and there is a focus on hands-on management. The company has beautiful offices in Langley, but Sanghera, Bortolin and other senior managers don’t see a lot of those offices— they are usually out in the mill operations. In addition to producing wood products differently, the company is also looking to handle the timber input into the Port Alberni mill differently. Some companies leave a lot of low grade wood behind in the bush, because they consider it too small—it may not fit into their large mill cutting programs, says Sanghera. But San Group’s philosophy is to take waste or underutilized logs out of the bush, some of which will be supplying their new small log line. Any logs from four to 14 inch will go into the refurbished HewSaw small log line, with 15 inch and up logs going to the existing large log line. “We’re investing in property and equipment for Port Alberni. Our engineers are working on the plans for the new small log line facility.” Also involved with this project is MPM Engineering, who will be supplying the controls for the new line. In addition, they have other equipment on hand that they expect to be putting in place in Port Alberni. They are working to get the new log line, with a trimmer line, in as soon as possible, with equipment such as a bin system, to follow. to page 18
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
BCsawmilling from page 16 They have already added a Weinig molding line to the mill facility, so it now has two Weinig molders, one with a sanding head. They also have a radio frequency laminator and a Grecon optimizing saw, plus resaws, sander and sash saws. “And we will be running all species— not just western red cedar and hemlock, but Douglas fir and yellow cedar,” explained Sanghera. “We want to utilize all species in the forest.” In the meantime, they have since ramped up operations at the existing Port Alberni mill. Sanghera says they have invested several million dollars in the mill, very heavily in the reman end, to better fit with the company’s reman facilities in Langley. Some of the reman work that had been done in Langley is now being done in Port Alberni, making for more integrated operations. “We are running the mill more completely,” he says. “The mill had been running one shift, sometimes only four days a week.” As of this spring, they were running two shifts, and were planning to run three shifts, once they were able to get wood from their logging operations, which are mostly BC Timber Sales. “Without a doubt, we can say we are the only mill operation that has been adding shifts,” says Sanghera. To prepare for this scaling up, they have been training and adding staff. “We are not there yet, but we want to have the people in place to take on the new equipment with the small log line.” And being a company in growth model, San Group is looking at other opportunities. “The Coulson mill has added a lot for us, we’ve been able to do a lot more. But we’re also keeping our eyes open, and looking for other opportunities. As a business, we don’t believe in just sitting with what we have. “We’re also looking at other mill operations. We have an appetite for growth,” says Sanghera. He says the company has a five year plan, and it includes significant growth. “We know where we want to go.” And they have the expertise, through their employees and senior management, to get there, he says. “Manufacturing and sawmilling is where we grew up,” says Kamal of himself and his brother, company president Suki Sanghera, and their 30+ years in the business. “If there is an opportunity, we don’t need a consultant to look into it and tell 18
us what to do—we take a look at it, and see if there is something we can do, if there is something there that we can work with.” And they seem to be happy to take on a challenge, and buy operations that might not be working perfectly. “Anything is fixable as long as you have the will do it—and we have the will,” says Sanghera. Sanghera says that hurdles do crop up, but they try not to have them stop them
from achieving their goals. “We handle the issues head on,” he says. “That’s the approach we have taken from day one with the company.” And he added that approach, and the company’s success, would not have been possible without their employees. “I’m very proud of our people and their commitment.”
Bob Bortolin (left), vice-president of business development for the San Group, and the San Group’s Kamal Sanghera (centre) and Suki Sanghera are overseeing changes to the Port Alberni sawmill they have acquired. The changes include the installation of a small log manufacturing operation to complement the existing large log mill.
More forestry jobs for B.C.’s Port Alberni?
A
t one time, through the 1950s and 1960s, the central Vancouver Island town of Port Alberni, B.C., was a booming place. There were multiple sawmills, a plywood plant, pulp and paper mill operations—and logging jobs galore. It was dominated by forestry giant, MacMillan Bloedel. But some see the opportunity for a resurgence in the industry in the town. “We’d like to see the community grow again,” says Kamal Sanghera, the CEO of the San Group, which purchased the town’s Coulson Forest Products mill last year. He sees part of the solution to getting more jobs for Port Alberni, and B.C., by securing fibre for B.C. mills and stopping log exports. This solution would be beneficial to all sectors of the lumber industry, he says.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
“The natural resource is here—why are we shipping all those logs out, and the jobs to other places? “Why can’t we have the jobs here? We can do it here, we have the technology. Why should we export logs when we can export finished products?” That is part of San Group’s goal, with adding to their reman operations and starting up a new small log mill in Port Alberni. B.C. sawmill workers are competing with labour elsewhere making a fraction of what they make, but labour can be a small component of a product’s final price. “We need to use our fibre more intelligently,” Sanghera says. “As a manufacturer, we don’t like to see logs being exported. We should keep the logs right here in B.C.—natural resources are meant to create jobs for the people of B.C. and Canada.”
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forestfiresalvage
Tackling the tough Last summer’s forest fires in B.C. created a lot of salvage work for forest companies including Tolko Industries. But just as Tolko’s employees and contractors were up to the task of fighting the fires, they’re also up to the tough job of salvaging the fire-affected timber.
of fire
Forest company Tolko has taken stock of where things are following the fires of 2017. The company estimated that it had over a million cubic metres of cutting permits in fire impacted areas—and it has started harvesting in those areas.
By Paul MacDonald he clock is ticking on the timber that was burned in the forest fires in the B.C. Interior last summer. The B.C. government estimates that about 1.2 million hectares of land containing merchantable timber was burned to varying degrees during last year’s fire season. To put it in perspective, that’s an area more than 100 times the size of the city of Vancouver. Some 53 million cubic metres of timber burned in the B.C. Interior—an entire
year’s timber harvest for the interior, equivalent to three-quarters of the B.C. Annual Allowable Cut. Burned timber deteriorates in quality quickly, so licensees are focusing their harvesting operations to retrieve maximum sustainable value from burned areas. Hence the ticking clock. One of the forest companies affected by the fires was B.C.-based Tolko Industries. Tolko runs nine mills in B.C., including three in the Cariboo, the region hit with the most fires. Three of its mills were shut down during the fires. At one
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
T
point, the town of Williams Lake, with a population of 11,000, was completely evacuated. Jerry Mooney, harvesting manager for the Cariboo region for Tolko, recalls the start of the fires in the summer of 2017.. “It really kicked off with a vengeance on July 7, when a number of lightning strikes went through the Cariboo region, and started a number of significant fires,” he says. That lightning storm alone created 144 fires. to page 22
forestfiresalvage
job
salvage At one point during the summer of 2017, Tolko had 70 people deployed running fire lines and supervising equipment in the B.C. Interior. The majority of Tolko’s logging contractors had bunchers, skidders, dozers and water tenders all deployed, and were helping to co-ordinate the firefighting effort.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
21
forestfiresalvage
from page 20 “The big risk that first afternoon was the proximity of the fires to Williams Lake—we had three sizable fires surrounding the community.” Forest fires were burning on both sides of the Williams Lake Airport. “There was significant fire threat that we faced that first evening, and some
evacuations started occurring in the outlying areas.” From then on, pretty much for the next two months, just about everyone’s efforts in the Cariboo-Chilcotin region were focused on fighting the forest fires, which were raging out of control. “The Fire Centre in Williams Lake called on Tolko to start providing as many resources as we could to help them out,”
says Mooney. “The Ministry is responsible for wildfire response, and they often rely on Tolko to provide ground support.” That ground support could be in the form of building fire guards, using any equipment that is available. In addition to calling on forest companies like Tolko, the ministry also relies on logging contractors, and their extensive equipment, to help fight forest fires.
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
forestfiresalvage “At one point, Tolko had 70 people deployed running fire lines and supervising equipment,” says Mooney. “The majority of our logging contractors had bunchers, skidders, dozers and water tenders all deployed, and were helping to co-ordinate the firefighting effort. “For about 50 days, we were essentially an extension of the BC Wildfire Service, throughout the Cariboo. It was like shifting gears for everyone—going from logging to fighting forest fires.” Through a normal June to August period, logging contractors would be out in the bush, harvesting, and also, of course, paying attention to forest fire ratings, due to the warm, dry weather. Some contractors may be shut down for brief periods when ratings get high, and if there are any fires, their dozers might be called into action, to help out. “But in an average summer, there is still logging going on,” says Mooney. The logging essentially stopped for the better part of two months last year, though. “Our bush operations were essentially shut down for most of July and August.” Tolko alone had 10 active logging opera-
tions that were shut down or impacted by the fires. While Williams Lake was evacuated, some Tolko employees opted to stay and help in the firefighting efforts. They were sleeping in cots at the Tolko office, and campers in the parking lot. “We continued to try to support the forest service however we could during the evacuation,” said Mooney. “It really brought our group as a whole, company people, contractors, together. When you are in a crisis like that, it’s all hands on deck,” added Kevin Systma, Tolko forestry manager for the Cariboo region. “Most of the people in the Cariboo/ Chilcotin region are either directly or indirectly employed or affected by the forest industry,” Systma says. “We saw a lot of community spirit, the willingness of people to come back after the evacuation orders, and get to work. It was a real collective effort by the community.” Such a catastrophic forest fire season takes its toll on everyone, and those involved with the forest industry were certainly affected. Many logging contractors were shut
down for the better part of two months, and Tolko and other sawmills in the region, such as West Fraser operations, were shut down. While contractors were compensated for the use of their equipment in fighting the forest fires, some of the equipment, such as processors and logging trucks, were not used, since the focus was on fighting fires, not processing or moving timber. Many people working in the bush—and at the sawmills—had not seen a paycheque for quite a while. So where do you start to get back to normal? Tolko took stock of where things were. It estimated that it had over a million cubic metres of cutting permits in fire impacted areas—essentially a million cubic metres of burned wood. That represents huge investments in that land base, years of work, approvals, road infrastructure, First Nations consultation and accommodation, cutting permits approved and issued—essentially timberland that was ready to be harvested. And it’s now mostly burned wood. to page 24
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forestfiresalvage “The fires ended up burning a lot of our work in progress in the bush, and you can’t replace those roadside bush inventories overnight,” said Systma. “The first step for Jerry and myself was to assess the damage, and figure out how we get people back to work.” As part of that, Tolko worked to obtain timber from private land. “We have excellent relationships with First Nations communities, and we worked specifically with the Williams Lake Indian Band to move ahead and assist them with timber salvage/restoration on their lands. We are still working with the band now.” As noted, the company lost active cutting permits in fire-affected areas, with the largest impact being in the Quesnel area, 120 kilometres north of Williams Lake. Mooney says the company has a close working relationship with its logging contractors, and it was pro-actively planning for the recovery effort, and getting people back to work. “In the last 20 days or so of firefighting, there was this conscious thought about how to get back logging after this.” Just as the contractors and Tolko em-
ployees had transitioned into firefighting mode, they then transitioned back into logging mode. “There were some logging areas that had sustained damage, but we had some harvesting activities that we could continue on with after the fire. We were quick to see what the first salvage/ restoration harvesting opportunities were.” The timeline for the practical use of the burned wood varies, depending on the species, and the fire damage, Systma says. “We really see two harvest opportunities. For burnt Douglas fir, we likely have two to three years, depending on the fire severity and the condition of the stand at the time of the fire. That’s due to its thick bark and the quality of the wood that has been protected by the bark. We feel that over the next two to three years, we can continue to salvage in those stands. “The second is that as you move west from the Fraser River, on the Chilcotin Plateau, that is very much a pine landscape—and there were very much standdestroying fires there. “A lot of the wood has char in it, and it’s not usable for the products Tolko produces or for chips for pulp and paper. There is some opportunity in the pine
24
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
from page 23
landscape, perhaps in areas with low severity ground fire. But we are probably looking at less than a year of salvage in a lot of the spruce/pine areas.” Pine deteriorates quickly, notes Mooney. “Once it gets heat in the spring the year after a fire, it just opens up and starts cracking. “We’ll see what happens this year, but with the really heavy black char white wood, we’re hoping we will get another year out of it—but that may, or may not, happen. “A good example is that we were successful in generating veneer logs this past winter. But right now, through the summer, you have to be very selective in where you are able to harvest a veneer log because the day after you cut a log, it will be sitting in the sun and it checks a lot quicker.” What was a potential veneer stand is already most likely a sawlog stand, and the larger logs are going to deteriorate a lot quicker. “A lot of the standing wood is falling down, too, with root damage and the ground becoming unstable,” says Systma.
to page 26
forestfiresalvage
From the beginning of July 2017, and pretty much for the next two months, just about everyone’s efforts in the CaribooChilcotin region were focused on fighting forest fires, which were raging out of control.
“We’re going to see an increase in the cost for our contractors to recover that fibre and work through those areas as these stands essentially fall apart.” Through this past fall, they were gearing contractors up, to harvest fire damaged timber in and around Williams Lake, says Mooney. “The focus has been on burnt Douglas fir,” he added. Day to day operations for logging contractors harvesting burnt timber definitely has challenges. Far more attention must be paid to equipment maintenance. “The most notable thing is the soot and dust impact,” says Mooney. “There is a build-up of carbon soot and the risk of equipment fires.” There is extra work on cleaning equipment, blowing out rads, changing filters and cleaning cab vents—and just plain old power-washing of equipment. “The contractors are putting in a concerted effort on a daily and weekly basis, and that results in additional costs.” For now, Tolko employees and contractors are happy to be back at work, but it
hasn’t been easy. “To get logging up to full scale operation was certainly challenging for everyone,” says Murray Wilson, Tolko’s manager of stewardship and tenures in B.C. “And it’s been a real challenge to get the log inventory at the mills up.” Wilson notes they were fortunate in that they had a longer, colder winter, which helped extend the logging season. “We were able to salvage wood and haul for longer than we normally would, with a later arrival of spring. That really helped our operations.” An important point is that these days there is a very efficient logging supply chain, says Wilson, and not a lot of slack or over-capacity. “Everyone in B.C. knows there are no extra loggers or logging trucks. When you try to go from 60 per cent to 140 per cent, to make up for time and production lost to fires, there is simply not the capacity to do it. When you have a natural disaster, like the fires, catching up is tough.” The sheer intensity of the fires, and large area affected, compounds the situation, says Wilson. “Many of us have been to involved with fires before, but it might
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
from page 24
have meant moving 10 or 20 per cent of your logging operations for a short period. “But the scale of these fires were so vast, it really challenges the forest industry, communities and government together. We’ve never seen this amount of land burned before—and it was really focused on the Cariboo-Chilcotin area.” One thing that was made crystal clear during the fires, though, is the way that communities, and those involved in government and the forest industry, pulled together during a crisis. “I think we saw an exceptional response from everyone involved including government, First Nations and our own Tolko and logging contractor teams,” says Wilson. “We had people staying behind, essentially living in their offices. And with our logging contractors, they were out there putting their equipment on the line.” As much as possible, things in the industry have returned to normal—but it is a new normal, considering the scale of the fire impacts—and the recovery efforts still to be realized.
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DEALING BCsawmilling
with the aftermath of forest fires—at the sawmill
B.C. forest company Tolko Industries is successfully handling fire salvaged timber from last year’s massive forest fires, thanks to some changes at their mill operations.
In the Quesnel and Williams Lake areas of B.C., about 46 million cubic metres of timber, and another nine million cubic metres in the 100 Mile House area to the south, were impacted by the 2017 wildfires. 30
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
BCsawmilling
By Paul MacDonald
S
o how do you start dealing with processing timber that was burned in the largest wildfire season ever to hit British Columbia? If you are one of Canada’s largest lumber producers, Tolko Industries, you do a lot of planning, and then you execute—but you also remain flexible. Not an easy task. But then tackling these large forest fires last summer was extremely challenging. Randy Chadney, Tolko general manager, said it was impressive how the town of Williams Lake, where Tolko has two sawmills, dealt with the evacuation. “It was really unbelievable how the community came together,” he says. While Williams Lake was evacuated, the Quesnel team prepared meals on a daily basis and Chadney had a pass to bring down supplies for company personnel who stayed behind, to fight the forest fires. While in Williams Lake, they did daily asset protection tours at the company’s mill sites in the town. “We helped with mitigation work,” he said. “Logs and lumber were moved at the mills, especially on the periphery where the wildlife interface was, just in case. So we had a buffer zone.” High powered irrigation sprinklers were also set up at the mills, and water storage bladders were located around the log decks in the yard. “It was pretty intense—especially after the city was evacuated,” Chadney says. “There were fires all around Williams Lake, and they got to within two miles of West Fraser’s sawmill one night.” In the Quesnel and Williams Lake
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
area, about 46 million cubic metres of timber, and another nine million cubic metres in the 100 Mile House area to the south, were impacted by the wildfires. Tolko has a percentage of the cut in each of those areas. In the long-term, 12 million cubic metres of Tolko’s future harvest has been affected, the company estimates. It’s a huge understatement to say it’s been a very busy time for Tolko operations in the Cariboo/Chilcotin region since last summer. At their Soda Creek sawmill in Williams Lake, the company has made significant investments in extra equipment to handle the fire-damaged wood. Normally, the Soda Creek sawmill produces SPF lumber, but over the next several years, it will have a strong focus on Douglas fir. “We are consuming a lot of mostly burned Douglas fir,” explained Chadney. “The burned white wood just didn’t hold up as well as the fir in the fires, because its bark is not as thick as the fir.” Tolko has adjusted equipment speeds at the mill to better handle the burned wood. Its debarkers are normally running at 450 feet a minute, but its newly installed VK dual ring debarker, which replaced a single ring Nicholson debarker, is running at 390 feet per minute. The dual ring debarker was installed to help the mill better handle the burned timber. The char from the burned wood takes its toll on the equipment, so more maintenance, and cleaning is required. There are stringent WorkSafeBC workplace regulations that need to be maintained. But the
to page 32 31
BCsawmilling
As part of the overall timber assessment process, Tolko’s woodlands staff toured mill management through some of the firedamaged areas. Woodlands and mill management usually work closely together, but that is even more so now, as the company wants to get a realistic assessment of what is salvageable out in the forest, utilizing all the expertise it has available.
company has a strong safety culture. It also took some adjusting at the company’s Quest Wood sawmill operation, 120 kilometres up Highway 97 from Williams Lake, in Quesnel. “The Quesnel operation has been a whitewood operation for a very long time—they have probably not run fir for 30 years,” explains Chadney. “Quest Wood has been very focused on processing beetle wood from the region.” The operation had some help from their mill colleagues at the Williams Lake mill in making the switch. Williams Lake has run fir on and off, and has experience on how best to handle the species. “Cutting fir is quite a bit different than cutting SPF, especially the beetle killed wood that we had been handling in Quesnel,” says Chadney. “That extends right down to moisture sorting and how best to kiln dry the wood, and setting up the planer equipment so it’s optimized to deal with fir. We had some operational challenges at the beginning, but we are now running close to optimum performance.” Prior to doing its debarker equipment
set-up, Tolko did trial runs last fall. “We worked with equipment manufactures on different tip angles on the debarkers on the fir, which is hard to run in the winter when it is frozen. “We saw what works best—but it has an impact in the mill, and we have to run the fir at quite a lower speed.” To deal with that, they’ve added extra capacity and hours on the debarking end. Tolko had a sizable amount of Standing Timber Inventory, mostly SPF, west of Quesnel, that was ready to be logged— and it was pretty much wiped out in the forest fires. “So we’re now focusing on the fir in the Williams Lake region, and shipping a lot of that into the Quesnel mill, as well.” Tolko has also let its lumber customers know to expect some product changes. Customers who have been used to receiving SPF are now receiving more of a SPF/ Douglas fir mix. And it’s not all about the lumber. Chadney said they have been very proactive with their wood chip customers, to make sure they are getting the quality chips they require. “They cannot have any charred chips in their wood chips as it would impact their pulp process,” he says.
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from page 31
“So at both Soda Creek and our Quest Wood operation, we invested capital and installed burned wood rejection systems, after the debarkers.” They now have operators at each mill, manning controls, ejecting any logs with visible char. “So we now have another employee, and conveyors and controls, on each sawmill line, to identify the badly burned logs, and they manually eject the logs, and get them out of the main flow of the mill. “We’ve had our chip customers come through and see what we are doing, and they are extremely satisfied with the process we’ve put in place,” says Chadney. “We’ve had no issues with any our chips.” The ejected, charred logs are stored, and are run through the mill separately, with the resulting chips sent to non-pulp customers. “That has an economic impact because the value of those chips is less than pulp chips.” There is also a concern that as time progresses, the grade recovery from the burnt timber will diminish. “We are already starting to see logs harvested last winter drying to page 34
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BCsawmilling
from page 32 out and splitting. This is the first logging season after the fire so we are a bit concerned what next spring will look like.” Once the fire season was over last fall, Chadney noted it took a bit of time to get the Tolko sawmill operations ramped up. “We did not have much of a log supply in the millyards when the fires started.” As part of the overall timber assessment process, Tolko’s woodlands staff toured mill management through some of the fire-damaged areas. Woodlands and
mill management usually work closely together, but that is even more so now, as the company wants to get a realistic assessment of what is salvageable out in the forest, utilizing all the expertise it has available. “We had field trips with our manufacturing people, showing them the burned areas, to get their thoughts,” says Chadney. The teams at both mills have done a phenomenal job of adapting very quickly, Chadney says. Tolko’s Williams Lake operations had some experience in dealing with burned
wood. There was a forest fire at a military training area west of Williams Lake in 2009, and the mills harvested the timber off those lands. As if dealing with the huge wildfires was not enough on its own, Tolko’s Lakeview sawmill in Williams Lake was hit by a mill fire in November, and has been shut since then. It is now in the process of being rebuilt. Tolko has worked hard to put many of
to page 36
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BCsawmilling from page 34 their employees displaced by the Lakeview mill fire into the Soda Creek (Williams Lake) and Quest Wood operations. “Soda Creek has gone from a twoshift operation to three-shifts, and the whole goal with that is to try to put Tolko employees who had been displaced from Lakeview into other company operations.” The company has been successful in adding 50 employees at Soda Creek and 15 people into Quest Wood, including trades people and staff. “It was a really good collaboration with the United Steelworkers in the region, to get agreements in place to put employees temporarily into other company operations so they could continue to work,” says Chadney. “When Lakeview comes back online, we’ll move these people back into that operation. “The support from the company and the Thorlakson family has been great,” he added. Tolko Industries is owned by the Thorlakson family, who founded the company in 1956. Tolko is on a fast track with rebuilding the Lakeview mill. They are looking to
start it up in the fourth quarter, essentially a year after the fire hit the operation. “We had to make some decisions fast,” says Chadney. “But we have a good mill design, and we are going to have a very competitive mill.” Tolko was able to re-purpose some sawmill equipment from its Nicola Valley sawmill, near Merritt, B.C., which had
36
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
shut down in 2016. “We’re also working with USNR on a new edger line, Optimil on upgrading the canter line, and SpringerMicrotec on a new log infeed system,” explained Chadney. “It’s going to be a lot more efficient and have a different, much smaller footprint,” he added.
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The Edge Novel equipment and practices demonstrated at two national research forests BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI
A
s part of its mandate to bring research to life—and because it has the ability to push past the boundaries of standard practices to investigate new approaches compared to those working in the commercial forest—the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC) Technology Development and Transfer group has initiated demonstrations of novel forest management practices and tools in two national research forests. Group technical development specialists are organizing demonstrations at the Petawawa National Forest, west of Ottawa, and at the Acadia National Forest, northeast of Fredericton, New Brunswick. One recent partner event held in Petawawa was very well attended, and there are many events planned for the future. Both the Petawawa and Acadia forests contain a large number of high value hardwood and softwood commercial species like white and red pine, black spruce, balsam fir, maple, beech, oak, birch and poplar, growing in moderate to very fertile soils. The purpose of the demonstrations is to ensure that experienced and new individuals entering the forest industry are well informed as to the proven tools and technical data already available to them through decades of on-the-ground research and treatment options developed by both the CWFC and the Canadian Forest Service (CFS). The aim is to help industry optimize value and address challenges such as the impact of climate change on the commercial forest, maintaining bio and wood species diversity, ensuring that the current and future fibre supply is a good fit for a forest industry that is undergoing a period of
transformation, and ensuring a consistent and sustainable fibre supply given that a potential mid-term fibre supply shortage is looming. The information shared at these demonstrations is also being presented and packaged for easy delivery using today’s advanced communication tools for those unable to attend in person. “We are bringing research to life by developing and presenting technologies that can provide answers and solutions on how to approach challenges, based on sound science,” says Derek Sidders, CWFC Program Manager, Technology Development and Transfer. Because these forests are a controlled and secure environment, he adds that this provides CWFC with the flexibility to push the research envelope to either extreme to discover optimum treatments and designs in a fair and open manner that addresses the issues of the day and can be transferred for use in the commercial forest. The demonstrations given and planned for both the Petawawa and Acadia forests are focused on novel technologies related to partial harvest practices, regeneration approaches and afforestation methodologies. Participants will also be presented with alternative approaches to herbicides for vegetation management. Specifically in Petawawa—which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year as a national research forest and has been designated by the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF) as the forest capital of Canada from 2017-2019—the CWFC group is presenting information about site preparation and revegetation practices taking place as part of the ongoing active research program at the forest. Among the tools displayed and demonstrated at the most recent event was a skid
steer-mounted, horizontal drum mulcher and the ‘Grizz’ elevated power mixer, both innovative site prep tools designed for selective use to establish and manage sites being regenerated or rehabilitated. At the Acadia Forest, afforestation, harvesting, and site preparation applications will be explored and demonstrated to a wide audience that includes landowners, professional foresters, researchers and other stakeholders. This includes selective site preparation treatments on commercial thinning sites as well as in overstorey removal sites using a Soukone Meri-crusher tool on an excavator, and investigating options to ensure the establishment and retention of the original species mix while achieving enhanced growth by establishing excellent micro-sites and growing conditions for future commercial crops. CWFC developers will also be demonstrating selective harvesting approaches that promote enhancement of a predetermined future crop species in a stand conversion environment. “We have also established on-site stool beds for the retention of short rotation woody crop species and clones from willow and hybrid poplar for use in future revegetation and short rotation woody crop plantations for the Atlantic provinces,” says Tim Keddy, CWFC Wood Fibre Development Specialist. Additionally, CWFC Technology Development staff are collaborating with CFS/ CWFC researchers and organizations like the Canadian Woodlands Forum and the CIF in a number of activities related to technology transfer, including those that evaluate alternative forest management practices that address a changing climate, bioeconomy options and opportunities, and practices to reduce herbicide usage. For more information about upcoming demonstrations, contact Derek Sidders at derek.sidders@canada.ca or Tim Keddy at tim.keddy@canada.ca.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
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The Edge
Alberta Innovates to co-host Lignin Conference as industry ramps up new resin products want to get to at the end of the day.” Tolko Industries is supporting Hexion’s research related to an adhesive for OSB lberta is fast becoming a provider and has provided strands for testing. Othof high-quality lignin as a bio-based er companies supporting this research are feedstock to replace compounds Norbord, Weyerhaeuser, and Louisianamade from fossil fuels. The province is Pacific. Hexion is planning a commercial also a major supporter of research leading trial for its lignin-based PF resin for OSB at to the development of more commercial the end of August. products using lignin. John Slayter, Hexion’s Alberta Innovates (AI) North American Director of is leading the province’s PF Resin Technology, says he strategy to commercialize is confident that the positive lignin, a complex natural lab test results demonstrated compound in wood. AI by their lignin-based PF has invested $3 million in resins will be replicated in a $30 million lignin extraccommercial trials. tion demonstration plant Panel board producers attached to West Fraser’s will be able to use their pulp mill in Hinton, Alexisting presses to achieve as berta, with co-investments good or better panel board from West Fraser and fedproduction and performance eral innovation programs. results. The plant is equipped with “We’re at the point in the LignoForce extraction our development where system, noted for its ability The lignin extraction plant attached to West Fraser’s Hinton pulp we are prepared to go to our to deliver high lignin purity mill is able to consistently deliver lignin with high purity. owners and ask for a capital and consistency. investment into our manufacturing site Alberta Innovates is also supporting to the panel board industry, has recently to be able to manufacture these formulathe development of lignin-based phenolic made a major investment, expanding its tions,” says Slayter. If all goes according formaldehyde (PF) resins for use in manuresearch laboratory in Edmonton while to plan, he says Hexion could have comfacturing panel boards, in partnership with employing several chemistry graduates mercial lignin-based PF resins for plywood chemical producer, Hexion Inc. from the University of Alberta to support and OSB available by fall 2019, and will Additionally, AI is co-hosting the first its well-advanced, lignin-based PF resin R likely need considerably more high-qualiPulp and Paper Technical Association of & D program. It has already started comty lignin to meet customer demand. Canada (PAPTAC) International Lignin mercial trials of formulations for both plyHexion has also developed press Conference taking place Sept 18-20 in wood and oriented strand board (OSB). modifications and new technology with Edmonton. The conference will focus on In addition to supplying Hexion with an industry partner. They have a workprogress in all aspects of lignin chemistry high quality lignin, West Fraser intends to ing demonstration press installed at the and application and will include a tour become a Hexion customer for its ligninEdmonton lab to demonstrate how panel of the West Fraser lignin plant in Hinton. based PF resin adhesive formulation for board producers can modify their producFor those interested in attending, see the plywood. Hexion has conducted comtion methods to be able to use PF adheregistration link below. mercial trials of their plywood adhesive at sive containing even more lignin a West Fraser plywood plant. “Alberta Innovates thought there was a than these initial formulations. better solution to use this natural-sourced “When we first started this project, we resin for other value-added uses which determined that the opportunity for us is to For more information about the would also allow us to reduce our decreate this market pull by incorporating the upcoming PAPTAC International Lignin lignin into our plywood,” says Eddie Peace, pendency upon petroleum-based resins,” Conference in Edmonton, visit http:// Bio-Products Coordinator at West Fraser. says Patrick Guidera, Director of Forest www.ligninconference.com/. For more “We felt the best way to encourage that Technologies at Alberta Innovates. “With information about Alberta Innovate’s was to engage with Hexion to encourage the partnership of West Fraser Timber Co. lignin commercialization strategy, them to implement a program whereby Ltd, and Hexion Inc. working diligently on contact Julia Necheff at julia.necheff@ the lignin could be incorporated into a PF researching this brilliant solution—value, albertainnovates.ca. not waste—we can all be proud of another resin. It’s a value-added material that we BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI
A
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disruptive innovative breakthrough for Alberta.” The province is on the cusp of witnessing the commercialization of several lignin-based PF adhesives to supply the panel board industry. Hexion, a world leader in specialty chemicals and supplier of adhesive resins
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
Nordic Traction Group, the parent company of Clark Tracks, Scotland and OFA, Finland, offers a full line of traction products. Nordic Traction has partnered with Wallingford's Inc., North America’s largest manufacturer and distributor of logging supplies, to market these tested and proven products.
www.nordictractiongroup.com
TRACTION SOLUTIONS
for Harvesters, Forwarders, and Skidders.
Paragon Soft
OFA specializes in the manufacturing of tire traction chains. At our state-of-the-art factory in Finland, special Boron alloy steel is converted into the highest quality tire chain. Prior to painting and packing, the chains are case-hardened which makes the products extremely durable with high surface hardness and provides excellent fatigue strength and a resilient core.
www.ofa.fi/en | www.ofa.fi/fr
FX-95
Clark Tracks and OFA are marketed by Wallingford's Inc.
Call or visit Wallingfords online to learn more.
800-323-3708 Find us on
www.wallingfords.com
Clark Tracks specialize in developing and manufacturing forest machine tracks to suit both cut-to-length machines and skidders. We supply tracks in various sizes and designs to suit virtually any terrain, the harshest climates and all machine types. From tracks for climbing to tracks with extreme flotation, Clark Tracks has something to suit your needs.
www.clarktracks.com
TECHUPDATE
By Tony Kryzanowski
TRACKED HARVESTERS Timberpro
New for 2018 for Timberpro is the D series line of tracked bunchers and harvesters. Improving upon the already impressive C series lineup, the D series incorporates many new features and updates. One of the major updates is a new larger operator cab. This new cab features panoramic views from the oversized windows, digital
series machines, blends an automated felling head arm cycle with simple boom control. This system significantly reduces operator fatigue while simultaneously increasing efficiency and productivity. www.johndeere.com climate control and new seat options for the ultimate in comfort. Also new is the Cummins L9 performance series engine. This Stage 5 engine goes beyond Tier 4 by simplifying the emissions system with a singe can SCR, allowing for a much cleaner installation and ease of serviceability. The L9 is incredibly powerful with increased torque, added efficiency and increased service intervals. Other updates include new hydraulic cylinders, revised and beefed-up leveling system, new hydraulic pumps and new boom debris deflector. Timberpro says that the new D series is the perfect balance of power, performance and productivity. www.timberpro.com
Barko
Featuring numerous enhancements from the original design, Barko’s purpose-built 260B fixed and dangle head harvesters are said to offer exceptional productivity and efficiency. The 260B is driven by a 225 hp Cummins QSB6.7 Tier 4 Final diesel engine with SCR aftertreatment. Offering a peak torque
John Deere
The John Deere M series tracked feller bunchers and MH series tracked harvesters provide loggers with powerful machines designed to withstand tough conditions. The models are equipped with a Final Tier 4 engine, allowing machines to maintain peak engine performance while minimizing total fluid consumption. The engines on the 800 and 900 models boast 300 hp and 330 hp respectively. The tracked feller bunchers and harvesters feature spacious and comfortable operator stations. Ergonomically designed controls, adjustable armrests, fingertip control of machine functions and an air conditioned seat ensure operator comfort during long shifts. Additionally, the floor-to-ceiling and side windows along with the overhead skylight enhance the operator’s view of the timber. The Rapid Cycle System, available for the M series and MH 42
increase of 10 per cent from the previous model, the machine delivers superior productivity and fuel efficiency for reduced operating costs, says the company. It is also equipped with an extreme cooling engine package and a 36“ diameter auto-reversing fan that includes automatic temperature control. The harvester features a wider D7A undercarriage with 8” chain pitch for added stability with larger attachments in the 60,000 lb class machine size. It delivers exceptional drawbar
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
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techupdate from page 42 pull (1.13 to 1 ratio) and provides 65,481 ft/lbs of tractive effort. Ground clearance is 29”. Dual swing motors provide continuous rotation and high swing torque of 50,787 ft/lbs. The machine features a heavy duty, oversized swing bearing and offers outstanding reach with any attachment. Boom plumbing has also been enhanced. www.barko.com
Caterpillar
Caterpillar says that its track harvesters and feller bunchers feature the best combination of lift capacity, swing torque and tractive effort ratios to boost production. Purpose-built durability and low operating costs are said to increase profitability. The Cat 541 and 552 Series 2 are full tail swing machines designed for high production clearcutting or final fell applications in rough environments. The Cat 521 and 522 B series are near-zero tail swing machines, which are more attractive for felling and bunching in select cut and thinning applications. They are powered by the Cat C9 ACERT 303 hp engine, which boasts proven reliability and durability. The closed centre hydraulic system includes fully adjustable electric over hydraulic controls with two pumps for smoother multi-functioning. Large structures are designed for long life.
weldments are fabricated from high quality steel to resist impact. The LH855E FH400 leveling undercarriage has long track frames, a wide stance carbody and super duty leveling components, giving it superior stability, poise and operator comfort on steep slopes. The combination of high horsepower and harvester head optimized hydraulics provide the operator with responsive control, quick feed speed and powerful delimbing capability for high performance and productivity, according to the company. www.tigercat.com
ELTEC
Caterpillar offers a leveling machine in each model series, and steep slope harvesting enhancements are available for the 552 Series 2. www.cat.com/forestry
Again for 2018, Motion Machinery offers ELTEC tracked forestry machines with updates and improved features. This includes the new tilter options, log loaders, boom design, and more features to make the ELTEC products more operator friendly and serviceable for high uptime. ELTEC says it already surpasses the competition with such features as most visible and largest cabs, swing bearings, swing torque, and stability with extra-long track frames, so mounting that large processing head won’t be a problem with machine fatigue on an ELTEC. It offers some of the largest cooling and hydraulic flow on the market giving owners what they require for any head mounted on it. The company says that if loggers are looking for something new in feller bunchers, processors or log loaders, they should contact their ELTEC dealer. www.technologieselement.com
Tigercat
Based on the popular Tigercat 855E feller buncher, the H855E and LH855E track harvesters are said to be highly efficient, durable and reliable carriers suited to a wide range of harvesting and processing applications. With the new three mode ER boom control, the operator can choose between ER, semi-ER and conventional. The new semi-ER function allows the operator to extend the boom on a horizontal plane using a single joystick, but retracts the boom with the increased power of both cylinders, doubling the pull force. The durable design and construction starts with the Tigercatbuilt forest duty undercarriage and large diameter swing bearing. The upper assembly is built on a thick, one-piece turntable. All 44
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
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OUTRUNª TA K E S O M E R I S K O F F T H E TA B L E . With the Certified Used program from John Deere, you can add pre-owned John Deere skidders to your fleet with confidence. These thoroughly inspected machines are backed by a 6-month or optional 12-month warranty. Combine that with competitive financing, technology and dealer support — and your team is ready to OUTRUN.
Learn more at JohnDeere.ca/UsedForestry
techupdate from page 44
Komatsu
NEED MORE FLEXIBILIT Y ?
Komatsu America Corp. recently previewed its new XT-5 series of track feller bunchers. Models include the XT430-5 (non-leveling), XT435L-5, XT445L-5 and XT465L-5, which replace the prior XT-3 series machines. The XT-5 series ranges in operating weight from 66,359 lb. to 74,516 lb., and features a new, more powerful fuel-efficient EPA Tier 4 Final engine, gull-wing style engine hood, increased lift capacity, heavy-duty undercarriage, redesigned and relocated cab, new hydraulic and cooling systems, forestry-specific guarding and KOMTRAX telematics system technology. The new 310 peak hp, Cummins QSL9 9-liter engine provides more horsepower, torque and displacement and lowers fuel consumption by as much as 10 per cent, due to advanced engine and hydraulic system control designs, says the company. Lift capacities at full reach lift have been increased by 77 per cent on the XT430-5, XT435L-5 and XT445L-5, and by 15 per cent on the XT465L-5. The XT465L-5 now readily operates the Quadco 24-inch cutting capacity disc saw heads. The state-of-the-art, fully-certified, Komatsu forestry cab has been relocated to the left of the boom for industry commonality. Cab design changes provide superior lines-of-sight to each track. Standard rearview and optional right-side view monitoring systems further enhance the operator’s view. Eleven LED lights provide superior visibility for night operations. www.komatsuforest.us
Landrich
WE HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT. You need more than just rigid, take it or leave it answers to your drive problems. We're Continental, and we can address your unique needs, even if we have to create new solutions. And we never crack under pressure.
Designed and built by A. Landry Fabrication Ltd in Balmoral, New Brunswick, the Landrich is the first purpose-built track harvester optimized for the cut-to-length method of mechanized logging. With the integration of state-of-the-art design, engineering and new capabilities, the Landrich has set a new standard in efficiency and performance, says the company. The company says that customers can take advantage of the best fuel economy and productivity available on the market and an incredibly spacious cab designed for operator comfort and ergonomics. The Landrich is said to be a machine built for efficiency and profitability. www.landrich.com
WeHaveAnAnswerForThat.com
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
SUPPLIERNEWSLINE
By Tony Kryzanowski
Gilbert sells its 100th planer
Almost 20 years after its introduction to the market, Gilbert’s planer has proven to be a huge success for the company, with the 100th unit recently sold, to U.S.-based Katerra. The Gilbert Products team has developed unique expertise in designing planer mill equipment, says the company. Their products are sold in nearly 10 countries including Canada, the U.S., Germany, New Zealand, Denmark, Brazil, Australia and Sweden. The Gilbert planers are said to be among the fastest in the world, and have a high efficiency rate due to their uniqueto-Gilbert pull-through technology. The company is very proud of its planer mill equipment, said Heidi Danbrook, Sales Manager of the Planer Mill Division. “With our five different models, we offer our clients first-rate equipment, helping them increase their productivity while producing a beautiful lumber finish. To have sold 100 planers is a great sign of confidence given by the industry.” Going into the future, Gilbert said it is devoted to continuing to being a leader in the planer industry, producing high quality equipment tailored to meet mill needs. Its after-sales team is dedicated to offering personalized service and support to all its customers worldwide, the company says. For over 30 years, Gilbert Products, located in Roberval, Quebec, has been a leader in the design and manufacturing of forestry, planer mill, construction equipment and snow groomers. www.gilbert-tech.com
New earplug dispenser from Honeywell Howard Leight
Protecting workers from harmful noise on the job is an important component to worker safety programs. Honeywell has released a new earplug dispenser for commercial/industrial use that the company says makes it easier than ever for companies to achieve better hearing protection for their employees. The Honeywell Howard Leight HL400 dispenser offers more choices to serve a wider range of situational needs. For example, it can accommodate the full line of Howard Leight disposable earplugs, has more built-in, flexible mounting options, refills easier and dispenses in multiple ways. The dispenser can be refilled with all Honeywell Howard Leight disposable foam earplugs including MAX, MAXLite, Laser Lite, FirmFit, XTREME and MultiMax earplugs. www.honeywellsafety.com 48
Mac’s easy access chainsaw scabbard offers safe transport
Mac’s chainsaw scabbard provides a versatile and secure method of transporting any size chainsaw. The aluminum and powder coated scabbard can be easily mounted to any vehicle, ranging from a service bed truck to a bicycle. Mac’s chainsaw scabbard provides a secure, quick-release mounting point for a chainsaw, allowing it to be transported safely. It prevents expensive chainsaws from being unsecured and tumbling around the bed of a pickup, or loosely tied to an ATV rack. Simply slide the chainsaw bar into the scabbard and then tighten the bar clamp to lock the chainsaw in place. The open end design accommodates any bar length in a tamper and theft-resistant manner. The scabbard’s integrated mounting flange runs the full length of the scabbard body, giving flexibility in mounting. Simply drill holes anywhere along the flange to mount the scabbard to the vehicle’s structure or onto a bed mounted toolbox. Additionally, Mac offers an optional 45-degree mounting to facilitate attaching the scabbard to the rack of an ATV without losing rack area. www.macscustomtiedowns.com
Waratah TimberRite H-16 control system in more Deere machines
John Deere has integrated Waratah’s TimberRite H-16 control system on John Deere tracked harvesters and tracked swing machines equipped with Waratah 600 series harvesting heads. Previously only available for the 200 and 400 series Waratah heads, this system has been expanded for use with the 600 series heads, providing loggers with a solution that enhances connectivity for data and information sharing. With the addition of the H-16 control system, operators have more control of harvesting and processing heads, increasing precision when measuring and cutting timber. One of the most notable features on the system is the ability to configure settings to exact application needs, which improves head performance, productivity and measuring accuracy. Loggers can choose from two systems based on their needs. The pre-selection prioritization system follows preset logic and prioritizes based on operator selection, length and diameter, while the optional value-based optimization system uses log grade, assortment value, stem prognosis, length and diameters matrices, and demand inputs. www.johndeere.com
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
suppliernewsline Nokian Tractor King essentially has the carcass of a heavy duty earthmoving tire, complete with steel belts, extra cord layers and Aramid reinforced sidewalls. Combined with strong rubber compound, this makes it extremely resistant against cuts and punctures in forestry, earthmoving and road construction work. Many lugged tires suffer from vibration problems, worsening with speed and tire wear. The Nokian Tractor King offers a smooth ride at high speeds, as well. Its durability, wear resistance and environmentally friendly production process make it a sustainable choice for modern forestry, giving the driver peace of mind in all conditions, says the company. www.nokiantyres.com/tractorking
Wood-Mizer acquires Swedish manufacturer of 4-sided planer/moulders New Nokian Tractor King tire tackles tough terrain
Nokian Tractor King is a new no-compromise tractor tire for the heaviest of machinery and the most difficult terrain in forestry, earthmoving and road construction. The design from all-new tread pattern to fortified carcass is described by the company as nothing short of revolutionary in a tractor tire. With the supreme durability and traction of this tire, the horsepower of tractors can be transferred to the ground like never before, pushing the boundaries of what can be done with a tractor.
Woodworking machinery from MOReTENs AB is now available through Wood-Mizer’s global distribution network. Wood-Mizer has acquired the Swedish company, MOReTENs AB, placing a full range of popular 4-sided planer/moulders, table saws, spindle moulders, and CNC routers into Wood-Mizer’s globally available product range. Founded in 1980, MOReTENs designs and manufactures a range of woodworking machinery which includes 4-sided planer/ moulder combination models, spindle moulders, and a workshop table saw. In addition, MOReTENs also supplies high end, CNC-controlled routers and log home building machinery. www.woodmizer.ca
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suppliernewsline from page 50
Waratah announces new leadership for North America
Waratah Forestry Equipment has appointed Elliott Little to the position of Manager of North American Waratah Distribution. As part of his new role, Little will
be responsible for managing the North American Waratah business and leading distribution teams in the United States and Canada. “Elliott is an industry veteran who has extensive experience in the forestry industry,” says Heather Robinson, general manager of Worldwide Distribution for Waratah. “His previous roles will allow him to transition seamlessly into his new position, ensuring that Waratah customers will continue to receive the same quality products and high level of service and support they have come to expect from the Waratah team.” Little started his career working for a Canadian forest products company with its woodlands division in northern Ontario and Quebec. From there he joined John Deere and moved through various forestry sales and customer support assignments in Eastern Canada. He then held the position of Product Marketing Manager for Forestry Products before broadening his skill base in assignments as Manager of Commercial Development for the western U.S. & Hitachi and Manager of Discount & Incentive Programs for John Deere Construction & Forestry. Little’s most recent role was Division Manager of Customer
Support for John Deere Construction and Forestry’s southeastern U.S. division. “I’m excited about the opportunity to work with the rest of the Waratah team in North America to continue to deliver industry leading service and support and high quality, innovative, and proven products developed with customer driven focus,” says Little. www.waratah.com
Carbotech partners with West Coast Industrial Systems
Carbotech has created a strategic partnership with West Coast Industrial Systems (WCIS) for the exclusive distribution of its equipment and after-sales maintenance service for the American West Coast. Based in Lebanon, Oregon, WCIS’s fabrication shop and warehouse will serve as a critical spare parts distribution location, which will drastically decrease timeto-market and related product costs for Carbotech/Gemofor’s existing clientele, says the company. Over the years, Carbotech says that it has built a solid reputation for itself in the
Canada North Resources Expo returning to Prince George in 2019 One of the largest resource equipment shows in Canada will be back in 2019—the Canada North Resources Expo will return to the CN Centre in Prince George, B.C., May 24 and May 25, 2019. The large biennial trade event focuses on major resource sectors vital to Northern Canada’s economy, such as forestry, heavy construction and project development. “This will be the fourth edition of Canada North Resources Expo, and we are looking forward to the biggest one yet,” says Mark Cusack, National Show Manager. “This show has evolved into a must-attend trade event in the region. More than 8,000 visitors came out in 2017, and we’re anticipating growth in that number for 2019, and even more exhibitors to fill the indoor and outdoor space.” Filling an expansive four acres of exhibit space, the Canada North Resources Expo features all the equipment needed to get big jobs done. Hundreds of industry leaders from the following sectors will be in attendance at the show: forestry, mining, roadbuilding, screening/ crushing/recycling, machinery operators, trucking/ transportation, contractor/ construction, manufacturer/
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dealer/distributor, power generation and distribution projects, and government. The 2019 show website is now live at www.CNRE.ca. Companies interested in exhibiting at the show are invited to visit the show website for information on booth package and pricing options. Canada North Resources Expo has strong ties to the community and local not-for-profit organizations. Past editions have included efforts to benefit AimHi, the Prince George Association for Community Living, the Salvation Army Food Bank, and scholarship funding for Northwest Community College. Each show raises thousands of dollars to support the education of local students going into resource industry professions. In 2019, more charitable features are planned to benefit the community, such as Family Day to celebrate the future of the industry, along with others to be announced. Show hours are Friday, May 24 from 9 am – 5 pm, and Saturday, May 25 from 9 am – 5 pm. The location is the CN Centre, 2187 Ospika Boulevard, South Prince George, B.C. For complete show details, visit www.CNRE.ca or find the show on Facebook and Twitter.
Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
suppliernewsline planer mill and sawmill industries thanks to quality products and customer service. Blane Belveal, Vice-President of Sales for WCIS, says he is extremely confident that the newly built partnership will uphold the two companies’ commitment to quality and continue to grow their reputation across the West Coast. “Our goal is not only to sell lumber manufacturing equipment, but really to be an integrated partner with lumber producers,” says Mathieu Laflamme, International Sales and Marketing Director at Carbotech. “Having local sales representatives as well as installation and maintenance technicians is essential for us to be able to serve our clientele with the best before, during and after-sales service.” www.carbotech.ca
Sawmills that are currently running JoeScan scan heads can enter in one of several ways: by visiting www.joescan. com/contest and filling out a short form, by emailing contest@joescan. com with the name of your mill and the approximate date of install for your JoeScan hardware, or by sharing a photo of the hardware to social media, using the hashtag #LongestRunningJoescan. JoeScan will cross reference the entries with their records and identify a winner
by September 30, 2018. The winner will then be invited to attend the 2018 Timber Processing & Energy Expo show as JoeScan’s special guest. They will also be presented with an award at a special ceremony during the show, recognizing their hard work, dedication, and commitment to quality sawmill scanning.
Bosch Rexroth Canada offers free automation resource kits
Bosch Rexroth Canada offers free resource kits to the Canadian market which provide useful, technical information and advice on a variety of engineering and automation-related topics. Rexroth Resource Kits include handbook excerpts, case studies, technical papers, videos and online tools, which the company says provides engineers with a must-have resource on each kit’s respective topic, free of charge. The kits currently offered include: Lean Production and Automation Insights, Linear Motion & Mechatronics @ Work, Advancing Factory Automation, Hydraulics Performance, and Mobile Hydraulics Solutions. Kits are delivered on a 2 GB flash drive. The request form can be found at www.boschrexroth.ca/resourcekits
JoeScan opens “Longest Running” contest
In an effort to reward customers for their loyalty to JoeScan’s products, the sawmill scanning solution provider has created a contest celebrating reliability and longevity. Mills are invited to enter and see if they are currently operating the “Longest Running JoeScan.” “We’ve always been proud of the long lasting performance sawmills can expect from our scanners,” says JoeScan founder Joey Nelson. “But we recently realized that we don’t know exactly which one of our units has been hard at work the longest. This contest is a great chance for us to find out, and for us to honor the mills that have counted on us the longest.” Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
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www.forestnet.com
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
classified
Pick up your copy of Logging and Sawmilling Journal at the following shows: PLC In-Woods Show, Corvallis, OR TP & EE Conference, Portland, OR HarvestTechX, Vancouver, BC
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AD INDEX JULY/AUGUST 2018
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
ADVERTISER PAGE Autolog............................................... 25 Brandt Tractor ...................................... 5 Cannon Bar Works.............................. 22 Caterpillar........................................... 37 CBI .................................................... 23 ContiTech........................................... 46 Eltec................................................... 47 Great West Equipment - Madill.............. 2 HarvestTechX...................................... 51 Hitachi ............................................... 19 Hyundai Dealers................................. 17 John Deere......................................... 45 LINCK................................................. 35 MPM Engineering................................ 13 Optimil............................................... 22 Pacific Logging Congress...................... 49 Peterson.............................................. 33 Ponsse ............................................... 11 Quadco/SouthStar/Log Max............28-29 Rotochopper......................................... 7 Sennebogen........................................ 38 SMS Equipment .................................. 14 Springer/Microtec................................ 27 Tigercat .............................................. 56 TimberMax/Mountain Forestry Equip.... 43 Valutec Wood Dryers .......................... 15 VK North America............................... 36 VPG.................................................... 34 Wainbee Ltd ....................................... 16 Wallingford's ...................................... 41 Waratah ............................................. 55 Wood-Mizer........................................ 10 WorkSafeBC........................................ 10
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thelastword
Forest industry needs a better communications approach By Tony Kryzanowski
T
he Earth has a plastics problem being made worse by convenience services like “Skip the Dishes” and others aimed at making the lives of busy Millennials easier. Services like these are generating more single-use plastic items like foam cups, straws and takeout containers. Over the past 75 years, plastic has become a ubiquitous presence in our society as we transitioned away from more expensive and less functional cellulosebased products like paper bags and wooden boxes. But we are now paying a price because unlike bio-based packaging products, it takes plastic literally hundreds of years to break down and it is polluting our oceans, killing our marine life, and choking our landfills. A social action group called ‘Waste Free Edmonton’, whose goal is to reduce plastic consumption, recently wrote that “a plastic bag has an average use of 12 minutes, yet it is a product that will outlast us by 1,000 years.” Staff at the City of Vancouver recently reported that cups and takeout containers make up 50 per cent of items collected in public trash bins, as council discussed a ban on single-use items like straws and foam cups. The city passed a bylaw banning these plastic items next year. According to Waste Free Edmonton, over 100 jurisdictions, including Victoria and Montreal, have implemented singleuse bag bylaws. Anyone traveling to Hawaii will also discover that they have instituted a plastic bag ban as well. From a forestry and bio-product perspective, these legislative and lobbying activities are great news. However, it also highlights the continuing and significant communication disconnect between those lobbying for greater use of biodegradable, single-use items and those with the products and technology to fill the void vacated by plastic.
Too often, we invest billions of dollars into cutting edge technology, like the development of bio-based building blocks that can be derived successfully and economically from forest residues, yet fail to achieve large-scale commercial uptake of this technology—primarily because consumers don’t know they exist and because industry loses interest. The Canadian forest sector shares plenty of the blame for this disconnect. We become distracted by the euphoria of high softwood lumber, panelboard, and pulp prices, forgetting the importance of business diversification as a hedge against the next housing and pulp downturn— then knock on government doors looking for handouts when the industry experiences its typical downturn. To the credit of both federal and provincial governments, they have helped when needed. However, we need to start to have a serious discussion between government and industry about how we can do a better job of communicating the availability of commercially viable bio-product technology and production— which brings me back to the issue of banning single-use items. For bio-products to achieve greater market penetration, decisions like the ban instituted by the City of Vancouver and others is absolutely essential. However, it’s ironic that even as Vancouver takes this bold action, it never occurred to any representative group of the forest industry to meet with City Council to discuss possible collaboration to support development of forestry-based alternatives to these plastic products. This is in a province that is awash in forest products and residues. This is what I mean by the disconnect. The same can be said for the Waste Free Edmonton group. While their goal is laudable, they seem to have no idea that Canada has made a significant investment in commercial production of cellulous
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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - July/August 2018
nanocrystals (CNC) derived from wood that could function as a building block for the production of bio-product alternatives to plastic. While testing the efficacy of CNC as a building block to make lighter and stronger automobiles is a worthy goal, bio-composite developers hoping to break in with automakers have demonstrated that it can take years of research and testing before achieving more bio-product use in these sectors. A decade ago, leading scientists pointed out that the success of CNC as a commercial product was in applications representing the lowest hanging fruit, examples being foam cups, takeout containers, and straws. Yet it hasn’t happened. Furthermore, forest company West Fraser has a functional lignin extraction plant situated in Hinton, Alberta, capturing this natural adhesive material as part of the pulp manufacturing process. Chemical producer Hexion recently announced that it has successfully completed an expansion of its technology centre at its forest products complex in Edmonton. This expanded research and development facility is focussed on developing next generation resin chemistry for panel production, which will include using new resin material like natural lignin to create less toxic resins. So in addition to panelboard, it would seem logical that these resins could also be used as binding agents for bio-based cups, takeout containers, and straws. Yet, there has been no indication by the Waste Free Edmonton group that they are even aware of this proven and existing technology—right in their backyard—that could be applied as a bio-product alternative to plastic. For all our prowess in developing cutting edge communication tools, it is unfortunate that apparently we still seem to have great difficulty communicating.
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