Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

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November 2017

FRONT END FOCUS FOLLOWING MILL FIRE at NorSask Forest Products OIL PATCH LOGGING in Alberta

BRINGING ON THE NEXT GENERATION of loggers in Nova Scotia WITH THIS ISSUE… The Edge!

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FEATURES November 2017 Volume 48 • No. 7 Editor Paul MacDonald Contributing Editors Jim Stirling Tony Kryzanowski George Fullerton Tech Update Editor Tony Kryzanowski

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

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

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Office PO Box 86670, 211 East 1st Street North Vancouver, BC V7L 4L2 Phone: (604) 990-9970 • Fax: (604) 990-9971 Website: www.forestnet.com Subscriptions: Canada $58 a year; two years $70; three years, $85. Group accounts, six or more subscriptions, $25 per subscription per year. Outside Canada, $95 per year. Airmail $165. Single copy, Canada $6; elsewhere $10. Reproduction prohibited without permission of the publisher. ISSN 0226-7572. Back copies from 1996 onward are available through our website www.forestnet.com Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064045 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to CIRCULATION DEPT. PO Box 86670 Stn Main North Vancouver BC V7L 4L2 e-mail: SubscribeLSJ@forestnet.com POSTMASTER: Send US address changes to LSJ Publishing Ltd., PO Box 610, Edmonds, WA 98020-0610 Published November 2017 Printed in Canada on 20% recycled paper.

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On the Cover:

While others shy away from oilpatch logging, Alberta's JD Haggart Contracting pursues this business for one simple reason—it pays better and they have the experience to be able to mobilize quickly when an opportunity comes their way. They also have the equipment to deliver the wood, including two John Deere 2154 processor carriers, both equipped with Waratah heads. Read all about the operation beginning on page 10 of this issue. (Cover photo by Tony Kryzanowski)

4

Spotlight: Balancing out the forestry workplace

There’s a movement underway to encourage more women to work in the forest industry, and it’s getting some solid traction from forest company Tolko Industries—and full support from women who are now working in the industry.

10

Ability and availability = logging success

Alberta logging contractor JD Haggart— managed by the husband and wife team of Dave and Roxanne Haggart—know that ability and availability are keys to logging success, especially in oilpatch logging.

16

Front end focus following mill fire

Saskatchewan’s NorSask Forest Products is bouncing back from a fire that hit its sawmill earlier this year, and has invested $21 million on a major front end redesign following the fire.

24 Bringing on the next

generation...

Nova Scotia’s Sebastien Pouliot knew he wanted to be a logger at a very young age—and he’s now successfully ushering in a new generation of equipment operators, through a training program.

DEPARTMENTS

Calendar............................................ 8 Tech Update: Dry Kilns.................... 50 Suppliernewsline............................. 54 Classifieds....................................... 56 Ad Index / Subscriptions.................. 57

30 Salvage logging in

B.C.—but this time it's for burned wood

Forest companies and logging contractors are getting ready to go into salvage mode big-time to tackle the burned timber from the worst fire season B.C. has ever seen. It’s been estimated that about 53 million cubic metres of timber has been burned, about four times the provincial allowable annual cut.

34

Sawmill/speedway combo

Paul Hargrave and his son, Scott, have a passion for sawmilling—and for race cars, too, since they have a combination sawmill/speedway operation on B.C.’s Vancouver Island.

40 Team logging effort

The husband and wife team that manages Ontario’s St. Onge logging has been successful in directing their operations through the industry’s rocky times—and now has a very successful chipping operation, and recently started logging for EACOM and Weyerhaeuser.

46 The Edge

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

58 The Last Word

Jim Stirling on B.C.’s wildest wildfire season, and looking at how to prevent a repeat performance.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

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spotlight

BALANCING

out the forestry workplace

Among the women involved in Canadian forestry is Lacey Rose (above), a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) in Ontario. Rose has collaborated with Jessica Kaknevicius (below) who develops educational and outreach programs about forestry for an organization called Forest Ontario. They have created a Facebook networking site, web site, and blog called ‘Women In Wood.”

There’s a movement underway to encourage more women to work in the forest industry, and it’s getting some solid traction from forest company Tolko Industries—and full support from women who are now working in the industry. By Tony Kryzanowski

T

he Canadian forest industry is not a big employer of women, even though they represent a significant pool of potential employees that could help the industry address its projected labor shortages. According to the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), the industry through its Vision 2020 initiative has set a target of refreshing its workforce by hiring 60,000 new workers by 2020, including more women, Aboriginals, and new Canadians. At present, however, there is limited female representation in forestry in all sectors from corporate administration to production to logging, even in this era of working toward greater gender equality in the workplace. One prominent Canadian forest company, B.C.’s Tolko Industries, has recognized it needs to do more so far as female employment is concerned and wants to hire more qualified female employees, having developed a three-year, ‘Women Strategy’. According to Statistics Canada, there were 4.5 times as many men as women employed nationally within the ‘natural resources’ sector, which includes forestry, to page 6

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

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spotlight from page 4 fishing, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas. Tanya Wick, Tolko vice-president of people and services, says the average for women employed in the industry in B.C. and Alberta is 16 per cent, and 22 per cent in Saskatchewan. This takes corporate administration and production, but not logging, into account. By comparison, B.C.’s manufacturing sector is made up of about 20 per cent women. About 11 per cent of Tolko’s workforce is women, so Wick says that the company recognizes that it has some work to do just to achieve the industry average in its home base in B.C. This explains its Women Strategy and she is leading its roll-out. It will involve everyone in the company. Among its features: • Senior management is speaking publicly about how important they view this initiative • Adjustments are being made in company hiring and recruiting strategies • The initiative is being promoted and discussed on social media • Training is being conducted at all levels on how to avoid ‘unconscious biases’ toward women in both hiring processes and in the workplace • And steering committees are addressing such common workplace barriers to women as safety equipment that fits, access to washrooms, and access to tools and training on the production floor that provide opportunities for women to learn and advance. An internal survey conducted by Tolko found that some of their women employees were frustrated by limited opportunities for advancement, so they left the company. This raised a red flag. As part of the roll-out, Wick has produced several articles describing some of the challenges that she and others face in

the workplace as women, what women employed in the industry can do to achieve their career goals, and what Tolko hopes to achieve with its Women Strategy. In one article, Wick describes her early experiences upon arriving at the company. “The forestry industry has few women in senior leadership roles. That’s just a fact,” she writes. “So when I first arrived at Tolko, and even now at outside events, others assumed I am the wife of someone in the industry, rather than in the industry myself. “I’ve been in similar situations multiple times. I see it as an opportunity to introduce myself and my role and break down a little barrier, so that others can see things in a new way. Over time, it will happen less and less, and I take pride in being part of that change.” Another motivation behind the Women

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

Lacey Rose is community forest manager for the municipality of Renfrew County in Ontario. The forest industry has a ways to go to increase workplace diversity, and increase the number of women working in the industry—and some companies are leading the way. Tanya Wick (inset photo), Tolko’s vice-president of people and services, says the company has a strategy that, in part, ensures women have access to work opportunities, so they can learn and advance.

Strategy is the company’s own labor projections. They have recognized the need to increase the number of candidates applying for jobs and want more diversity among their applicants, while also creating a culture where women view Tolko as a really great place to work. Tolko is not the only forestry stakeholder interested in promoting the involvement of more women in the industry. Lacey Rose is a University of New Brunswick graduate and Registered Professional Forester (RPF) in Ontario. She has over a decade of planning and operational experience in northern Ontario, has worked for the Ontario government, and currently manages a community forest for the municipal government of Renfrew to page 8

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spotlight County. She has collaborated with Jessica Kaknevicius, who develops educational and outreach programs about forestry for an organization called Forest Ontario. They have created a Facebook networking site, web site, and blog called ‘Women In Wood.” They have also opened a Twitter account. Both recognized the low participation rate by women in forestry and took a pro-active approach to encourage dialogue among women who are currently employed in forestry. They offer positive role models and a realistic perspective on what the industry has to offer to young women looking at career options, while helping those currently involved in the industry succeed in their career goals. Many of these objectives are exactly what Tolko hopes to accomplish with its Women Strategy, and Wick is aware, familiar, and supportive of their goals. Rose says that her experience in the industry has been positive, with great employers who have provided her with plenty of opportunities to gain experience; but she noted that while she has had many outstanding mentors, all were men and she was the first female forester in nearly all of her jobs. She and others have found the industry to be a welcoming environment, but what it comes down to is a bit of a numbers issue with so few women employed and the fact that women currently employed in the industry tend to be geographically spread out. “Jessica and I met basically because we were often among the only young women at forestry conferences and events,” says Rose. “We tended to single each other out when we spotted each other. So we introduced ourselves and have had the opportunity to work on some education projects and events since then.”

Over time, their conversations evolved toward the possibility of creating some sort of network for women employed in the forest industry, which led to a Facebook network to reach out to women they knew were working in the industry. The response was remarkable, with as many as 300 now signed up in their Facebook group. Rose adds that the response to the initiative has only been positive, with several companies reaching out and indicating that they have similar initiatives or would like to be involved in their endeavour somehow. Among the initiatives that she believes could encourage more female participation and which they are promoting on their web site is to profile successful women currently involved in the industry, to encourage more young women who are considering career options. Also, Rose says that she encourages employers “to take a chance on the underdog, whether they be male or female,” because of the gratitude she feels to those who took a chance on her, so that she could gain some valuable work experience. Also in line with the Tolko initiative, she encourages companies to evaluate their own workforce, and if they have a low participation rate among women, to ask themselves why and identify if there are ways that they could encourage more women to apply and succeed. A big part of the challenge of building the forestry workforce, she says, is not necessarily a gender issue. When people have an image of a forestry worker, they think of the bearded, plaid-wearing, male lumberjack, she says. “But in reality, there are now more people in downtown Toronto who look like that than you would encounter in the woods. “We just don’t tell our story enough. People have a misconception of what it

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

from page 6

means to work in forestry in general and that anyone is capable of doing these jobs.” Wick says that women employed in the industry have a big role to play, to be more successful in achieving their goals. “I’ve observed a tendency for some women to wait to be asked if they need help,” Wick writes. “When we don’t speak up, it can be interpreted that everything is going well. In reality, it can mean we don’t know how to ask. Take a risk and ask for what you need.” She says that she wants Tolko to be an industry leader in attracting more women to the industry. “I want Tolko to be the leader of the pack in our industry. I want us to be the pioneers of attracting, recruiting and retaining women,” she says. “I really want women to own their careers at Tolko and to get that mentorship and support to help them achieve their goals.”

CALENDAR January 17-19

75th Annual Truck Loggers Association Convention, Victoria, BC 604-684-4291, www.tla.ca January 15-19

Assoc. of Equip. Distributors (AED) Summit & Condex, Las Vegas, NV 800-388-0650, www.aednet.org January 16-18

15th Annual BC Natural Resource Forum, Prince George, BC 250-640-7469 bcnaturalresourcesforum.com January 24-25

Forest Products Association of Nova Scotia 84th AGM, Halifax, NS 902-895-1179, www.fpans.ca

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contractorprofile

Ability and availability = Alberta logging contractor JD Haggart—managed by the husband and wife team of Dave and Roxanne Haggart—know that ability and availability are keys to logging success, especially in oilpatch logging.

A John Deere 2154D log loader (below) is one of two log loaders in the JD Haggart Contracting fleet. JD Haggart harvests both hardwood and softwood in their cutblocks, the softwood for Millar Western and hardwood for Weyerhaeuser.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

contractorprofile

= logging success By Tony Kryzanowski

A

n interesting dynamic has developed between the husband and wife team of Dave and Roxanne Haggart as they navigate the day-to-day logging operations of Carrot Creek, Alberta-based, JD Haggart Contracting. It’s very much a philosophy of working hard, and sinking or swimming together. When it’s busy, both will sometimes work seven days a week, because they know from experience that oilpatch logging especially is a high risk/high reward endeavor. To earn the big payday from the oilpatch, a logging company must

have both ability and availability. But there were a couple of years recently when the oilpatch wasn’t very busy. In fact, many wondered if it even had a pulse. Like many other contractors working for this sector, JD Haggart Contracting downsized its fleet; today, it is about half the size that it was before the downturn. Their equipment line-up consists of a John Deere 903K feller buncher, a Tigercat 870C feller buncher and a Tigercat 860C feller buncher. They have two John Deere 648H skidders, as well as two John Deere 2154 processor carriers. One has a Waratah 622B head and the other a Waratah 622C head. They have two log loaders: a Komatsu 300 and a John Deere 2154 with a power clam attachment. Rounding out their fleet are an assortment of dozers and backhoes. They own eight trucks in their log haul fleet, employing a further seven sub-contractors, for a total of 15 trucks. They log for both the oilpatch and for the forest industry. At present, they harvest about 60,000 cubic metres annually for Millar Western Forest Products in Whitecourt. Their oilfield logging work has taken them anywhere from Nordegg in central Alberta to Grande Prairie. While others shy away from oilpatch logging, JD Haggart Contracting pursues this business for one simple reason—it pays better and they have the experience to be able to mobilize quickly when an opportunity comes their way. “Oilpatch work started to pick up again in the spring of 2016,” says Dave. “There are a lot of guys I know that are back working. So it looks a lot better. But it’s not back to the way it was, and it may never come back to that level.” Dave is very hands-on, able to operate any piece of heavy equipment with great precision. And he expects a strong work ethic from all his employees, including his wife when she is out on the job site. Now 44 years old and having logged since he was 16, Dave lets Roxanne handle the human resources part of the job. He focuses on working with a core of employees who understand what he expects, who bring unique and valuable skills to the jobsite, have a good attitude, and a desire for high performance every day. The company works hard to keep their permanent staff Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

Dave and Roxanne Haggart work as a team to coordinate equipment wherever it is needed, either in their forestry or oilfield logging operations. of about 10 employees working throughout the year. Dave points out that good operators, even those working for them part-time, never seem to have problems finding work. Although Roxanne manages the office and dispatches the equipment wherever it is needed, she says she enjoys coming out to the job site. Lately, she’s been helping more to co-ordinate the growing number of lucrative oilpatch pipeline, lease, and road easement logging jobs that are starting to show up again. The company spent a couple of years logging in the Grande Cache area for Weyerhaeuser, harvesting many blocks of mountain pine beetle-infected wood. While Dave appreciates that this work helped to keep the lights on, it was particularly challenging on their trucks because of the extra wear and tear working in that steep slope environment. But being closer to home now, where they are logging primarily on flat ground and with the oilfield picking up, they have turned the page. They are looking forward to steadier and better income than they have experienced over the past few years. Dave started out working for several to page 12 11

contractorprofile from page 11

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

years as a heavy equipment operator and purchased his first feller buncher in 2002. He has worked to build up his fleet and industry contacts since then. “We got to the point where we were logging 80 per cent or more of the time for the oilpatch, and doing a small amount of contract work for Millar Western,” says Dave. “We really started cutting more forestry contract wood when the oilfield slipped down in 2013.” They are a stump-to-dump contractor, with softwood harvested from Millar Western’s cutblocks west of Drayton Valley averaging about 10” in diameter. The hardwood averages 15” to 18” in diameter and typically represents about 25 per cent of each block. Their logging is an entire cut-to-length (CTL) operation, with softwood sent to Millar Western’s sawmill in Whitecourt, and the hardwood to Weyerhaeuser’s oriented strandboard plant in Edson. Their family backgrounds make Dave and Roxanne a good team. Dave grew up on a family farm in the Carrot Creek area and in addition to logging, still farms a couple quarters of land. He learned the value of hard work from his parents, but determined at a young age that if he was going to work that hard, it was going to be at something that had the potential to earn him a lot more income than farming. So he turned to logging, and primarily for the oilpatch. Roxanne’s father gave up an accounting practice in Vancouver to take up logging in Williams Lake, B.C. Because she grew up around the logging industry, she knew what to expect, and for several years, worked in the insurance industry providing coverage to logging contractors. While she describes how hard Dave works and the excellence he brings to the logging profession with great pride, she understands the value of working hard to support a business herself. She recalls one time making a point of meeting up with a logging client at 11 p.m. at night because that was the only time he was available. And because she was willing to work with his schedule, she won his insurance business. JD Haggart Contracting has been highly successful working with Millar Western, and their oilpatch clients, and for years, and there was good money to be made. Over the years, they developed strong

to page 14

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contractorprofile

Using smaller John Deere 648H skidders along with their larger 748H skidders gives JD Haggart Contracting the ability to work in softer ground conditions no matter which industry they work for, the forest industry or in the oil patch. from page 12 working relationships with a group of consultants who were responsible for soliciting bids for the oilfield logging work. As they can attest, logging for the oilpatch can be stressful because unlike working for forestry, where the work is steady and predictable, oilpatch logging can be feast or famine—and highly demanding, based on the client’s schedule. But in 2014, oilpatch logging went from 80 per cent to 0 per cent, and that carried on for a couple of years. Consultants who they had worked for regularly, and for years, were suddenly struggling to find work themselves, and showing up in other places. Times were tough, and they reduced both their workforce and their logging fleet. The company struggled for a couple of years and Dave says it was a situation where the logging contracts they were able to find essentially kept them afloat. Now, however, he’s pleased that the oilpatch seems to be picking up, representing about 50 per cent of the business they do today. What really helped them through the

tough times were relationships. Dave says one reason they continue to log for Millar Western and have worked for them for about a decade is because of how pleasant an experience it is to work for them. And it was a chance phone call to an old oilfield consultant when no equipment was moving in the yard that helped to bring back some business from the oilpatch. Not surprisingly, they’ve noticed that there has been a ‘rate adjustment’ because of the oil industry’s struggles, but they are just pleased to have that volume and diversity in their business again. Having that diversity in their business helps to level out the hills and valleys of their forest contracting work, where they are shut down usually from spring break up in March till August 1st. Last year, for example, they were able to find work in the oilpatch from April through the summer, which helped to maintain their cash flow and keep their employees working. Roxanne says that one of the biggest stress points in their business is to maintain cash flow and payments through the slow times, and having jobs through the valleys makes a big difference. With their primary focus for years on

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

logging for the oilpatch, Dave says they designed their equipment fleet to work well within that environment. But they recently purchased a couple of larger John Deere 748H skidders when forestry work became their main income. For oilfield logging, JD Haggart Contracting prefers smaller equipment, choosing John Deere 648 skidders and John Deere 753 feller bunchers. “We wanted smaller and lighter equipment because we’d mainly be logging pipeline right-of-ways,” says Dave. “I would say that 90 per cent of the work we did for the oilfield was cutting for pipelines.” The biggest challenges they face when working in this environment are soft ground conditions in some locations and tight, pipeline corridors. So having smaller, lighter equipment is a great asset. Also, having lighter equipment makes it a lot easier to transport from jobsite to jobsite. However, making money logging for forest companies often requires moving higher volumes per day, so it makes sense to operate larger equipment in this work environment where there is also a lot more space to move around.

prairiesawmilling

FRONT END FOCUS following mill fire

Saskatchewan’s NorSask Forest Products is bouncing back from a fire that hit its sawmill earlier this year, and has invested $21 million on a major front end redesign following the fire. By Tony Kryzanowski

S

askatchewan’s NorSask Forest Products has a lot riding on rebounding from a recent fire and learning to survive in today’s reality of living with new tariffs on U.S. bound softwood lumber, given its reputation as Canada’s only major 100 per cent indigenous-owned sawmill. Currently, about 70 per cent of its production is shipped to the United States. Like many other sawmills in Canada, what’s helping the sawmill weather the impact of new U.S. softwood lumber tariffs are higher lumber prices due to a robust housing market south of the border. This past January, on one of the coldest days of the year with the wind chill reg-

istering close to -50 degrees Celsius, the sawmill suffered a fire just as the morning shift started work. The fire started in the slasher/debarker area. It was under control within six hours and completely out within 24 hours, with good local fire fighting support. However, as a result of the fire, lumber production was severely curtailed as three of the sawmill’s four debarkers were put out of commission, resulting in significant staff reductions, going from 102 employees before the fire down to about 42 employees now. The impact was also felt in the bush, as logging operations were put on temporary hold until the full extent of the fire’s impact was assessed. In short order, management and staff

drafted a plan to maintain some production by using a mobile transportation method to deliver logs from the log deck to the area housing the one remaining debarker. They managed to maintain some sawmill production as insurance inspectors sorted through the rubble and the company drafted plans to rebuild the front end. By late spring, the $21 million front end reconstruction project was well underway, with the goal of being back into full production by early October. NorSask General Manager Ken Petteplace has used this time to advance what has been an ongoing process to further solidify the financial health of the business, to ensure that it has a long term future. “Ken and his team have taken a hard look at what could be an even better future,” says Al Balisky, President of Meadow Lake Tribal Council Industrial Investments. “So what was a real hardship event and misfortune, we have transitioned through and are now looking at the future. It’s our intention to give the mill a

As part of an initiative that began after the 2008 to 2010 industry downturn, NorSask made major investments to its planer mill, including this VAB computerized lumber grading system.

prairiesawmilling

new lease on life and the rebuild is going to be a great new asset. The overarching philosophy from the tribal council is that the place has to make money.” The primary goal of the front end reconstruction project is to achieve much greater optimization, with improved alignment of the infeed with the sawmill. The BID Group and its Comact division are working with NorSask to redesign and install the sawmill’s new front end. This includes an array of conveyors, wave feeders, and sorting bins, as well as the installation of two VKB 22” dual ring debarkers. Each line will have a single-saw slasher system with a moveable bumper. Every log will be measured and trimmed to precise lengths. Petteplace says that the goal is to create identical infeed lines with the same equipment to standardize equipment, parts and throughput as much as possible. In the mill, decks leading to the canters are being lowered and four new wave feeders added for better log flow to the sawmill’s three production lines. Milltron Electric of Prince George, B.C., is providing all the electrical work, including installation of scanning equipment and electronic controls. to page 18

Meadow Lake Tribal Council Industrial Investments President Al Balisky (above) is at the helm of a new eight-member board that is now more directly involved in the Meadow Lake Tribal Council‘s business interests. These interests include the NorSask sawmill, two trucking companies and woodlands management company, Mistik Management.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

17

prairiesawmilling from page 17 For the past two decades, NorSask has been solely owned by the Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC). Both the sawmill and its complementary woodlands operations provide a high level of aboriginal employment. There is about 60 per cent indigenous employment in the sawmill and 95 per cent in trucking operations. Overall, Saskatchewan boasts the highest percentage of indigenous involvement in the forestry sector of any jurisdiction in Canada at about 30 per cent, with the next highest being Manitoba, with only about 10 per cent. Prior to the fire, the sawmill was on track to produce about 120 million board feet of softwood lumber, primarily in 2 X 4 and 2 X 6 dimensional lumber that measures 9’ long. Logs are sourced from the Mistik Management Forest Management Area (FMA) and from the Prince Albert FMA, with the sawmill consuming about 500,000 cubic metres per year. The logs average about 10” in diameter, consisting of both spruce and jackpine. Not only is it 100 per cent indigenousowned, but the operation is also the longest continuous operating sawmill in

Saskatchewan. It curtailed production during the 2008 to 2010 industry downturn, but never halted production completely. “Prior to the downturn, the (MLTC) Chiefs aggressively paid down the debt,” says Richard Gladue, a Meadow Lake Tribal Council Industrial Investments board director and past MLTC Tribal Chief. “So we were able to operate during the downturn.” After 2008, however, MLTC took a

18

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

As part of the NorSask planer mill refurbishment project, Carbotech provided a new trimmer, bin sorting system, and stacker. close look at its management structure and took steps to bring overall management in NorSask and its other investments—which includes two trucking companies and forest management service provider, Mistik Management—under one umbrella. This resulted in NorSask’s dedicated management board being dissolved

to page 20

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prairiesawmilling from page 18 in 2013 and the creation of Meadow Lake Tribal Council Industrial Investments Inc. Gladue says the new eight-member board provides MLTC with greater direct oversight of its investments. One of its immediate goals was to transition the sawmill out of survival mode, which like many other sawmills in Canada became necessary during the downturn. The board identified the need to invest some much-needed capital into the sawmill. “There has been a focus on the mill, with about $15 million in capital spent post-downturn, aimed at maintenance of the business,” says Balisky. He adds that this capital spending was essential, particularly in newer technology, as the sawmill was originally built in 1971. “Sawmills are no longer labourers and a couple of circular saws,” he says. “Everything now is high tech, highly computerized and highly optimized.” In the sawmill, scanning has been upgraded by Optimil on one of the sawmill’s three breakdown lines to improve recovery, particularly of more sideboards. It has led to about a seven per cent improvement in

recovery on that line alone, and an overall recovery improvement of about two per cent. As part of their revitalization project, NorSask hired Wellons to re-skin and rebuild one of their dry kilns. NorSask also added a dry kiln by dismantling, transporting and rebuilding a dry kiln from a shuttered Ontario mill, which increased their kiln capacity from three to four.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

Considerable investment has been made in the planer mill, with installation of a new VAB computerized lumber grader, as well as a Carbotech trimmer, bin sorting system and stacker, with computer programming provided by DO2. “I would say that over the past year,

to page 22

prairiesawmilling we have finally got it so that we are more consistent and comfortable with the VAB grader,” says Petteplace. On the NorSask project, DO2 Controle did the integration of the new VAB optimizer and the controls of the new trimmer and sorter at the planer mill. The company also did the controls on the new electrical double forks stacker. They supplied all PLCs, VFDs and the servo cabinet for the project. DO2 Controle can build all electrical panels and are specialists in PLC controls, VFDs, servos, camera applications, sorting systems, tracking systems, PLC-5 upgrades, HMI, operator stations and tally systems. One of Petteplace’s priorities since his arrival has been to streamline operations, and identify obvious areas where there is room for improvement, including helping employees gain a better understanding of the business side of the operation and how their actions can influence outcomes. Petteplace says he has noticed a change in the culture and mindset of employees in this regard, and it is a work in progress. He adds that there is no

doubt—based on the effort he has witnessed—that there is a willingness on the part of all employees to pitch in where necessary to maintain as much production as possible through this reconstruction phase, with the goal of ramping up to full production as soon as possible. In terms of the recent reconstruction of the sawmill’s front end, Gladue says that is only the start, as management is now evaluating what sort of improvements can be made to the back end to complement whatever benefits are achieved through redesign and reconstruction of the infeed area. The front end project was designed as a long term solution to whatever improvements come about over time further downstream. He adds that the overall review of the business continues, with ongoing evaluation of the entire supply chain from forest management and logging to manufacturing and transportation of finished products. What’s helping to drive this overall evaluation is the reallocation of Weyerhaeuser’s massive FMA tied to what was Weyerhaeuser’s pulp mill near Prince Albert, with a high percentage of that forest

22

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

from page 20

resource being reallocated to a number of First Nations communities. While MLTC benefitted from this reallocation, Gladue says now there are now “more players in the game”, requiring MLTC to negotiate new alliances to develop fibre supply agreements to support the sawmill. Meadow Lake Tribal Council Industrial Investments is also still very interested in the potential development of a bioenergy project involving power generation from wood waste near to the NorSask sawmill. Discussion of this project has been ongoing for at least the past five years. “We have been diligent and persistent in trying to get that project across the finish line,” says Balisky, adding that they are “very close” to achieving an arrangement with SaskPower on a bioenergy power supply agreement, which would be tied to wood waste supply agreements with all five forest companies active in the area. NorSask still disposes of its wood waste in a beehive burner. He adds that this green power project would have a significant positive financial impact on northwestern Saskatchewan.

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eastcoastlogging

Bringing on the

Sebastien Pouliot

next generation... Nova Scotia’s Sebastien Pouliot knew he wanted to be a logger at a very young age—and he’s now successfully ushering in a new generation of equipment operators, through a training program. Timber moving power—and loading— comes from a pair of TimberPro TF830B forwarders. The equipment and logging operation works on two shifts, from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a night shift from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. 24

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

By George Fullerton

S

ebastien Pouliot was convinced at a young age that he should become a forestry contractor. He joined the family contracting business with a defined focus: to embrace opportunities and operate profitably. As child growing up in Lac St. Jean, Quebec, Sebastien watched his father, Bertrand, head off to the woods for his work week. Sebastien began working alongside his father while in his teens. He officially went to work in the family contracting business after he completed a community college heavy equipment mechanic course. “When I was in school, I always liked being around equipment,” he explained. “On Saturdays, I would be out helping with oil changes and small repair work, while my brothers were more interested in playing on computers. I would also tag along with my father when he was out buying supplies and parts for his machines.” In 1981, Bertrand loaded up his full tree harvesting equipment and floated it to New Brunswick, to work for J.D. Irving in the Deersdale district. For seven years, Bertrand worked in Deersdale, commuting (800 km round trip) back to his family in Lac St. Jean for weekends. In 1988, the family moved to the town of Grand Falls, in northwest New Brunswick. Bertrand made the switch to cutto-length with a Rottne harvester and forwarder team in 1990. Sebastien graduated from high school in Grand Falls in 1998, and immediately enrolled in a heavy equipment mechanical course at the community college in Bathurst, NB, and upon completion, joined his father in the contracting business. “I tried working for a heavy equipment dealer, but I did not like it much,” says Sebastien. “A machine would come in for a specific problem, and once we had that fixed, it was out the door. I was always interested in identifying other issues with the machine which could have been worked on, and may have helped avoid a major breakdown in the future, but that was not how their business operated.” He explained that the dealership work environment convinced him that owning and working on his own equipment was where he should be. In 2004, Bertrand began a flail chipper operation for Irving, while Sebastien took over the harvester operation, which was running a Timbco harvester/forwarder team. Sebastien began working for Irving,

eastcoastlogging and then worked for Groupe Savoie, Chaleur Sawmills and Acadian Timber, and a few years on private woodlots, all in northern New Brunswick. In 2006, Sebastien received a call from Wagner Forest Management looking for a contractor to work in central Nova Scotia. He worked for five years with Wagner, commuting home to family in Grand Falls on weekends. In 2011-2012, Sebastien answered a call from Northern Pulp, who was in need of a contractor in central Nova Scotia, and he went to work with one feller buncher, two processors and a forwarder. Enjoying a good working relationship with Northern Pulp, Sebastien finally moved his family to Bedford, Nova Scotia in 2014. Bertrand sold his chipper equipment in 2016 and entered retirement,

which entailed moving to Nova Scotia— and working alongside Sebastien in the harvesting operation. The current harvesting team consists of a Cat 541 buncher with a Quadco 22-inch head, a Cat 541 with Log Max 7000C head, a Cat 521B with Log Max Extreme head, and a Timbco 445 with a Log Max 7000C head. Timber moving power comes from a pair of TimberPro TF830B forwarders. The equipment line-up also includes a Cat D7 dozer, a Volvo road grader, Western Star float truck, Western Star log truck, in addition to mulcher heads for land clearing. Sebastien has diversified his business

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

25

to page 26

eastcoastlogging equipment through inexperience. Sebastien Pouliot When he was contacted by Peter Robichaud of the Canadian Woodlands to include land clearing. It’s a strategy he has diversified his Forum and Rod Babcock about a new feels gives him a level of security, in an economy where forestry increasingly faces business to include land operator training program, Sebastien was market downturns. clearing. It’s a strategy very“I interested. believe they got my name from The operation works on two shifts, Northern Pulp because they knew I was from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a night shift he feels gives him a looking for operators. They described the from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. The crew consists level of security, in an program to me, and I decided it was well of eleven operators, including the truck a try, and I agreed to hire one of driver. One forwarder and the oldest economy where forestry worth the graduates. processor and buncher operate only the “As it turned out, I am very happy with day shift. increasingly faces the results. I reviewed the assessment and Sebastien has one Western Star tractor market downturns. simulator results of several trainees and dedicated to float work and another Westfrom page 25

ern Star pulling a triaxle log trailer. Truck loading is handled by the forwarders. Sebastien says that one of the perpetual challenges of the contracting business is finding and retaining skillful and reliable operators. “A lot of guys don’t like it when we have to shut down in the spring. Sometimes they call me up, and say they won’t be back because they found some other work.” He noted that starting new operators also has challenges. A lot of guys have an interest in operating machines in the woods, but often don’t understand what they are getting into. “Some just don’t

like working out in the woods,” he says. “It is not like a construction site. Some are uncomfortable with mud and insects and the elements they encounter in the woods. And sometimes, operating logging equipment is a lot more difficult than they imagined, and they call up on the weekend and say they won’t be back.” Sebastien said training new operators entails a good deal of both direct and indirect expenses for a contractor. A new person will have low production numbers as they learn to operate, and there is always the concern that they may damage

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was really interested in a couple of the candidates. I finally selected Chris McFarlane, and he came to work with us. Chris invested himself in the training program and had paid tuition, so I knew he had made a big commitment, even before coming on with us. “All the graduates were well qualified, but what put Chris ahead of the rest was his past experience working and operating on oil rigs,” explained Sebastien. “Those oil rigs are highly technical and they are

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

A logger’s best friend 27 www.ponsse.com

eastcoastlogging from page 26

A Western Star truck (above) floating a feller buncher to a new harvest block. Sebastien Pouliot also has another Western Star, which pulls a triaxle log trailer. Truck loading is handled by the forwarders.

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877.866.0667 Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

isolated. To me, that said he is comfortable working in remote situations—and he has the technical skills to operate complex machines. The second thing was that he lived nearby and would be able to commute with our crew into the operations.” Sebastien says he has been happy with Chris. “His first week, his production was low as he learned the processor. But then in his second week, his production really picked up. And his quality is exceptional. The forwarder operators tell me they can recognize the quality of his work, where he started his shift and where he stopped. “If he has a mechanical problem, he will get hold of me by CB. He will continue to work as long as the machine operates. But once I figure out the problem and explain it to him and we get it fixed, Chris will remember that in detail and if it occurs again, he takes care of it himself. That is a very important quality in an operator. Chris likes to work by himself and he also likes to fix things independently.” Part of Chris’ on-boarding with Sebastien was 16 weeks of coaching, a formal part of the training course. Sebastien explained that in his first week on the job, Chris’ coach was on the job three or four days. In the second week, it was maybe two days, then it was reduced to one visit every two weeks, and then once a month. After coaching wrapped up, Chris continued to operate a processor behind the feller buncher. Sebastien reflected positively about Chris’ work operating equipment. “Chris has an exceptional production level for an operator with less than one year of experience. When he encounters a problem with the way the head is operating, he gives me a call and we discuss the issue and I will offer some suggestions for a fix. Most often, by the time I get to where Chris is, he has the problem fixed and he has his machine operating. “Chris gets along well with everyone in our crew,” added Sebastien. “He is a very quiet person, and sometimes on our commute to work, I have to look around the truck, just to make sure he’s with us.” Chris had been processing with the Cat 541, behind the buncher. But Sebastien expected they would have the opportunity to have him operate as a harvester. “Chris enjoys a challenge, and I am sure he will do well working as a harvester.”

B.C.logging

SALVAGE LOGGING IN B.C.—

but this time it’s for burned wood Forest companies and logging contractors are getting ready to go into salvage mode big-time to tackle the burned timber from the worst fire season B.C. has ever seen. It’s been estimated that about 53 million cubic metres of timber has been burned, about four times the provincial allowable annual cut.

ritish Columbia’s Interior forest companies and their logging contractors are going back into salvage mode. After years of racing against time to extract the optimum value from wood infested by the mountain pine beetle epidemic, there’s now damaged fibre of a different kind—and a whole new challenge. During the next couple of years, the focus will be on harvesting wood volumes impacted by B.C.’s worst wild fire season. Just how bad 2017 has been and how much timber has been lost to the provincial working forest is unknown: at the time of writing, some fires were still raging, mainly in the Chilcotin, Cariboo and at locations in the Okanagan and Kootenay valleys.

But what is clear is the previous 1958 record for land burned by wild fires in B.C. —8,950 square kilometres—has long been surpassed. The B.C. Wildfire Service reported in September that this year’s diary of disaster reveals more than 12,000 wild fires had burned across 11,700 square kilometres of provincial forest lands since April 1. To put it in perspective, that is an area about one-third the size of all of Vancouver Island. On a human scale, around 50,000 people were forced from their homes by the wild fires at various times and the provincial state of emergency invoked July 7 was extended four times until September 15. “On the positive side, no (forestry) infrastructure was damaged by the fires and we are grateful for that,” said Susan Yurkovich, president and CEO of the Council of Forest Industries (COFI) based

30

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

By Jim Stirling

B

in Vancouver. “But a great deal of fibre was consumed (in the fires) and we don’t know the full extent yet from that impact.” Yurkovich expects the emphasis will be on salvaging the fire-stricken stands as soon as possible. Just as mountain pine beetle wood degraded with time, the process is expected to accelerate faster with burned timber. Yurkovich said COFI will be working with the province’s NDP government to help speed and smoothen access to the fire damaged stands. She anticipates the burned wood will create contamination issues for the many interior sawmills which generate cash flows from the capture of residual wood products like chips, shavings and sawdust. to page 32

B.C.logging from page 30

academic communities. They note that wild fires don’t burn or cause damage uniformly. Each fire has a life of its own. It’s desirable to protect the remaining standing green timber that survived the fires, rather than following a simple clear cut prescription, they point out. Doug Donaldson, B.C.’s recently appointed forests minister, has been closely monitoring the wild fire situation in the Interior. “We know there is going to be an extremely high need for reforestation and that’s being planned right now through

32

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

Crown land, they and their equipment will face an additional set of challenges. “You need a different maintenance sysMaximizing the value of wood in tem,” recommends Ron Dillman. “Every burned stands is one good argument for logging phase is working in the ash and an accelerated salvage timetable. “We dust. It’s a big learning game.” His comhave to try and fibre our mills as best we pany, Dillman Contracting, is based at can and keep the flow of wood going,” 108 Mile House in the south Cariboo resays Yurkovich. Keeping sawmills operatgion. He’s been harvesting burned wood ing at capacity and people working in the on private land from property owners and bush and plants is also the best way to ranchers affected by the summer’s Guskeep the local economies percolating in tafson wildfire near 100 Mile House. the small forest dependent Interior comHe’s been working at munities, she added. night so his harvesting The wild fires have machines could run cooler, come at a tough time he explained. The dust for the forest sector as and ash gets everywhere. efforts continue to strike It means paying particular a new softwood lumber attention to items like air deal and help offset the filters, seals and carbon impacts of countervailing build-up on knives. Dillman and anti-dumping duties was experimenting with levied by the U.S. The stopping the processors and renegotiation of NAFTA other production machines with the U.S. and Mexico half -way through the shift creates another significant to thoroughly check, service cloud on Canada’s interand clean key machine national trading horizon. components. Meanwhile, the U.S. Dillman’s log contracting lumber market is robust business specializes in small and showing no signs The B.C. Wildfire Service reported in September that this year’s diary of scale salvage, harvesting of abatement, reports disaster reveals more than 12,000 wild fires had burned across 11,700 private wood, BC Timber Yurkovich. So far, it’s square kilometres of provincial forest lands since April 1. To put it in Sales and providing fibre the American consumperspective, that is an area about one-third the size of Vancouver Island. for Norbord Inc.’s OSB ers who are feeling the manufacturing plant in 100 tightest pinch from the Mile House. His harvesting equipment my ministry in order to ensure that we duties imposed by their own government line up includes three feller bunchers, a do have the timber supply in the future. by having to pay up to 20 per cent more Tigercat 860 and 870 and a Madill; two But there is no question that there’s going for building materials. The devastating Link-Belts and a Hyundai processor fitted to be an impact from that much timber hurricanes that hit Texas and Florida have with 500 series Southstar heads; a John being burned in the province,” he said. further stimulated lumber demand for use Deere748 skidder, and a Tigercat 630 and in replacement housing and infrastructure. Donaldson estimates about 53 million Hyundai and Madill log loaders. The comcubic metres of timber has been burned, Other hints are emerging about the pany also runs four Freightliner logging about four times the provincial allowable possible timing for when loggers can trucks, a Western Star and a Freightliner annual cut. expect to start the large scale salvage of low-bed. The Western Forestry Contractors’ wood volumes burned during the 2017 One of Dillman’s customers—Norbord Association, whose members grow seedwild fire season. “Areas burned that conInc.—was preparing to test run some of lings and plant trees, has been assessing tain salvageable timber will be planned as the burned timber to assess its suitability preliminary figures and received some timber sales once field assessments, layfor oriented strand board manufacture. modeling estimates on the extent of the out, stakeholder referral consultation and The wood burned in the Gustafson fire reforestation challenge ahead for B.C. On other agency permissions are in place, contained a mix of species, although it is the assumption that about 30 per cent of currently anticipated by next summer,” heavy into thick-barked Douglas fir, noted the area burned is in the timber harvest said the Ministry of Forests, Lands Natural Mike Kennedy, Norbord’s woodlands land base, reforestation would require Resource operations and Rural Developmanager based in Kamloops. Norbord is about 326 million seedlings at a cost of ment in a statement from the Cariboo an international producer of wood-based $1.20 a seedling. That amounts to about region. BC Timber Sales, the provincial panels. The 100 Mile House facility has $391 million in reforestation costs includagency with a mandate to provide cost been able to successfully convert beetle ing planning and site preparation. That and price benchmarks for timber harvestkilled timber to OSB panels without comprojection however, does not take into ed from public land in B.C., is evaluating promising Norbord’s high quality stanaccount the harder-to-assess and indirect options for auctioning the fire damaged dards for its boards, explained Kennedy. costs such as economic losses and effects timber, said the statement. “As for the burned wood, my fingers are on forest dependent communities. Concerns around the optimum timing crossed at this point,” he concluded. When the loggers do get out in the for salvage operations from a biodiversity bush to start the burned wood salvage on perspective have been voiced in the

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B.C.sawmilling Scott Hargrave checks the controls on Saratoga Speedway Sawmills’ Mighty Mite 1212 circular sawmill. Saratoga Speedway Sawmills regularly cuts logs with a diameter up to 42 inches, which is way beyond the reach of any large, high production sawmill.

COMBO Sawmill/speedway Paul Hargrave and his son, Scott, have a passion for sawmilling—and for race cars, too, since they have a combination sawmill/speedway operation on B.C.’s Vancouver Island.

Whether it’s the sawmill or the speedway, Paul (right) and Scott Hargrave take great pride in being part of their community on Vancouver Island. “That’s what we’re all about,” says Paul. 34

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

By Paul MacDonald

W

hen you look at their family background, it’s no big surprise that Paul Hargrave and his son, Scott, are involved in the forest industry. Paul’s Dad, Dave Hargrave, immigrated to B.C. in the 1950s, and worked at the sawmill in Tahsis, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. But later on, Dave had one of those legendary jobs in the coastal forestry industry—a beachcomber. Both Paul and his brother helped their dad with the beachcombing when they were kids. “At one point,” Paul explains, “the market was down and we had a bunch of logs that nobody wanted. So we got a sawmill and started cutting up the beachcombed wood. That’s really how it all began.” Paul eventually used that sawmill to cut the lumber to build his house. When his son, Scott, finished school, Paul asked him what he wanted to do. The answer: run a sawmill. Scott had fond memories of stacking the boards and shoveling the sawdust from Paul’s homebased mill. For Paul and Scott, their business now is all about meeting the needs of their customers with their sawmill—and in the

B.C.sawmilling

summer, running a motor speedway that features everything from drag cars to drift racers. The father and son run Saratoga Speedway Sawmills, and Saratoga Speedway, in the small Vancouver Island town of Black Creek, about 140 kilometres north of Nanaimo. And it is truly a family affair, with Paul’s wife, Becky, and his parents, Dave and Patricia, also helping out in the busy summer months, when the speedway is in full throttle. The site they are on, which conveniently fronts on the old Island Highway and has plenty of drive-by traffic, had been the home of a sawmill previously. But Paul and Scott built their operation from scratch. They started the operation during an industry downturn, proving that you can’t always pick the time when opportunity strikes. “The property came up for sale and it looked like it would make a great sawmill site—at that point, the speedway part of the property had been shut down for quite a few years,” says Paul. The mill side of things has gone through a few changes since Paul and Scott set it up about 11 years ago. They started operating with two Mobile Dimension mills,

that they rebuilt, and operated individually, Paul on one mill, Scott on the other. They moved to using a single Mighty Mite 1212 circular saw mill about five years ago. “The Mobile Dimension mills were fine, but the Mighty Mite allows us to produce a 13 ¼ x 13 ¼ by 40 foot piece of timber,” says Paul. “We don’t get a lot of 40 foot orders, but we get a fair number of 32 foot orders.” Saratoga Speedway Sawmills regularly cuts logs with a diameter up to 42 inches, which is way beyond the reach of any large, high production sawmill. “The big

mills are all set up for the smaller second growth wood now,” says Paul. He adds that they once had a log with a diameter of 9 ½ feet. It went to their carriage mill for breakdown, before going to the Mighty Mite. The Mighty Mite 1212 model is powered by a 100 hp diesel engine, and includes a hydraulic raising and lowering system, and hydraulic log dog deck. The mobile carriage mill they have is vintage, having been built in 1910, and originally operated as part of an old canting

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

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B.C.sawmilling from page 35 mill at Kyuquot Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. It had been used to produce ties for logging railways, and was rebuilt by a sawmill equipment guy. “He put his heart and soul into it,” says Paul. “He did a great job of rebuilding and engineering old mill equipment.” In terms of mill maintenance on both the carriage mill and the Mighty Mite, they work to do it themselves at Saratoga Speedway Sawmills. They have a small machine shop on site, with a lathe, drill press, welding equipment and more. By and large, though, the mill equipment performs well, turning out a variety of products. Almost all of their customers for those products are regional, from Nanaimo north on Vancouver Island. At any one point, they could be dealing with timber frame companies, fencing outfits and flooring companies—and lots of drive-in customers. “We have a really good, strong customer base, and it’s diversified.” The decision to diversify was something they decided early on, says Paul. “Over the years, we’ve had several companies approach us to close our retail business, and to just cut for them. But that’s not what we’re all about. We are not out to produce as much wood as we can. “And we are only two people—that is all we wanted to do. I did not want to be a huge or even a large sawmill operation.” It’s clear that Paul and Scott relish the challenge of producing for a variety of customers, with a range of products. They literally never know what kind of requests

Saratoga Speedway Sawmills’ Mighty Mite 1212 circular sawmill is powered by a 100 hp diesel engine, and includes a hydraulic raising and lowering system, and hydraulic log dog deck. are going to come with the pick-up trucks that drive in their gate. “What we produce here is what you can’t get at Home Depot or Rona,” Paul explained. You can’t go down to the local big box store and tell them you want an 8” x 8” x 16 foot clear cedar, he notes. “We pride ourselves on cutting quality wood that you can’t buy elsewhere. “We’ll cut a custom mantlepiece for somebody—it will take a bit of time to do it, but they get exactly what they want.” They had a recent customer who is into the tiny homes movement—and whose house was only 750 square feet.

“But he is into outdoor decks, too, and wanted a 2500 square foot deck, so we cut that for him out of yellow cedar, and did all the support wood.” Saratoga Speedway Sawmills also does a lot of cutting for fish farms and the many resorts in the area. They will do very specialized cuts/species of lumber for boatbuilders. “They’ll tell us what they are looking for, and we will set aside the logs for them, as they come in,” says Paul. Even if people could find what they were looking for elsewhere, it would be probably only be available in Vancouver, and cost the equivalent of an arm and a leg, he says. “We’re able to offer them a better price, can eliminate the transportation cost—and we’re be able to produce it for them in small volumes.” And whatever they produce, it’s full size. If they have 2 x 4’s out in the yard, you can bet they are a full 2 x 4 inches— not 1 ½ x 3 ½ inches. “Nobody does that anymore,” says Paul. And unlike Big Box stores, customers are welcome to go through the piles of lumber to find the pieces they like. “Maybe I’m old fashioned,” says Paul, “But when wasn’t the customer king anymore? I think they should be able to look around and choose the pieces they like.” Paul and Scott take particular pleasure when a family visits to buy lumber. They like the idea that the kids see that the

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B.C.sawmilling from page 36 lumber can come from local trees cut at a local sawmill—and not the Big Box store. “The wood is grown locally, logged locally and sold locally,” notes Paul. And Saratoga Speedway Sawmills utilizes 100 per cent of the fibre they are working with. Sideboards are bundled up for firewood and sold to local people. “We keep it affordable,” he says. Paul figures their wood helps to heat some 200 homes in the area.

the logs we need for a year, in two shifts.” They use a fair amount of salvage wood; some of it can be very old, but it’s still good, says Paul. “The salvage wood guys will go into an area that has been logged, and the salvage wood might have been down for a long time—some of it for over 100 years.” This might be Douglas fir, yellow cedar or Western Red Cedar. “The logs might have some rot on the ends, but we’ve had some salvage wood come in that would just knock your socks off.”

Moving the timber and other material around at Saratoga Speedway Sawmills are four Bobcats, a vintage Hitachi loader and their go-to equipment, an Ingersoll Rand VR-1056 (above). The IR 1056 is even used on the speedway side, to move cars around, and stack cars when they do car jumps. Paul mentions one retired fellow who buys five bundles of sideboards a year, and cuts it up into kindling for his neighbors. Their lower grade wood will go into 2 x 8 or 2 x 10 landscaping ties, and their sawdust goes to local farmers, and gardeners. But like pretty much all small sawmillers on Vancouver Island, getting the logs to produce that lumber is a continuing challenge. “We try to buy logs locally where we can,” says Paul. “But it’s getting tougher with the big forest companies dominating the region. They have their own sawmills, and they don’t have time for small volume log purchases. With fewer players in the business, it makes it tougher to get hold of logs.” And it’s not like they need a lot of wood, he points out. “A large mill will go through

And some of the Saratoga Speedway Sawmills customers are specifically looking for lumber manufactured from salvaged wood. “They like the story behind the wood—it might be from a particular spot on Vancouver Island—and they like that it was not logged.” And unless a log is for a specific project or customer, it usually moves to the mill fairly quickly. They have some inventory, but a log will usually be on the mill within a month, tops, of it arriving in the yard, and often sooner. Moving the timber and other material around at Saratoga Sawmills are four Bobcats, a vintage Hitachi loader and their go-to equipment, an Ingersoll Rand VR-1056. “The 1056 has been great for us. We had a large boat order, and there was no way we could have picked up the logs with the Bobcat,” explains Paul. “We got an Ingersoll Rand from United Rentals

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and when we were done, we knew we needed one—and we got one from Westerra Equipment.” The IR VR-1056, which is all wheel drive, comes with a four-cylinder Cummins engine that delivers 110 hp, and a 3-speed forward and reverse transmission. The IR 1056 is even used on the speedway side, to move cars around, and stack cars when they do car jumps. They’ve had the Hitachi Ex 200LC for about six years. “It’s an oldie, but a goodie,” says Paul. “I put the key in and it starts every time. We don’t use it a lot, but when we need it, we need it. It’s a problem-solver for us.” Some of the logging trucks that arrive in the yard were loaded in the bush, and they will use a combination of the Hitachi and a Bobcat to lever the logs off the trucks. “We’ll then buck the logs, and move them with the Ingersoll Rand.” Westerra Equipment does most of the maintenance on their mobile equipment. The Bobcats do a wide variety of jobs around the mill, from helping with unloading logs, to moving sawdust. These were also purchased from Westerra. As for the speedway side, well, it sure makes for a busy summer for both Paul and Scott. “We each do a combination of different things with the business overall,” says Paul. “Scott might be doing some cutting, and I’ll need some help on the Speedway track, and he’ll come over.” In addition to helping out with the concession stands at the speedway, Paul’s dad also teaches teenagers how to drive cars at the track. The support the sawmill receives from locals is clear from the amount of business they do, and the lumber they sell. But the support the speedway receives from local businesses is clear from the boards around the Speedway track. And some of their lumber customers will, in fact, be Speedway drivers on the weekend. And they get a number of loggers who are weekend racers. “It’s great to see,” says Paul. One of their log suppliers, Fearless Logging of Campbell River, sponsors a race during the season, and will bring in its loader-equipped trucks, for one of the more popular features: car tossing. Opening night is is in early May. The first Saturday offers fireworks, Crash to Pass Cars, Hornet Cars, Road Runners and Mad Max Extreme Racing—and it is, says Paul, loads of fun for families. Whether it is the speedway or the sawmill, they take great pride, says Paul, in being part of the community. “That’s what we’re all about.”

Ontariologging

Team logging effort The husband and wife team that manages Ontario’s St. Onge logging has been successful in directing their operations through the industry’s rocky times—and now has a very successful chipping operation, and recently started logging for EACOM and Weyerhaeuser. By Heather Hudson

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iercely independent, stubbornly determined and wildly successful are just a few ways to describe the husband-wife team of Joel St. Onge and Liz Bernier. Their success in transforming their company, St. Onge Logging, from a twoperson operation into a major regional supplier for lumber and wood chips has cost them almost everything multiple times. And they wouldn’t have it any other way. Based in Sioux Lookout, in northwestern Ontario, they have 53 employees and 14 subcontractors, own millions of dollars of equipment and are responsible for chipping almost 325,000 cubic metres a year and harvesting 100,000 cubic metres of hardwood and nearly 75,000 cubic metres of softwood. To say they have a lot on their plate is an understatement. “Some days you feel like the plate’s so big, you need a bigger plate—but I’m afraid to grow it any bigger because my husband will pile more on to it,” said Bernier. “Joel is a go-getter and doesn’t like to sit still. If he can foresee it, he will do it.” Originally from Quebec, Joel St. Onge migrated to Ontario to work as a

contractor in the late-1990s. By 2001, feeling prepared to go into business for himself, he bought his first delimber. “I was 18 years old and literally barefoot and pregnant,” recalls Bernier. “Joel was 23 and we both had nothing. We were starting from scratch.” Despite his preference for independence, St. Onge saw the sense in subcontracting for another logging contractor to delimb his products. The arrangement ran its course by 2004 and the couple needed to decide what road to take next. “Joel really wanted to run his own business without other contractors, so we took a risk and bought a feller buncher. At that time, when you owned your own feller

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

The husband and wife team of Joel St. Onge and Liz Bernier has transformed their company, St. Onge Logging, from a two-person operation into a major regional supplier for lumber and wood chips in northwestern Ontario. buncher you became your own contractor with the mills.” He quickly took on crew members and began skidding, delimbing, slashing and hauling out of the bush for the mills and ultimately bought three grapple skidders and two more delimbers. Business was booming and they felt secure. Then the recession hit. One by one, the mills went down and work dried up. St. Onge and Bernier quickly assessed their options. “We had to make a decision whether we want to go big and get into different types of logging to page 42

Ontariologging

To keep up with their extensive ongoing work, St. Onge Logging has invested in a good amount of equipment over the years. Their inventory includes three Peterson chippers—5000G models—and 12 trucks, including Peterbilt, Kenworth and Western Star and chip vans, 90 per cent of them B-Train setups and a few straight 53 footers. from page 40 or pack it up and call it a day because there was nothing else in our area.” Terrified to lose the core group of employees they valued so much—“losing those men would have been catastrophic to our company; we knew we had to keep them to do whatever else we wanted to challenge ourselves with”—they continued to brainstorm ways to make it work, including expanding into the Thunder Bay

and Armstrong areas. But when mills shut down across the province, it became clear their options were running out. It was then that they found a four-leaf clover in the form of a Domtar pulp and paper mill. With its location in Dryden, the mill was looking to get into the chipping business and needed a contractor to grow with their operations. It would mean expanding significantly, taking on more risk. “Joel and I sat together and decided

Liz Bernier (above) explained that in addition to harvesting, St. Onge Logging also moved into trucking. “We didn’t have much of a choice,” she says. “It was go big or go home. The days of having four or five little contractors get together were over. Mills only want to deal with one contractor. We were it.” 42

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

it was the way to go. We were still pretty young at this time. We were definitely ready to put on our big boy pants and go further in this business,” said Bernier. With a fresh contract with Domtar, they bought their first chipper in 2008. Within six months, demand was so high that they invested in another. By 2011, they had to buy their own hauling equipment to transport their product. With the recession in full swing, local truckers had retired, switched careers or headed west. St. Onge expanded once again. “We transitioned into doing the trucking as well,” said Bernier. “We didn’t have much of a choice. It was go big or you go home. The days of having four or five little contractors get together were over. Mills only want to deal with one contractor. We were it.” After purchasing a third chipper in 2013, St. Onge Logging continues to flourish in that business with Domtar. In their operations, they start from scratch— building roads, harvesting, skidding wood to their chippers and chipping in the bush or at roadside directly into the truck, which hauls woodchips into Domtar in a continual pattern. Their geographic spread is large. “Sometimes we’re working 150 kilometres away from the mill, other times it’s 400 kilometres. It varies with the blocks and location where we’re getting set up and where the wood is. We get all our licences through the mill, so they decide to page 44

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Ontariologging

from page 42 where they want the wood from.” In 2012, the logging business started to pick up in Ontario. Seeing another opportunity, St. Onge Logging began to expand into logging for EACOM’s Ear Falls location, and Weyerhaeuser in Kenora. “This work has mostly allowed us to use the logs more efficiently and diversify better in the blocks we’re working in. Not everything is going in the chipper anymore,” said Bernier. To keep up with their extensive ongoing work, St. Onge Logging has invested in a good amount of equipment over the years. Their inventory includes: • Three Peterson chippers—5000G models • Two Tigercats (an 870C and an 860) and two John Deere feller bunchers (a 903K and an 853M) • 11 grapple skidders, all John Deere except for a Cat • One Hyundai, one Hitachi and one John Deere delimber • Four excavators—a John Deere with back hoe for road building, a Daewoo, a Link-Belt and a Cat • A Cat processor with a Waratah head • 12 trucks, including Peterbilt, Kenworth and Western Star and chip vans (“90 per cent of them are B-Train setups and a few straight 53 footers”) • Two Hood slashers that sit behind the delimber and cut wood into 9’, 8’, 16’ lengths; used for logs in places where processors can’t be Bernier says every purchase is considered carefully, but it’s the chippers that are most prized. “They’re what saved

our business, what kept St. Onge Logging alive. If we weren’t able to diversify, we wouldn’t be standing here today. These machines are, at best, half-a-million dollars each, which was a huge investment.” Noting the limited selection of chippers on the market, Bernier says they look for ones that are easiest to maintain. “The Peterson 5000G model is more of a mechanical model instead of electronic. Being out in the forest, it’s what you want.”

chanics to work on rotation in the bush with the operators. “It saves time, money and effort to do maintenance out in the bush. All of our mechanics are mobile and set up properly out there,” said Bernier. They run a number of bush camps and Bernier says Joel is the lead person for all the operations, making sure everything from mechanics to logging operations are running smoothly. He’s out in the bush as much as the employees “putting his 120,000 per cent into it all the time.” Bernier used to join them in the field but with an expanded business, she’s had to manage the books, human resources and customer service, not to mention their two daughters, ages 15 and 8. Bernier says the time for growth has come to an end for now—they’re looking to run a sustainable business well into the future. To do that, she expects they’ll need to manage and upgrade their equipment and train younger employees to join the company. In fact, investing in the future of the industry has become a pet project. “Nobody’s willing to train so much anymore. Younger generations are not as interested in logging or forestry as we’d like, so we’ve got to bring more awareness to the industry.” St. Onge Logging is trying to do its part by advertising directly to youth and going into high schools and technical schools to talk about opportunities in the industry. “We want to keep this going, not just for our business but for forestry, which is a viable industry. We’ll lose it if people aren’t interested.”

Liz Bernier says every equipment purchase is considered carefully, but it’s the chippers that are most prized. “They’re what saved our business, what kept St. Onge Logging alive.”

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Their recently purchased John Deere 648L skidder caused a bit of controversy around the camp when it arrived for a test drive with a joystick instead of a steering wheel. Everybody from St. Onge himself to several operators balked at the idea of a joystick. After a short trial, they all changed their tunes. “It’s so operator friendly,” said Bernier. “All of them love it. It took them not even a week to change their mind. It’s ergonomically a lot friendlier. By eliminating the steering wheel, you have twice as much room in the cab and the seat oscillates around so you’re not constantly straining yourself. “Out of all the logging equipment I’ve ever seen, the grapple skidder is the hardest on a man’s body. It’s physically demanding, and the joystick has literally cut that in half.” St. Onge Logging employs five meLogging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

The Edge

November 2017

Tree nurseries play vital role in supporting forest industry and rural communities BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI

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his year, Alberta Forest Products Association (AFPA) members planted 80 million coniferous seedlings on harvested sites—and the province’s commercial tree nurseries are critical partners in helping forest companies grow tree seedlings to meet their reforestation obligations. Comprised primarily of companies like Coast to Coast Reforestation, PRT Growing Services, and Woodmere Nursery, they provide nearly all of the coniferous growing stock used by forest companies in the province. In some cases, they also provide a variety of deciduous stock used in both reforestation and reclamation. “We grow most of the reforestation stock for all the forest companies in Alberta,” says Larry Lafleur, President of Coast to Coast Reforestation. “Our marketing is done by face-to-face contact with the silviculture foresters in the province. We also, as a group, grow all of the reclamation stock for all of the oil sands companies in Fort McMurray.” Several of these companies manage a vast network of commercial greenhouses with customers throughout North America. “Without these local commercial tree nurseries, the forest industry in Alberta would likely be very different,” says Toso Bozic, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Bioenergy/Agroforestry Specialist. “For decades, they have been a critical linchpin to ensuring that we have quality seedlings that produce healthy replacement trees.” Bozic says that there are about 20 hectares under greenhouse tree nursery production in Alberta. Lafleur estimates that the area dedicated to the industry today is probably about four times greater than it was in 1994. While helping to support a healthy environment and forest industry, commercial tree nurseries are also major economic contributors to rural communities. They provide jobs and spend money with

Larry Lafleur, President of Coast to Coast Reforestation, estimates that the area dedicated to the commercial forest nursery industry today is probably about four times greater than it was in 1994. local businesses. For example, Woodmere Nursery has its operations in Fairview, PRT Growing Services has a commercial greenhouse in Beaverlodge, and Coast to Coast Reforestation, which is a new generation co-op, has five greenhouses in Bonnyville, Smoky Lake, and Medicine Hat. A new generation co-op requires members to be invited to join. Together, all of these commercial reforestation greenhouses provide over 60 full time jobs and between 300 and 400 seasonal jobs. The nature of the industry is such that there are critical seasons for planting, harvesting, and product delivery, requiring a greater workforce during those times. “The nursery is very busy during the summer months and for many high school students, the job opportunity offers a great work experience in a safe and well-managed work place,” says Glenn Goodwill with PRT Growing Services. “Many of our temporary employees return each year and appreciate the opportunity to earn some extra money.” Commercial nursery owners say that the process of gathering seed, storage, growing reforestation stock, and transportation back to harvested sites for replanting could use a bit more publicity.

“I think that average Albertans do not know what our role is and the fact that most seedlings actually do survive in the forest,” says Jeff Hoyem, Manager at Woodmere Nursery in Fairview. “Of course we do not blow our horns enough about the importance of supplying quality seedlings.” The Alberta government plays a vital role, to ensure that there is a high degree of integrity in the reforestation process. While it is the forest company’s responsibility to gather cones from each harvested site as a source of seed for reforestation, the government places the seeds from these cones in climate-controlled storage at its Smoky Lake facility. Coast to Coast Reforestation, which has a seed retrieval and commercial greenhouse site next to the government storage site, uses its seed retrieval technology to open the cones and gather the seed. It is carefully catalogued when placed in government storage, because seedlings grown from cones gathered from a particular site are planted back at the exact same site where the cones were gathered. This ensures that seedlings grown for a particular site are genetically suitable for that site and have a high probability of survival. Forest companies choose where the seeds held in storage are sent to produce growing stock, based on the price they are able to negotiate with commercial reforestation greenhouse providers. Growing coniferous seedlings has evolved over the years. The standard practice now is for most reforestation stock to be grown in containers vs. bare root stock. Hoyem says that there is also a lot more wireless monitoring and quality control used as part of the growing process within the industry. For more information about Alberta’s commercial reforestation greenhouse industry, contact Toso Bozic at toso. bozic@gov.ab.ca.

The Edge

New CWFC Technology Development and Transfer Group aims to bring forest research to life BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI

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he Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC) is aiming to bring its forest research to life through a dedicated group called the Technology Development and Transfer Group, recognizing that there is significant demand among forest practitioners for this service. Working under the umbrella of the CWFC research program, their objective is to organize, seek out and participate in more knowledge and information transfer opportunities to better inform and accelerate uptake of the quality research and tools that are available to industry from CWFC’s extensive research program. “This is relatively unique, and although we have been doing it for many years, we have formalized it to the point where it is embedded right into our research program,” says Derek Sidders, Program Manager at CWFC. “The Technology Development and Transfer Group is actually responsible for reporting on a lot of the science activities that are going on with CWFC so that the progress from concept to reality can be moved forward in a very timely manner to stakeholders.” CWFC has three program areas. These are: decision support tools to identify wood fibre attributes and to predict change in fibre attributes; investigating new generation tools and techniques to achieve enhanced forest inventory; and stand establishment practices and silviculture solutions for resilient forests,

which includes a steady fibre supply and a contribution to the bioeconomy. It will fulfill its mandate to bring CWFC forest research to life in four ways. These are to develop technology to apply forest research, to adopt technology to apply forest research, to demonstrate technology to forest practitioners for delivery right into the hands of the final user, and to use various communication tools and new media to visualize forest research sites, studies, results and opportunities. “There is nothing better than to actually see what you are hearing in a presentation, to get a very good perspective and to move knowledge forward,” says Sidders. A good example of developing technology to apply forest research is CWFC’s site preparation practices that it has developed for partial harvest systems. Potential applications include shelterwood silviculture systems, establishing softwoods under mature hardwood stands, and rehabilitation of mountain pine beetle-impacted sites through crop re-establishment in the understorey. “Site preparation techniques for partial harvest systems have been developed so that we can site prepare an understorey and create what we might consider a fairly subtle microsite or disturbance that gives us the ability to maintain the natural ecosystem, but also enhance the preferred crop species on the site,” says Sidders. An example of adopting technology to apply forest research is genomics and ways to mass propagate planting material

CWFC's new Technology Development and Transfer Group will be using new media like drones to visualize research sites, studies, results, and opportunities, and will promote and demonstrate its research in such areas as site preparation techniques for partial harvest systems. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

that provides diversity while also addressing risks associated with a changing climate, pests, and pathogens. “It’s all very well to have the focused research work, but we also need to have the applied aspect where we introduce technologies that give us the ability to move this knowledge to the final user,” says Sidders. In terms of introducing technology to forest practitioners, Sidders says that CWFC has a long history of collaborating with its research and industry colleagues to present active field demonstrations and tours across the country. There is no better way to present developing science knowledge and take it to its final user. This activity will continue with this group. The greater use of visualization tools like video, including aerial views of sites using drones, will aim to show ground conditions, treatments, transitions, results and comparisons of results. “There’s nothing like a visual presentation to put the data in perspective,” says Sidders. The group will also be using these tools to develop virtual tours and stand-alone information systems and spatial models to access, for example, residual biomass opportunities in Canada, as well as the potential for short rotation woody crop production on non-forested land, tied to CWFC’s well-developed site suitability classification system that indicates which species and clones are suitable for particular areas based on its research and development. “We are inviting forest practitioners and researchers to contact us and work with us to advance their research or interests from a practices perspective to a final use, and to marry the research and development with advancing forest management practices,” says Sidders. “This is not a new concept, but moreover a new movement to integrate science with progressive delivery of that knowledge to final users.” To contact the Technology Development and Transfer Group to discuss its mandate and potential opportunities for collaboration, contact Derek Sidders at derek.sidders@canada.ca. 47

The Edge

SPARK 2017 conference a sellout: connects clean technology researchers, innovators across sectors BY TONY KRYZANOWSKI

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lberta is serious about diversifying its economy with more bioindustrial products and technologies, while reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The recent SPARK 2017 networking and technology exchange conference is one example of how the province is putting out the welcome mat to attract more cleantech innovators, while helping them to connect with customers and investors. “Our province’s doors are open to ideas and investment,” said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, who welcomed the sellout crowd of nearly 600 registrants to the twoand-a-half day event in Edmonton. She reminded attendees that Alberta’s goal is to generate 30 per cent of its power needs from renewable sources by 2030, representing about 5,000 megawatts of green power. She was joined at the conference by Deron Bilous, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, and Shannon Phillips, Minister of Environment and Parks and Minister Responsible for the Climate Change Office. Co-hosted by Alberta Innovates (AI) and Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), SPARK 2017 succeeded in its goal of providing an exceptional networking and knowledge exchange platform. ERA and AI designed the conference to bring together multiple sectors to focus on clean technology. It was also intended to link researchers and innovators with each other, and with enabling organizations, government and the business community. “I estimate that about 70 per cent of the registrants here are looking for capital,” said Bruce Edgelow, managing partner and founder of EdgeMark Capital & Advisory Service. At times, SPARK 2017 resembled Match Game, Dragon’s Den, and even Dr. Phil, as innovators were counselled by high-quality investors on a variety of strategies to advance and accelerate commercialization of their ideas and technologies. Another common theme from both financiers and government funding enablers was the importance of pursuing partners and customers on a global scale. “What I hope as an outcome from 48

Alberta's SPARK 2017 conference attracted about 400 attendees, including innovators, investors, and educators. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley (above) welcomed those in attendance, informing the crowd that Alberta's doors are wide open to ideas. SPARK 2017 is what I call positive collisions,” said Alberta Innovates CEO, Laura Kilcrease. “What I mean by that is when you have a network of 600 people with different knowledge, different interests and different ways of thinking about things, people will meet who otherwise have never connected before. Out of that networking environment and the knowledge within the network, there will be positive collisions that will spark new activities and new outcomes.” She added that the partnership between AI and ERA as conference co-hosts was a tremendous opportunity to raise the profile of both organizations and to highlight support they provide together and separately to nurture both bioindustrial and GHG reduction products and technologies to commercialization. Steve MacDonald, CEO of ERA, agrees that the most important outcome from SPARK 2017 will be the relationships and partnerships that develop because of this networking opportunity. The event succeeded in bringing together entrepreneurs, innovators, customers and educators, he said. “If SPARK 2017 results in a more suc-

cessful journey along the continuum from idea to product and product to company, and we get both strong environmental and economic outcomes, that’s the home run,” he said. “What I also hope comes out of this event is absolute clarity that Alberta Innovates and ERA are joined hand-in- hand in the innovation system.“ One of the many highlights during SPARK 2017 was release of the findings of the 2018 Cleantech Directions state of the industry report, which had a special focus on Alberta. It provided a snapshot of prevailing issues related to the advancement of cleantech provincially and nationally. The report analyzed more than 470 responses, including 206 from Alberta. Among its findings was that the greatest demand for cleantech is in waste management and recycling systems followed by energy efficiency. The next opportunity to continue these important conversations will be at INVENTURE$ 2018, planned for next June 6-8 in Calgary. Its goal is to spark new ideas, innovations and partnerships, spur economic diversification initiatives, and generate investment in Alberta.

Visit www.spark2017.ca for more information about SPARK 2017 and www.inventurescan.com for information about the upcoming INVENTURE$ conference in Calgary. Or contact AI Communications Specialist, Julia Necheff at julia.necheff@albertainnovates.ca. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

TECHUPDATE

Dry Kilns Wellons

Having supplied over 500 kilns, Wellons Canada has extensive kiln expertise. This includes: both continuous and batch kilns; double track, single track and side loading configurations; double and single air pass fan systems; direct fired, thermal oil, steam or hot water heating systems and multizone configurations; with steel, aluminum, stainless or hybrid kiln material options. Wellons offers its WINKILN control system with Wellons TCS real-time, in-kiln moisture measurement. Notably, some of Wellons’ recent batch kiln conversions to continuous kilns have shown 100 per cent production increases and a 20 per cent energy reduction, says the company. www.wellons.ca

American Wood Dryers

American Wood Dryers has been producing quality, efficient dry kilns for the lumber industry for over 30 years with installations throughout the world. The company has supplied everything from package kilns for smaller volumes of hardwoods to large volume, high throughput conifer kilns, such as high temperature batch track or continuous track kilns. Kiln structures are aluminum or steel. Enclosures are Alclad aluminum or type 304 stainless steel for some hardwoods. American’s prefabricated panel system reduces installation time and maintenance costs. Continuous kilns use a combination of steel and aluminum to optimize performance and cost. Heat systems include hot water, steam, hot oil, and natural gas or biomass direct fired. Fan systems are either direct drive kiln duty motors or standard motors mounted outside of the kiln chamber. Variable frequency drives can be supplied to reduce electrical cost and optimize drying schedules. Drystar PC-based proprietary control systems or PLC systems are supplied to customer preference. www.drykilns.com

USNR

USNR has manufactured track and package kilns for over 100 years. USNR says it has installed the largest number of continuous dry kilns in North America, and it continues to improve the design of its counter-flow kiln and related systems, including the 8-grate burner. 50

By Tony Kryzanowski

The 8-grate burner is the largest green fuel burner in the industry, capable of producing 40 mm BTUs, says the company. This powerful system offers the widest variety of heat sources including steam, shavings, green fuel, and natural gas. It can also be manufactured as a hybrid burner that uses a combination of different sources in the same system. This flexibility allows mills to use the fuel that gives them the best savings. A new hybrid burner project in the U.S. South will provide natural gas and green fuel options. The ability to switch between different heat sources lets mills take advantage of price fluctuations and other market conditions. www.usnr.com

Hildebrand-Brunner

Hildebrand-Brunner recently introduced a new highly efficient continuous-type kiln, the Alexander Hildebrand Continuous Kiln (HCK-A). This type of continuous kiln is designed for mills that produce large volumes of lumber product, e.g., dimension SPF. While designing its Alexander Hildebrand Continuous Kiln, the company put great emphasis on creating exactly the right drying conditions (temperature, climate, air speed) for the respective lumber moisture content. The technical features of each individual drying zone are customized to the drying state and moisture of the lumber passing through. Lumber is placed length-wise on carts and dried during transport through a number of zones with separate climates. Ultimately, customers will dry lumber in the company’s continuous kiln HCKA just as they would in a conventional package kiln. Conditions are perfectly adjusted to the lumber moisture content at all times. It features the company’s new “greenkiln” technology for energy management and the Hildebrand Turbo Technology (HTT) ensuring tight final moisture distribution for maximum planer yield. www.brunner-hildebrand.com

Innovated Control Systems

With over 20 years of industry experience, Innovated Control Systems offers cutting edge turnkey dry kilns and prefabricated systems ranging from 10,000 FBM to 200,000 FBM that are delivered ready for

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

techupdate production. The company says its high efficiency heating systems are built with the highest quality materials, latest design features, and impeccable quality control. The company says that when customers choose Innovated Control Systems, they receive a quality product customized to meet their needs, paired with service from its passionate team. Its PLC and PC controls offer full remote monitoring and support. By opting for Innovated Control Systems’ unique vent heating recovery system, customers are able to reduce drying times and energy usage by 20 per cent, it says. Variable speed fans maximize drying rates and quality while stainless steel and corrosion resistant aluminum ensure longevity. Innovated Control Systems also offers advanced wood preservation equipment, control systems, and specialized equipment for the wood industry www.portakiln.com

Sechoir MEC

KilnScout

Nova Dry Kiln

Using industryproven technology, the KilnScout Wireless moisture system allows wood producers to control dry kilns from direct moisture content readings. This in-kiln system eliminates the need for costly hot checks by shutting down confidently at target moisture content. The result is improved grade recovery, reduced energy costs and increased throughput. SCSFP by Finna Group has updated its flagship KilnScout-Softwood model and added two new application-specific lines. KilnScout-Softwood is the original KilnScout, and has been updated with a two-chamber design and heavy-duty leads for increased durability. New software gives users the ability to send IOT alerts via text or email. An enhanced interface provides SPC control and automated push rate on continuous kilns. KilnScout-Hardwood is customized for unique hardwood applications. This model meets the accuracy and durability needs specific to the hardwood market. www.finnagroup.com/SCSFP

MEC Dry Kiln designs and builds dry kilns responding to the needs and requirements of the wood industry. MEC custom builds dual path kilns (DPK) for both the softwood and hardwood industries. The company innovates constantly to offer a product that is always state-of-the-art technology, it says. Its dry kilns offer flexibility and are easy to operate, it says. www.sechoirmec.com Nova Dry Kiln is a worldwide manufacturer of lumber dry kilns, pallet heat treating systems and firewood dry kiln systems. They are designed to produce a brighter, higher quality, kiln dried product for their customers. Its large dry kilns come standard with Timber-Dry Management to page 52

Valutec

Valutec’s focus in North America is on unidirectional continuous kilns. Unidirectional continuous kilns offer advantages such as: corrosion resistant stainless steel enclosure; controlled kiln condensate collection; accurately controlled kiln schedules; high flexibility due to multiple, independently controlled drying zones; pneumatic pressure frames to replace hazardous kiln weights; no in-kiln lumber moisture measuring due to unique control system with drying schedule simulator; extremely low final standard deviation; and, more than 2,000 installations worldwide. Valutec says that the desire to increase the use of wood is the ultimate reason for its work. For almost 100 years, it has supplied sawmills around the globe with what it says is the most advanced lumber dry kilns. The Valutec Group has offices in Canada, Sweden, Finland, Germany and Russia. www.valutec.ca Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

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techupdate from page 51 controls. This fully automatic system manages the kiln drying process, precisely controlling the rate of drying for maximum quality. The dry kiln operator is fully in control, with the ability to make changes as the dry kiln schedule is executing. Remote operation and networking is optional. www.novadrykiln.com

EBI Electric

Canadian-based EBI Electric manufactures dry kiln motors and has supplied about 20,000 motors to more than 400 different sawmills around the world. The motors are purpose-built, designed for the harsh conditions imposed by dry kilns and recognized for dependable operation up to 120 degrees Celsius. EBI Electric manufactures motors anywhere from 1 to 40 horsepower, in speeds from 900, 1200 and 1800 rpm. They are built with Class H insulation and inverter duty magnet wire for resisting transient voltage variation, totally enclosed air over (TEAO) heavy duty cast iron frames, and oversized regreasable bearings. The high efficiency unibody cast iron construction provides superior strength. EBI Electric uses up to 20 per cent more iron in the stator than competitive motors, says the company, for better heat dissipation. Their dry kiln motors have a high-temperature seal (200°C/392°F) on the motor drive end. Extra winding tropicalization provides resistance against humidity and condensation. The motors are available in Nema and IEC (metric) frames. www.ebielectric.com

Frank Controls

Frank Controls Ltd provides an automatic kiln control system, using a dynamic process, rather than a schedule type scheme. The control continuously monitors and controls the temperatures and humidity in a dry kiln. It is a true process controller, with proven results in grade improvements on all softwoods, in new and existing kilns. Frank Controls is dedicated to technical drying support for each customer, and is currently interested in an exclusive arrangement with a kiln manufacturer or distributor, says the company www.frankcontrols.com

Vacutherm

Designed and manufactured in their home state of Vermont, the Parker family has been running Vacutherm since 1980. With the involvement of the most recent generation of Parkers came a shift in the company’s approach to their kiln development. Having focused on smaller run specialty businesses for 29 years, the introduction of the VacuPress 8000 and now the model 12000 has seen their market change to operations drying over 6 million board feet per year. They also offer the ability to dry up to 2 million board feet of hardwood a year, with a single kiln that fits on the back of a flatbed truck. Vacutherm says it prides itself on letting their customers’ 52

feedback and business needs drive their innovation. By optimizing the drying process, Vacutherm offers their customers increased cash flow, reduced inventory carry, and an up to 40 per cent increase in throughput. www.vacutherm.com

Wagner Meters

Wagner says it is a leader in the forest products industry in innovative moisture sensing and moisture measurement systems. The MC4000 Advanced In-Kiln Moisture Measurement System offers a real-time view of the moisture content for each sensing zone, and a moisture content trend graph of all the sensors during the drying schedule. Used as a stand-alone system or interfaced with computerized kiln control system software packages, the MC4000 can help customers cut losses due to drying related degrade, minimize labor-intensive manual checking, and make the lumber drying process more efficient. For a better way to measure moisture deep in the middle of lumber stacks, Wagner recommends the L722 Stack Probe attachment coupled with the pinless L622 Digital Recording Moisture Meter. Take multiple accurate readings of an entire stack in minutes without the danger of broken pins. This combination allows users to store and download kiln readings to reports, to help improve moisture content quality control procedures. www.wagnermeters.com

Lignomat

For those looking to upgrade or purchase dry kilns or predryers, Lignomat offers its MP32 kiln and predryer control system. The MP32 system is backwards compatible with the last kiln control platform. With multi-platform and network capabilities, the MP32 can be remotely controlled and monitored from any mobile device, via any operating system via the customer’s network without a paid service such as TeamViewer. No longer dependent on a Microsoft Windows PC, the secure, open source controller includes detailed installation documents and troubleshooting tools allowing for a smooth and timely installation by a Lignomat technician or by able staff. Lignomat offers quality hardware and software design for the worldwide lumber industry to reduce drying times and energy consumption. All of the control systems, monitoring systems, inline moisture meters and handheld moisture meters are built in the U.S. www.lignomatsystems

Nyle

Nyle Systems was founded in 1978 with the patenting of the XDH dehumidifiction system by its founder, Don Lewis. Today, Nyle’s Lumber Division product line has expanded to include: DH kilns, gas fired kilns, conventional kilns, heat treaters and industry-leading controls. Recently, Nyle was awarded a patent for its VHT systems: super-efficient, high temperature DH driers, the next generation of lumber drying for the softwood industry. The first system was

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

techupdate recently started up at one of the top three softwood lumber producers in North America. Nyle says it stays ahead of the competition with innovation and very strong after-sales service. Wireless technology and tablet computers allow customers to monitor and control their kiln remotely, and the list of repeat customers is constantly growing, the company says. All the kiln systems are manufactured at the Brewer, Maine factory, and are supplied with in-house control systems. Systems are installed by Nyle field crews, making Nyle Systems a one-stop shop company for drying needs. www.nyle.com

The D450 Dehumidification Kiln Kit is a high-performance dehumidification kiln for producing up to 15,000 board feet of kiln dried wood. The KD550 Dehumidification Kiln Kit is a commercial dehumidification kiln for precise controlled lumber drying up to 35,000 board feet. The S50 Solar Kiln is a costeffective solar kiln for drying lumber up to 3,000 board feet. www.woodmizer.ca

Smithco Manufacturing

Smithco manufactures a variety of propeller fans from 30” to 84” in diameter. Its SMI propellers come in 4, 6, 8, and 12 blade models. There is a Smithco propeller for every kiln application, says the company. The company’s propellers are made of stress-relieved, heat-treated, high grade cast aluminum alloy for trouble-free service in rugged kiln environments to 350° F. All Smithco propellers have tested reversibility with full flow in both directions. In addition, Smithco propellers have adjustable pitch blades, keyed split taper bushings and stainless steel hardware. Every blade of a specific size is balanced to a master blade and is interchangeable with blades of the same size. www.smithcomfg.com

Wood-Mizer

Wood-Mizer offers dehumidification and solar kiln kits with capacities ranging from 300 to 35,000 board feet for drying lumber. The Wood-Mizer KD series of kilns feature 100 per cent corrosionresistant aluminum cabinets and specially coated dehumidification coils to ensure quality performance and an extra-long life. The KD150 Dehumidification Kiln Kit is a compact, entry-level dehumidification kiln for drying lumber between 300 and 1000 board feet. The KD250 Dehumidification Kiln Kit is a high-quality dehumidification kiln for controlled lumber drying of 1,500 to 4,000 board feet. Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

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SUPPLIERNEWSLINE

By Tony Kryzanowski

Barko launches purpose-built 270B logging processor

The Barko 270B processor is purpose-built for its application, providing several performance advantages over equipment commonly used for processing jobs, says the company. Barko says the machine offers exceptional horsepower, swing torque and tractive effort. The 270B features a dangle head boom configuration for picking, delimbing, cut-to-length harvesting, and stacking. Powered by a 225-horsepower Cummins Tier 4 Final diesel engine with SCR after-treatment, Barko says the 270B offers excellent fuel economy and features large fuel and DEF tanks for longer job cycles between refills. A 36-inch-diameter auto reversing fan with automatic blade pitch control further optimizes engine efficiency. The hydraulic system on the 270B is designed to keep power constantly available, allowing operators to instantaneously shift from function to function without any of the delayed reactions common with the hydraulics on other machines. Responsive IQAN controls are customized to provide programmable settings for individual operators, along with machine diagnostics and troubleshooting. The processor features load sensing hydraulics to automatically adjust performance according to the load. High pressure and high flow contribute to delivering more hydraulic

horsepower to the attachment, while a dedicated attachment pump runs the attachment without robbing power from the machine for other functions. Dual swing drives provide continuous rotation and high swing torque of 58,384 ft-lbf. Bare pin maximum lift capacity is 31,150 pounds. The 270B provides firm, stable footing thanks to long tracks measuring 15 feet, 2 inches, along with a D7 undercarriage that offers ground clearance of 29.5 inches, an overall width of 11 feet, 5.5 inches, and max travel speed of 2.9 mph. The unit delivers exceptional drawbar pull of 66,700 foot-pounds to handle hills and rough terrain with ease. Side door entry provides easy access to the comfortable cab, which offers excellent visibility of the working area. A 1.25-inch polycarbonate window and 8 exterior LED lights provide added safety. A forward-sliding design allows the cab to move up to 36 inches for easier machine servicing. Additionally, a large, hydraulically-operated gull swing door offers direct access to the engine compartment and hydraulic components. The gull wing serves as a convenient working platform and includes a slipresistant walking surface. www.barko.com

Changing of the guard at Tigercat

Tony Iarocci has stepped away from his position as president of major logging equipment manufacturer, Tigercat. Iarocci has held the position of president since Tigercat’s inception in 1992, steering the company through rapid growth both in terms of product development and geographic market expansion amidst Tigercat’s new President: an often fierce competitive landGrant Somerville scape, major economic downturns and other challenging externalities. “I have immensely enjoyed my work at Tigercat—the initial research of potential business opportunities that was necessary to warrant the formulation of a new company, recruiting start-up staff, product development and all the sales, marketing and customer service functions that went along with my role,” says Iarocci. “I wish to convey my deep appreciation to Ken MacDonald for having provided me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I also want to thank everyone at Tigercat and all the Tigercat stakeholders for their much appreciated assistance, dedication and co-operation.” to page 56 54

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

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suppliernewsline from page 54 Iarocci will be passing his day to day responsibilities over to Grant Somerville. Somerville got his start in the forest industry in 1978 as a harvester operator. He is a long serving executive at Tigercat, and also worked with Iarocci at Koehring Waterous in the early 1980’s on several development projects, including the design of the company’s first purpose-built track feller buncher. An integral part of Tigercat, Somerville has led many important design initiatives since joining the team in 1992 and has held several positions with increasing degrees of responsibility, including product manager for track machines, advanced engineering, and most recently vice-president, engineering. “Opportunities to work with and learn from individuals like Tony and Ken are rare,” says Somerville. “I feel very fortunate to have been included in the creation and growth of Tigercat over the past 25 years, and to now assume more leadership responsibility. This year marks my 40th year working within forestry and machinery manufacturing and I see a promising future for our industry and look forward to continuing Tigercat’s role as a leader in innovation.” CEO Ken MacDonald answers the burning question of what comes next for Tony Iarocci. “Tony remains in great health and he has agreed not only to join the board of directors, but to continue to contribute to the company’s growth, focusing on the recruitment and development of design talent and working with fellow team members and suppliers on both product and component improvement,” he says. Iarocci will also consult on special projects and new product development. www.tigercat.com

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Unwrapping stations from 4D address safety concerns

Safety is the number one focus of mills and contractors in today’s logging operations, with both employees and businesses focused on this long-range goal. 4-D Welding & Fabricating Ltd listens to these concerns and requirements, and is a leading manufacturer of safety related products. One area of concern is the job of removing wrappers at the millyard without having a loader or piece of equipment next to the truck. 4D developed a WorkSafeBC-approved Unwrapping Station to allow safe removal of the wrappers, and that works

on a variety of truck/trailer combinations and lengths. 4D works with individual mills to put in place safety rules, signage and practices to address safety concerns related to this task. The unwrapping stations are portable, heavy duty and easily operated, and are now in place at locations across Canada. The company is proud to be a part of the efforts being made to reduce safety incidents and bring better practices to the work place. www.4-dwelding.com

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

classified AD INDEX

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

57

thelastword

B.C.'s wildest wildfire season: looking at how to prevent a repeat performance By Jim Stirling

B

ritish Columbia’s worst forest fire season was just gathering momentum early this summer when opinions about how to prevent a repeat performance in the future began circulating with the smoke. Wildfires are endemic to B.C.’s forest lands but the province has become rather good at fighting them. Some might argue too efficient and cite as an example firefighting’s effective creation of an evenaged lodgepole pine monoculture that contributed to the beetle epidemic. But it was also successive warmer winters that accelerated the beetles’ spread—and that continuing change in weather patterns is now stimulating this new breed of super wildfires: ones that tend to be larger, more aggressive and unpredictable. But deprive the monster of fuel upon which to feed and containment and control measures can make more inroads faster. The complex relationships between fuel sources and availability are key factors in the protection of peoples’ lives, property and community infrastructure. It was around that fuel control issue that most opinions swirled as the wildfires spread. It’s difficult to gauge the precise scope of the problem created by the wildfires. Some were still burning in areas as this was written. Accurate, on-the-ground assessments had yet to be made. But the BC Wildfire Service reported in September 2017 that there had been more than 12,000 wildfires around the province since April 1. They had consumed at least 11,700 square kilometres—well in excess of a million hectares—of forest lands, and eclipsed the previous record for land burned by forest fires set in 1958. Under siege from wildfires on three sides, residents of the Cariboo region city of Williams Lake and rural communities surrounding it were issued with evacuation orders in the summer. As residents later trickled home to assess the fire’s tolls on their homes and livelihoods, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and B.C.’s new

premier, John Horgan, toured the stricken region for a first-hand look at the situation. At the time, there were no official commitments of assistance from Trudeau, but Horgan told the media he was “confident” the federal government will come through with assistance when needed. Horgan indicated his NDP government will be looking to the Filmon Report to form the basis for wildfire mitigation strategies and practices. The Filmon Report—called Firestorm 2003—was commissioned by the former B.C. Liberal government after wildfires destroyed more than 300 homes and businesses in B.C.’s Okanagan region. Gary Filmon, a former Manitoba premier, warned more severe forest fires would ensue unless action was taken to reduce the accumulation of fuels like underbrush and woody debris on the forest floor around communities. His forecast has proved devastatingly accurate. Doug Donaldson, B.C.’s relatively new Forests Minister, agreed much more needs to be done to reduce fuel, including wood debris and underbrush, around communities. Donaldson added he would be making a submission for more funds for fuel treatments. “We want to make sure that communities are safer and that effort, in my opinion, has not been what it needs to be to protect communities.” Some follow-up work to the Filmon Report did take place. But it has mainly occurred around the largest Interior cities like Kelowna, Kamloops and Prince George. “The amount of fuel management to protect communities was miniscule relative to the scale of the challenge,” chided Bob Simpson, mayor of Quesnel. The province estimates about 13,500 square kilometres of forest land are at high risk for wildfire access to communities, an estimate largely unconfirmed at ground level. The same provincial data indicates less than 950 square kilometres have actually undergone fuel treatment, about seven per cent of the areas urgently requiring it.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - November 2017

One of the frustrations cited by small and medium size communities that have been proactive in wildfire mitigation efforts is having to bear the implementation costs up front and tardy reimbursement. Logan Lake in the southern interior for example, took the initiative to carefully remove “ladder fuels” to inhibit a fire’s ability to climb upward into the tree crowns, according to the town’s fire officials. The strategy worked, they contend, restricting a potentially serious wildfire to less than a hectare in size. But reimbursement of costs incurred can take a year, they say. Firestorm 2003—Filmon’s report—recommended: “The province should review and amend land use plans and Land Resource Management Plans to incorporate fire management considerations. Fire experts must be available to influence and participate in land management policy.” Amen to that, endorses Phil Burton, professor of ecosystem science and management at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George. Burton recommends the creation of fire protection zones on Crown land surrounding wildfire-vulnerable communities. The emphasis within these zones should be on fire protection and community safety. “We’re talking about less dense forests. Manage for resiliency rather than timber production, a long term shift in how those interface areas are managed,” amplified Burton during a Vancouver Sun newspaper interview. Wildlife species like caribou and grizzly bears receive some habitat recognition through the creation of special management zones. Burton is suggesting a similar approach be applied where needed to community protection. It’s going to be instructional to see how Premier Horgan and his new caucus ventures into the issue of community wildfire protection and with what levels of financial commitment. The warming climate is unlikely to change anytime soon—or the risks from its potent new breed of wildfires.

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