July 26, 2017 6:25 pm Leave your thoughts
gillian-stauffer-sawmill-blog-In blog #2 I talked about how I pull sample boards from some of the machine centres in the saw mill, so I thought for this blog it would be a good idea to go over those machine centres while describing the flow of the mill.
The logs from the yard are brought into the mill by one of our four entry bins.
July 26, 2017 6:20 pm Leave your thoughts
These last couple weeks my girlfriend and I did some hiking and exploring around southern Alberta and, as fit for her first time out West, the Rocky Mountains put on an unbelievable show. The whole time we were in the mountains though, I couldn’t help but think “this is the reason being environmentally sustainable and aware is so important”. We,
July 26, 2017 6:08 pm 2 Comments
Just North of Hinton is a special management area called Pinto Creek Canyon. The canyon is a stunning landmark, featuring Pinto Creek slowly and gently curving its way through the landscape, leaving behind scattered cliff faces and hoodoos along its banks. This is an area that West Fraser has rights to harvest around, but in anticipation of future harvest plans,
July 18, 2017 2:07 pm Leave your thoughts
When I first accepted my job offer from Canfor, and realized I would be living in Prince George, I was a little apprehensive. I had only been here once in my life, when I was 10 years old, and this was only to drive through town. Thinking of town in Northern BC, I imagined people walking around in plaid shirts,
July 18, 2017 1:58 pm 2 Comments
A quality understanding of local plants is integral in any forestry program. My time at university has shown me a plethora of flora (say that ten times fast) from around BC, and my time at Weyerhaeuser in Alberta has helped to broaden my knowledge. The cutblocks I’ve been working on have become quite green in most areas, which has hampered my work somewhat;
July 17, 2017 1:58 pm Leave your thoughts
It is safe to say when you go out in the bush to do work, you never what you are going to expect. Especially when your working on the Crown Agricultural lands outside Meadow Lake. Within 400m of walking from the truck, I managed to pass through a cut block, into a swamp containing mixed softwoods of spruce, pine, and tamarack,
July 17, 2017 1:54 pm 3 Comments
Before starting this post, I would like to address the terrible forest fires that have broken out in central British Columbia. There are so many amazing individuals from across Canada who have relocated to help fight the fires and assist in evacuations and keeping people safe. This is a devastating time for those losing their homes and land but an amazing demonstration of how Canadians band together for support.
July 13, 2017 3:42 pm 1 Comment
One of the best things about working in the Forest Products Industry is where the job takes you. I don’t mean the actual work itself (which is also incredible), but the places that you live and play. Hinton, Alberta is one of those really special places to me – a gem that I would not have discovered if it wasn’t for the opportunity from West Fraser.
July 12, 2017 4:21 pm Leave your thoughts
I would like to start this post by acknowledging the incredible firefighters, first responders, and the other folks working hard on the BC forest fires right now. Your hard work is incredibly appreciated, thank you. For those that have been affected or evacuated, you are in mine and many others thoughts right now. I hope things start looking up for you,
July 10, 2017 4:20 pm 1 Comment
I have always loved learning, and will often jump at any opportunity to share in new experiences and learn from experts. A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of doing just that. My boss often tries to break up the monotony of her summer students’ day to day responsibilities by inviting us to meetings and events where we can enhance our proficiency in the many different realms of forestry.
July 5, 2017 12:59 pm Leave your thoughts
West Fraser Timber Co.
West Fraser Timber has been around since 1955, which was 11 years after Canfor, 54 years after Weyerhaeuser, and 54 years before Conifex and Paper Excellence. Started in the quaint town of Quesnel, British Columbia, West Fraser Timber Co. consisted of a 12 person crew managed by three brothers. Sam, Bill, and Pete Ketcham kept up their legacy,
July 5, 2017 12:39 pm 2 Comments
I decided that for my second blog I would provide a bit of background on my hometown 100 Mile House B.C. which I have now moved back to in order to pursue a forestry career.
First of all, it is important to acknowledge that First Nations people came to this region very early and evidence has been found in nearby Soda Creek that has been carbon dated at approximately 2300 B.C.
July 5, 2017 12:34 pm 3 Comments
Welcome back to my blog! There is a lot I need to cover this week, so I’ll just jump right in. When I moved to Fort St. John, I planned on living completely alone all year and made the decision that it was important I have a companion. So, the first thing I did after getting somewhat settled in my new apartment was adopt a cat from the SPCA.
June 29, 2017 1:52 pm Leave your thoughts
So, these last few weeks I’ve been working like crazy picking up some extra shifts and working on my own crew (it almost feels like I’ve spent more time at the mill than at home), and I thought it would be a perfect time to do a little review of the positives and negatives of working a shiftwork schedule. Just for reference,
June 29, 2017 1:49 pm Leave your thoughts
Last Friday after work, there was two choices at hand. The first choice was to check out the Meadow Lake Stampede that was occurring that night. The second option was to take a 45-minute drive out of town towards Goodsoil to spend the evening on the water canoeing the Waterhen River. Knowing that the rodeo was happening Saturday night as well,