August 7, 2013 11:24 am Leave your thoughts
The other day I got the opportunity to do something that I had been looking forward to since getting the internship with DMI, go for a flight in a helicopter. This was one of the things that they mentioned I may be able to do during my time here at DMI, and I was thrilled when I was told that it was actually going to happen.
August 7, 2013 10:56 am Leave your thoughts
The other day I got the opportunity to do something that I had been looking forward to since getting the internship with DMI, go for a flight in a helicopter. This was one of the things that they mentioned I may be able to do during my time here at DMI, and I was thrilled when I was told that it was actually going to happen.
August 6, 2013 12:12 pm Leave your thoughts
This summer is flying by and is almost to an end. I have been to the West Edmonton Mall a few times now, a rodeo, Jasper National Park and even to the falls here in Whitecourt! And since so much has gone on recently, I decided to put some of my extra and old photos in a slideshow, which can be accessed via the link at the bottom of this blog post.
August 4, 2013 1:16 pm Leave your thoughts
I took this photo while checking beetle traps on Friday, when I noticed a curious deer following me. I can’t say I mind this stalker.
August 2, 2013 2:51 pm Leave your thoughts
After wrapping up the marginal ground project a couple weeks ago, I have been pretty busy, hence the overdue blog entry! FP Innovations left Grande Prairie to analyze the collected data and will eventually publish the results of the trial project, which should be interesting to read once released! Also, one of the equipment operators was kind enough to take us all for dinner to celebrate the end of the project!
August 1, 2013 1:13 pm Leave your thoughts
It feels like yesterday that I entered my first blog post, but it has been a month since then! So much has happened, and I can finally feel the summer winding down and my brain getting into school mode as that time approaches. The past week, I have been checking the pine beetle traps and working on culvert inspections –
August 1, 2013 12:11 pm Leave your thoughts
Well, this summer is almost at its end. A mere three and a half weeks more, and I will be essentially finished my summer internship at Millar Western. I will save a summary of my entire summer and experience for my next and final blog.
These past few weeks have been quite interesting, with the start of a new project on the lumber side,
July 31, 2013 1:20 pm Leave your thoughts
Biomethanation with Power Generation Project
My work at Slave Lake Pulp has been exclusive to the current biomethanation project at Slave Lake Pulp, and up to this point I have not talked much about the ins and outs of the project. So here is a small project breakdown:
The scope of the $40 million biomethanation project currently underway at Slave Lake Pulp is quite substantial;
July 30, 2013 11:43 am Leave your thoughts
Fact: There is no way to prove this definitively, as the variety of positions is incredible. We can say that Tolko offers competitive wages in our wide range of careers.
However, when you’re ready to settle down after making money by working on the rigs, living in temporary housing or commuting each week, we hope that you will think of us first.
July 29, 2013 11:40 am Leave your thoughts
Fact: The forestry industry changing quickly. New markets are opening rapidly in the booming Asia-Pacific region. An insatiable thirst for building material has quickly opened once-unthinkable gateways. The economy is picking up again in more established domestic markets. New, innovative products are propelling sales, and consumers are more conscious than ever about using renewable resources. Bio-fuels, bio-plastics, pharmaceuticals,
July 28, 2013 1:40 pm Leave your thoughts
This past week has been an interesting one! Kyle and I center lined two roads, which were by far the toughest we have done so far, requiring us to travel through dense brush and swamps. At the end of the day, we felt we had really accomplished something and were able to see the results of our work on GPS.
July 26, 2013 5:57 pm Leave your thoughts
Tolko takes co-ops and interns seriously. This isn’t your father’s forestry.
Working in human resources, I realize that the numbers don’t lie: forestry’s aging workforce is an unavoidable challenge for the industry for the next decade.
Luckily, Tolko has taken notice of the issue. An era of increased retirements has come to stay. In response, Tolko has overhauled its approach in recruiting youth and students,
July 25, 2013 1:40 pm Leave your thoughts
While doing culvert inspections, Kyle and I saw some cool forestry machines,
so we had to go over and check them out. Here I am standing beside a feller buncher.
July 23, 2013 1:40 pm Leave your thoughts
Hello again. It feels like summer is almost over, with only about one month left of the internship! Where does the time go?
I have spent the majority of this past week with Kyle Waterman, another intern, doing culvert inspections and center lining roads. Last Friday, we ran into some heavy rain in our adventure to find a road.
July 23, 2013 12:12 pm Leave your thoughts
So these past two weekends have been full of excitement. I started my first weekend by going to a rodeo that I talked about in my earlier blog. I had never been to a rodeo before, and I was looking forward all week to going to this one. It involved many different competitions, with participants from all ages. But my two favorite competitions were the bull take-down and the bucking competition,
July 23, 2013 12:05 pm Leave your thoughts
Fact: Quite the contrary! Tolko’s mills are all located in towns. This means that you can actually live in the city or town of your operation. Five of Tolko’s mills are located 20 minutes from Vernon. Here in Vernon, we have all of the amenities you might expect and more – department stores, malls, restaurants, shopping, supermarkets, movie theatres,
July 18, 2013 12:29 pm Leave your thoughts
Fact: With forestry, this is definitely false. Vernon may be a small town, but thanks to Tolko, there are big opportunities in the private sector with plenty of room for advancement.
Tolko’s towering corporate office is located in Vernon, a small city of about 30 000 people. Plenty of corporate opportunities exist, including the ability to perform meaningful,
July 18, 2013 12:22 pm Leave your thoughts
Hello once again readers. Since my last blog, not much has changed regarding my work, so I chose to write this particular post on something else. I am going to write a brief account of what it has been like working for Millar Western so far this summer.
First off, I would like to say that Millar Western is an amazing company to work for.
July 18, 2013 11:56 am Leave your thoughts
The past week and a half have been busy, to say the least! Last Sunday, there was a flood relief event held at Muskoseepi Park, with local musicians playing all day, complete with a barbeque and amazing, sunny weather. I went to check it out with my roommate, and we ended up staying a good six hours! More importantly, the event managed to raise over $44,000 to help those affected by the floods!
July 17, 2013 1:20 pm Leave your thoughts
Hello readers! It has been a few days now since I have updated my blog — my internship is keeping me busy! Recently, I have been working with the silviculture group, assessing tree-planting blocks. We check for various planting errors, as well as the density of plantings in an area. I enjoy working in the blocks at Tom Hill, as there is nice scenery,
July 17, 2013 11:44 am Leave your thoughts
It’s no secret – there are a lot of stigmas and stereotypes about working in the forestry industry and living in smaller centres like Vernon, where Tolko is based. Contrary to popular belief, my co-workers are not the axe-wielding, plaid-wearing lumberjacks of yesteryear; rather, Tolko’s workforce is comprised of a diverse array of professionals, tradespeople, and skilled workers.
It’s myths like these that need some busting.
July 16, 2013 3:46 pm Leave your thoughts
Who says you can’t go home?
As a business student, I truly believed that advancing my career would likely require relocation, away from my comfortable surroundings in the tranquil Okanagan Valley. I was under the impression that climbing the corporate ladder would require at least a few years in a big bustling city, like Calgary, Vancouver or Toronto.
July 16, 2013 3:39 pm Leave your thoughts
Picture this: a group of Canada’s largest forest product companies and prominent environmental groups sit down at a table.
The unlikely duo talks for a while. Surprisingly, the two groups walk away shaking hands, proudly holding an agreement that promises a better environmental future for all Canadians.
I am proud to say that my employer, Tolko Industries,
July 16, 2013 3:13 pm Leave your thoughts
So much has gone on these past few weeks. I have been featured in an internal company newsletter, congratulating me on my internship, and in a local newspaper regarding my internship. The reporter from the Whitecourt Star even came out to talk to me and take my photo! During the interview, he asked me about what I thought about the way I got this internship,
July 16, 2013 3:07 pm Leave your thoughts
For this blog, I have created a quick video on what a culvert inspection is and a few things we look for when we go out to do these inspections. To watch the video, just click the first link below. I will be doing lots of these inspections through the summer, because I’m currently in charge of completing all the inspections for all the roads in Millar Western’s forest management plan,