Something I want to know about forestry in Canada

[sinawali]

In Germany, there are a lot of legends about canadian forestry.
A logger can earn much of money and he don't have to work after the season. I hearded something about 100.000 Dollar per felling season. Than i heard the opposite, it is like in Germany, money is just enough to live (German logger earns round about 14,0690 Canadian Dollar per hour, in eastern Germany 10,84).
Second legend, some people say, there is no trainee-ship necessary to work as logger, but a friend of mine (born in Canada) told me about a trainee-ship that costs 10.000 Dollar and is needed to work as logger. But he don't live in Canada for many years.

A friend of mine earned 6000 Canadian Dollars, he was mowing gras on the oil-fields. In TV, there was a report and it told, that people can earn 25.000 Dollar in 6 weeks for planting trees.


What's the truth?

 

[imagineero]

Canadian loggers are legendary. They only work 3 months a year, and then they migrate to their million dollar yachts where they spend the rest of the year touring the world, hanging out with rock legends, and doing coke of the ass of $5,000 a night hookers while high fiving each other. It's a hard job, but then, they're hard men.

Shaun

 

[sinawali]

It's a serious question.

 

[Sport Faller]

Bill Brasky was a Canadian Logger, he showers in grain alcohol, feeds his babies shrimp scampi, and uses a live rattlesnake for a condom

 

[Gologit]

It's a serious question.

And it deserves a serious answer. You were being tested on your sense of humor...so far the results are inconclusive. :msp_biggrin:

I don't log in Canada and I'm sure the Canukistan boys will be along soon enough to answer your questions. There are several on here who know the job and what it takes to make it.

I do know that timber fallers up there have to go through a certification process that includes formal instruction. From what I hear it's time consuming...and expensive.

Hang in there. They're usually around AS on the week-ends.

 

[stihlavarna]

A pal of mine did tree planting, it's not easy and he made OK money, plus it's a hippy lifestyle (if you into that).

As for falling here is a good vid New Faller Training - BC Forest Safety Council - YouTube


and more info
Faller Certification | BC Forest Safety Council

 

[coastalfaller]

I think I can offer some insight for you.

In regards to the first question, it's really like anywhere, it all depends on the demand. If there's lots of demand, there's lots of work, which translates into a good season. But there's other variables such as the weather. In one of my operations, we had a VERY late start to the year due to a ton of snow....today we just got shut down for fire season. Sometimes you just can't win. Wages are going up. But that's a slippery slope. I'm seeing alot of guys reacting and offering pretty large day rates, but I'm also not so sure that all those guys know their costs that well either. I'm not the highest paying and certainly not the lowest. But it's alot easier to bump up wages incrementally than have to claw it back later because you messed up on your costs. Because things will change again....they always do. It's a very cyclical industry.

As for the second question, yep, there definitely is a certification process and it is costly. You can challenge the exam for about $1200 Cdn I believe. Otherwise the course is a month long and the tuition is about $10 000, plus you have to put yourself up for that month as well. There is a movement afoot to get the training back into the hands of the falling contractors, but that isn't quite happening yet. Hopefully soon.

The oil fields? That's a whole different beast altogether. Money seems to be no object there. But as I mentioned before, everything is cyclical. You know the saying...if it sounds to good to be true....! Or maybe I'm just to cynical!! lol



And Sport Faller......we don't use condoms!!!

 

[wowzers]

Costal, Is falling the only job that requires certification? What about yarder engineers and rigging folk?

 

[coastalfaller]

Costal, Is falling the only job that requires certification? What about yarder engineers and rigging folk?

As of right now, it's only the fallers. There's been rumours that they want to certify every job in the woods, but so far that's all it's been, rumours. Certification for the fallers started in 2003 with the grandfathering in of existing fallers.

 

[sinawali]

The oil fields? That's a whole different beast altogether. Money seems to be no object there. But as I mentioned before, everything is cyclical. You know the saying...if it sounds to good to be true....! Or maybe I'm just to cynical!! lol

This guy worked at the sundays and because that, he got a higher payment

 

[northmanlogging]

used to be a myth about america being paved in gold... Kanadia is frankly nicer than some spots hear in the us (blasphemy!). less crime, less corruption, less people, nicer people, from all acounts more (if thats possible) red tape more certification type stuff...In other words spend a week or a month there and then decide if its worth staying. got a story about Ireland and why i went there but that would take to long...maybe i should go to bed now...

 

[coastalfaller]

This guy worked at the sundays and because that, he got a higher payment

Not really such a thing as weekends off. I have one operation that runs out of town, some guys work a 5 and 2 (weekends off), but the work goes 7 days a week. Some guys work a 10 & 4, others a 21 & 7 and some others different variations on that. My camp jobs are typically 14 & 7 or 21 & 10.

I believe the oil fields are pretty much the same, all camp work.

 

[Garmins dad]

Not really such a thing as weekends off. I have one operation that runs out of town, some guys work a 5 and 2 (weekends off), but the work goes 7 days a week. Some guys work a 10 & 4, others a 21 & 7 and some others different variations on that. My camp jobs are typically 14 & 7 or 21 & 10.

I believe the oil fields are pretty much the same, all camp work.

Ahh camp work or hotels.. Been in the patch for 20 plus years... Even out there they are wanting certs for everything. Right down to driving a loader or working on a drilling rig.Not just H2S and first aid. But actual rig tech program now. Ohh you want to run a skid steer for a company okay.. 1900 bucks and a weekend of your time to get the cert to run it. Red tape is everywhere. but.. lots of space to roam.. Just wish i could pack a pistol instead of carring my shotty with me.

 

[northmanlogging]

guess thats something the kanukia gub-a-mint, didn't count on when they outlawed hand guns, stuck in a tiny cab with with a giant bear trying to take you're lunch... who cares about drug addicts smokey the bear gots the munchies!

 

[ashmo75]

random

just a question for you canandian loggers- what is the biggest tree that you have come accrost?

 

[coastalfaller]

just a question for you canandian loggers- what is the biggest tree that you have come accrost?

This one is my, in the spirit of the Olympics, "personal best"!

 

[sinawali]

What the hell... a large tree (or was it the little which is laying on the big? )

 

[coastalfaller]

What the hell... a large tree (or was it the little which is laying on the big? )

That one was my ladder to get up on it to buck it!