Replant.ca - Tree Planting Canada

jdtesluk

I think planters are best advised to find contractors they trust to pay them a fair market wage, keep them safe and treat them with respect. If we really could boil it down to one thing. THAT is it. Perfectly stated. You could have perfect ground, fresh after the melt, but without these things in p...

jdtesluk

In that case it sounds like if I was a planter I should be looking to work for contractors who have government funded work as opposed to private direct award clients. That was honestly my first thought too, and it would make sense if choosing between contractors that have exclusively one or the oth...

jdtesluk

I think Scooter was estimating the increase across "industry-wide" prices (public and private combined), as the public bid is only a fraction of all the work out there. Given that Folklore has a good chunk of direct-award work, he is probably extrapolating from that and information shared ...

jdtesluk

Wright Holdings is part of Wright Tree Services, which is based in Iowa. It is an employee-owned company, and they have bought up several other similar companies, including Arborcare in Alberta. Crawford Young (formerly Silverado) who ran Spectrum's planting division has left the company, but there ...

jdtesluk

The loose trees is going to be an issue. How much of an issue is unclear. Those who have tried it vary in their experience, but it greatly depends on shared caches, multi-species mixes, fast ground vs slow ground, and skill of the crew boss in distributing boxes. Ultimately it poses significant cost...

jdtesluk

Some good results it seems. I look forward to more analysis on comparisons with past years. That Revvie bid had to make Evergreen smile. That Houston job is interesting too. I would be curious what kind of additional details were involved with respect to First Nations affiliation. It is worth noting...

jdtesluk

I'm not sure you follow me here. I never suggested West Arm was or has been "going into competitors areas to bid high". I was instead pointing to that concept as a way that contractors in OTHER areas have maintained mutually beneficial understandings of territory. I've seen this more among...

jdtesluk

That bid doesn't look great. More than a few small companies have seen larger entities come into their turf and bid away local work, and in turn have made more aggressive bids in an effort to regain or hold on to their work....and then ended up leaving a lot on the table. Companies cannot collude or...

jdtesluk

Chase Fowler. I believe that is Sapling Silviculture. I've also been told that unbundled trees are here to stay, and will be the majority of trees in the future. This will make for some challenges for jobs with lots of mixed species, and could require some new cache management and bag-up tactics. So...

jdtesluk

In the recent past, some changes in how regulations are applied or interpreted have "arrived" very abruptly, without a lot of warning to adjust. In this case, WSBC is giving due warning. As of Nov 2024, the new regs will kick in and compliance will be expected immediately as of that date. ...

jdtesluk

Sorry for the late reply. You can breathe easy ( a bit) in terms of timing. The changes in regulation will not come into effect until November next year. I will paste a link below, but can share a few key pointers with one critical caveat. WSBC has not yet issued a guideline to accompany the regulat...

jdtesluk

I just had a meeting with WSBC today to talk about coming changes in regulation and enforcement strategies. Also reviewed a $50k penalty against a planting company that didn't bring the proper first aid equipment to the block. On top of that, claims data for the sector is dismal, and with some of th...

jdtesluk

There was another popular version of the mattock that looked like a scaled-down version of the hoedad you show there, but made for use with one hand. I knew a few eldervets that used them in their crewbossing time still in the 90s.

jdtesluk

The drone companies are doing what any engineering-tech company does....over-promising their product and emphasizing certain arbitrary numbers in an effort to suck in investors and boast their superiority over other systems. I think there is inevitably a place for drones in silviculture, and we will...

jdtesluk

Don't know if that is a true Hail Mary.....more like chucking it clear through the back of the end-zone. I think it is a statement. Important to consider that with these standing timber blocks, WSBC is looking at them VERY closely, and I heard from several WSBC staff last year that officers may be o...

jdtesluk

Cyper. You home in on what is critical. Yeah, no list of "how to respect people" should really be needed, but you hit on some key values there. I have seen some of the same things where larger operations are challenged to ensure that the values of respect and caring are maintained in their...

jdtesluk

I think the issue of wages not keeping pace with inflation is beyond question. This is a pattern that cuts across wide swaths of society. It only seems to be at the highest end of the SE ladder where people are getting more for working less. For planting, there are certain challenges in unpacking th...

jdtesluk

Great summary RPF. Few have explained it so clearly and concisely. Certainly there is more to the story, but this sums it up well.

jdtesluk

Very cool. Will be interesting to see how that trial goes. I followed the past efforts and their failures. Even the vacc for dogs is not recommended by vets. I have met more than half a dozen people in planting impacted by Lyme, and have 3 personal contacts that have also been affected. Gaaaaaaaa......

jdtesluk

Can you say exactly how subsidies were involved and the bid was different from what was presented? I could see a company receiving some sort of subsidy to their operations to help cover costs, but it is hard to fathom how some secret monies could be at play to alter a publicly bid contract - that wo...

jdtesluk

Well, on June 1, minimum wage is rising from 15.20 to 15.65, so there's that. Realistically, I can't see it going much past 17 in the near future, given the needs of the service sector. Even if it hit that, it would only amount to an extra $170-200 per paycheque on those needing top-up, so not quite...

jdtesluk

I warned the industry of the potential COVID-rebound in other sectors last fall. Already at that point I was seeing adjustments in hiring strategies in tech and service sectors in bids to recruit people back into jobs hit hard during COVID. The way I see it, this is perhaps the biggest "shuffli...

jdtesluk

For reference, there was a series of ruling back in the 80s in the Federal Tax Court that deemed planters to be employees, due to the level of control that the employer has over their work. Now, it is POSSIBLE for a planter to be a sub, but that would have to come with a certain level of independenc...

jdtesluk

Taxes for a contractor are completely different than for an employee. I'm fairly sure that RWA is a specific program for workers. Probably best to have an accountant working for you on this.

jdtesluk

Thank you to the ~100 enthusiastic and positive people that joined the first session. This second session is scheduled for Thursday March 24th, at 7pm (PST), with a plan to run at least two hours, or as long as people wish to continue talking. This session will include a focus on various topics, inc...

jdtesluk

Attention Crew Bosses and Supervisors You are invited to the first ever Silviculture Supervisor Social! This is an online event February 10th at 7 pm (PST) An invite to the meeting can be obtained by private message to me through Messenger. Simply tell me your name, who you work for, and so I can se...

jdtesluk

Also good to see in the Mosaic allocation is what seems like an attempt to match areas with contractor bases. Sitka naturally gets Ucie and Nwest bay, Wagner has Oyster a short ferry-ride away, Brinkman their usual Sooke work close to supervisor eyes, Timberline up in Quinsam and mid-island, Zanziba...

jdtesluk

First of all, Merry Christmas to you and all. Not a real xmas person myself, but hope everyone is well and warm. I am hearing various approaches on this directly from the employers. Some have moved quickly and announced vaccine requirements early, in order to provide their (existing and prospective)...

jdtesluk

I know the owner of Mattoc (Chris). Planted with him in the mid-90s at Zanzibar and Fieldstone. He started late-80s I believe when there may have been a few folks still using mattocs, and our supervisor at Zanzibar occasionally used on for checking. I think the name is a bit of an homage to the orig...

jdtesluk

There was a guy (Dennis Loxton I think) that did the sheep browsing (permaculture). Big challenge was protecting the herd, and I think he used Great Pyrenees dogs for that. I'm not sure it was able to compete competitively, or cover enough ground fast enough. If you think about it, even if the sheep...

jdtesluk

Indeed, BCTS is not providing any COVID cost subsidies and have essentially said that contractors need to factor this into their bid. There will be a "Market Summit" next week on the 29th open to all contractors, facilitated by the WFCA. Part of the discussion will revolve around the costi...

jdtesluk

Means "family"

jdtesluk

I have heard of several large-scale plantation failures this season. One must consider of course that the heat event we had this summer was basically unprecedented in the history of modern silviculture, and it was not really possible to predict it. Certainly, the losses will be in the millions, and ...

jdtesluk

Totally due to to COVID. I have never heard of any financial incentive offered to people for good hygiene, apart from the incentive of not getting sick and not missing work.

jdtesluk

Yeah, this is a bit off. The numbers are based on attestations (reports to Ministry of operation start ups). A few hundred worth in commuter operations are not included, but many hundred more have wrapped up in the south or on the coast. Alberta is not included here. But if we want to talk Western C...

jdtesluk

This is important. While the chances of a tree falling on you at work are very slim, the consequences can be devastating. The BC Forest Safety Council has made this course available to help educate workers. There is more to do on this topic, but this is something you can do now. Wishing you all the ...

jdtesluk

When BC received an unexpected supply of AstraZeneca vaccines, there were plans in place to provide advanced access to resource workers, and the planting industry put in a strong appeal to be included in that advance rollout. However, concerns with AstraZeneca led to that program being delayed while...

jdtesluk

UPDATE – New Health Orders and 2-Weeks (+) to Easier Times Greetings friends and colleagues. A new Order has been enacted today by the Provincial Health Officer (PHO) to cover all industrial camps and remote resource operations (not yet posted, but soon to be on Ministry sites). This greatly clarifi...

jdtesluk

Make sure it was not a person dressed as a tree. Those can be tricky to spot.

jdtesluk

Good point Scooter. That's why I generally say the first two weeks "at least". Some companies have actually set deadlines for showing up. I know that's not easy for all. Others have planned to use a split camp capacity to run two isolated groups, with one potentially achieving COVID-free b...

jdtesluk

I have not posted much COVID information here, and apologize if that has limited any sharing of information. I know most people use other media (email, roundup newsletter, and Fbook), and try to avoid doubling up on everything. I am sharing this message due to its general application, and remain ava...

jdtesluk

This is very cool.
However, the weblink you posted does not work. Can you provide a new one?
I would like to promote this in other media.

Cheers

jdtesluk

I really think we need to expand our minds here about other options for biodegradable marking. If not spray paint, maybe glitter? String? Something embedded in the handle of the shovel? Some type of portable hip-mounted dispenser, or a spray like soccer refs use for marking off 10 yards. I'm really ...

jdtesluk

Indeed you are correct. You cannot (and should not) go to public clinics or testing stations unless you have symptoms or close contact. Iridia medical has worked as a service provider for many companies in the past year (in and out of the WFCA), and is looking to provide testing to companies that wa...

jdtesluk

$8.11!!!!!
That's .00001 left on the table!

I believe there have been closer bids dollar-wise, but this could be the closest percent margin ever for a job this size.
Scooter?

jdtesluk

Anyone know what the specs and conditions were on that Vanderhoof job? That seems like a pretty high price.
Seneca works up there a lot and has some local crews, so either .823 was a total flier or there are some challenges involved.

jdtesluk

I just spoke to a few employees and looked into this. Peter is alive and well and in the Kootenays. I can't speak for him but I can say (based on my interaction) that he is a person that enjoys his incognito time. I have passed on a message through family that his staff are anxious. Hopefully he chi...

jdtesluk

Personal bests.....I ate 23 buttermilk waffles at my Aunt and Uncle's house one morning on a summer morning in 2016. Conditions were perfect. A family record, and personal best. This included some bacon on the side and a bowl of cereal. I could probably have gone for 30, but I wanted my record to re...

jdtesluk

Just curious if you care to clarify. The bonus system described in the review is legitimate based on description provided, and is not related to top-up for minimal wage, which is a separate issue. A company owner may not like the regulations that require top-up, but it is a very different issue if t...

jdtesluk

The bonus system described is legal, as it is a true production incentive given on top of promised pay. A bonus system becomes illegal if it is used to withhold pay to get people to stay longer or something, or to defray a cost of business such as truck damage or tree quality. In the old days (that ...

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