Celtic Reforestation

replant · Post by **replant** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 7:29 am

This thread is devoted to gossip and discussion for employees and stakeholders of Celtic Reforestation.

This company is believed to work predominantly in British Columbia.

j_bunny · Post by **j_bunny** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:19 pm

Celtic Rocks!!!! eh, bys?

Mimy · Post by **Mimy** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:47 pm

Any comments or feedbacks you can give me to compare Brinkman, Celtic and Seneca?
About money, camps, and contracts?

Thank you!

TheHamsterizer · Post by **TheHamsterizer** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:09 pm

This won't be hard- all big, and all bad. They probably each have a couple of good contracts, but if you're a rookie you won't be going to any of them.

kingjames_2nd · Post by **kingjames_2nd** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 6:43 pm

TheHamsterizer wrote:This won't be hard- all big, and all bad. They probably each have a couple of good contracts, but if you're a rookie you won't be going to any of them.

I happen to know for a fact that Brinkman hires rookies... mostly in Ontario but I know a few who got hired on in BC their first year as well.

TheHamsterizer · Post by **TheHamsterizer** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:44 am

kingjames_2nd wrote:
TheHamsterizer wrote:This won't be hard- all big, and all bad. They probably each have a couple of good contracts, but if you're a rookie you won't be going to any of them.
I happen to know for a fact that Brinkman hires rookies... mostly in Ontario but I know a few who got hired on in BC their first year as well.

'them' meaning the good contracts... If you get hired by any of these companies they'll just send you where they need you most, which would probably be the worst contract.

therock · Post by **therock** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 11:54 am

One depends on the other in terms of money, camps, contracts, I work for Celtic and find the money to be good for interior, nothing under 13 cents, thats usually trenches. Avg around 15. down south is higer 15-23 for stumped even burned blocks, paying for quality. I perfer to plant down there, the specs are a little harder if your a rookie, but the vets find it easy and comfortable to put in 18-2k make 350 plus for a usual day. Contracts are usually with Canfor, Tolko, Westfraiser, Abtibi, (not much if any BCTS) and are 90% direct reward which makes for a not so tight bottom line. Camps are usually tenting with structures built to house food and lounge areas, tv, pool table, foose ball, like the rec room in loggingcamps plus the eating area, not many weatherhaven camps left if any, and new last year shower trailers, four showers and a washer, toilet trailers with sinks. Nice set up but is becoming the standard for most operations.

As for the industry, I dont care who you are, your taking rookies at your company if you have more than 100 planters required. There are just not enough experienced planters out there anymore. We do hire rookies train them and keep them. We try to show them all types of land to create well rounded planters. So the good contracts are what again? what makes a good contract VS a bad contract is different in every planters eyes. was the money bad, were the people dull, did they party too much, was it disorganized, did we work for free? even this form has questions as to what is a lucrative contract.
Celtic works in B.C. only, has interior, southern, and coastal planting- no 10 cent alberta dank shit and I thnk we are not considered in the same boat as Brinkman and seneca. do you see us lowballing BCTS bids. sorry we do have 90% "actual direct reward contracts" (as hamster... said in a previous post). Just so you know, the camp that had the highest % of rookies was our "best Contract" as it was the most lucrative and i am sure that is what hamy is all about.

TheHamsterizer · Post by **TheHamsterizer** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 1:43 pm

Well there you go, Mimy- send therock a private message and get him to get you a spot on celtics best contract. It shouldn't be hard to get on if there were so many rookies last year...

And therock, of course 'most lucrative'='best'. How else do you measure the worth of a contract- 'funnest people'? 'prettiest wildlife'? 'awesomest parties'? Come on...

therock · Post by **therock** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 3:20 pm

nice work, now remove the hamster from your ass and we can call it a day.
So according to hamster boy sorry man cause you have been planting since what '92,we should all get jobs at small companies, of which none are hiring more than 10 rookies cause working at spectrum, seneca, folkelore, celtic,brinkman, ngr, westernpacific, dynamic,apex,coast range,outland,windfirm, wildwoods, nechacko etc will aparently get you nowhere thanks to your comments these are all shit companies,but account for how much production?must be around the 80% so oh ya he does have a hard-on for natures treasures. so rookies try to get on there. someone must of had a bad time at spectrum to hate the big boys so much.

you give all this info on the form telling the vets and rookies where not to go. in that list above there are lots i wouldnt go to either. but have you actually worked at all these companies or just been hearing stories about them over a few dollar beers at the ol' iron horse when you "used" to go there. if your not a foremen, become one, then you can have the best company the best prices be the best boss.
your like the jaded old guidance counsellor whos dreams just went to shit and has nothing good to say about anything.
"I've been planting for years and I don't have a single good story except for a bunch of lies I've made up. All the stories I have are sad and involve broken hearts and shattered dreams. But if I could do it all over again? I wouldn't change a thing. Ac..."

our industry needs help.

The King of Nowhere · Post by **The King of Nowhere** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 6:23 pm

Well said therock....When you have to comment on a company, don't act like a fool, or simply spew hearsay about some company you don't know anything about. Thats why Scooters got guidelines, and its because everyone, especially rookies, deserve honest information. My rules are, you have direct experience, tell it how it was. If you hear something through grapevine, take it with a grain of salt.

Here's the lowdown.
Brinkman: Did a small contract for a bit. Great prices, good foreman. Little disorganized.not a Big deal. Crewplanting (not a fan...too each his own)...oh and Remote Worksite Allowance....basically you get 60 bucks/day of your income taxfree....pretty sweet in my books.
Celtic: Worked with a lot of people who have planted, or foremanned for Celtic. In all cases everyone was pretty happy. Tried to get work with em, didnt get any, but the lady at the front desk was really helpful.
Seneca: Dont know shit about em. However, one rare tidbit of info for them is that they do conepicking during the winter, and you have the treetops cut and flown in by helicopter (!!!) to a spot where you sit and pick. I've conepicked on the block...aint fun, better paying though.

peace

Mr. Amazing · Post by **Mr. Amazing** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 6:54 pm

All three of those companies are amazing! A rookie can do no wrong with any of those companies! This is THE year to get into treeplanting! Things are better than ever, and there is more money to made than ever! As all the mills close and lay-off their employees (10 000 in BC in the past year), there is SIMPLY more money for the TREEPLANTER. It's very basic math, friends! Be sure to brag about all the money you're making when you get into town and you're near an unshaved guy in a jean jacket with a "Stihl" ball cap on!!! He will be very interested!!!

TheHamsterizer · Post by **TheHamsterizer** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:49 am

Hey dude, why are you so mad? And why did you write all this and not answer my question? On to your post:

therock wrote:nice work, now remove the hamster from your ass and we can call it a day.

*YANK* It's a day!!!

So according to hamster boy sorry man cause you have been planting since what '92,we should all get jobs at small companies, of which none are hiring more than 10 rookies

Yeah, exactly. How many rookies do you want around you?

cause working at spectrum, seneca, folkelore, celtic,brinkman, ngr, westernpacific, dynamic,apex,coast range,outland,windfirm, wildwoods, nechacko etc will aparently get you nowhere thanks to your comments these are all shit companies,

Really? re-read my comments.... One of the above companies I said was really good. One I never said anything either way about. Are you even reading my comments?

but account for how much production?must be around the 80% so oh ya he does have a hard-on for natures treasures. so rookies try to get on there. someone must of had a bad time at spectrum to hate the big boys so much.

I had a bad time at lots of big companies. So... Yeah, I hate them. Sounds reasonable.

you give all this info on the form telling the vets and rookies where not to go. in that list above there are lots i wouldnt go to either. but have you actually worked at all these companies or just been hearing stories about them over a few dollar beers at the ol' iron horse when you "used" to go there.

I've worked for 80% of the above companies and lots more. The other 20% are based on what I've heard from people I trust and have known a long time. Not just some random rookie on the street.

if your not a foremen, become one, then you can have the best company the best prices be the best boss.
your like the jaded old guidance counsellor whos dreams just went to shit and has nothing good to say about anything.

Anything? I have lots of good stuff to say. Bad planting companies? Nothing good to say. Is that unreasonable?

"I've been planting for years and I don't have a single good story except for a bunch of lies I've made up. All the stories I have are sad and involve broken hearts and shattered dreams. But if I could do it all over again? I wouldn't change a thing. Ac..."

our industry needs help.

If anything needs help, it's your sense of humor. I know it's hard to tell when I'm joking when you're reading the words on the screen, but that will come the more you read!

TheHamsterizer · Post by **TheHamsterizer** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:58 am

The King of Nowhere wrote:Well said therock....When you have to comment on a company, don't act like a fool, or simply spew hearsay about some company you don't know anything about. Thats why Scooters got guidelines, and its because everyone, especially rookies, deserve honest information. My rules are, you have direct experience, tell it how it was. If you hear something through grapevine, take it with a grain of salt.

Here's the lowdown.
Brinkman: Did a small contract for a bit. Great prices, good foreman. Little disorganized.not a Big deal. Crewplanting (not a fan...too each his own)...oh and Remote Worksite Allowance....basically you get 60 bucks/day of your income taxfree....pretty sweet in my books.
Celtic: Worked with a lot of people who have planted, or foremanned for Celtic. In all cases everyone was pretty happy. Tried to get work with em, didnt get any, but the lady at the front desk was really helpful.
Seneca: Dont know shit about em. However, one rare tidbit of info for them is that they do conepicking during the winter, and you have the treetops cut and flown in by helicopter (!!!) to a spot where you sit and pick. I've conepicked on the block...aint fun, better paying though.

peace

You just broke your own rules... You've only worked for one of these companies for 'a bit'. Why are you even commenting? My original reply was not hearsay... It was a pretty well known fact about big companies in general. I don't have to work for a particular one to know how they work. And for some reason nobody addressed that point. It's a fairly important consideration when choosing a company to work for.

therock · Post by **therock** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:17 am

Have you worked for Celtic?

therock · Post by **therock** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:21 am

kind of like knowing a few lazy minorites, then saying well i dont need to actually know them but because one or two or three are lazy, they are all lazy.

TheHamsterizer · Post by **TheHamsterizer** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:43 am

therock wrote:Have you worked for Celtic?

Yeah, I did a fill plant with them near clearwater a few years ago.

TheHamsterizer · Post by **TheHamsterizer** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:49 am

therock wrote:kind of like knowing a few lazy minorites, then saying well i dont need to actually know them but because one or two or three are lazy, they are all lazy.

No, it's not at all like that. The big companies all have the same downfall, it's not a generalization. A big company is big because it has lots of contracts. It has a lot of contracts because it takes some bad or questionable ones. And don't tell me that there are big companies that have ALL good contracts because that's impossible. There just isn't enough good work to go around, and big companies have high overhead, bla bla bla. The vets who are in the know get to go to the better contracts, and the rookies fill in the blanks, which are always in the contracts that nobody wants to be at. And the spots are always filled, because big companies tend to have aggressive hiring campaigns because they can afford to. Have you ever looked in the PG want ads around april? For planting it's all Summit, Spectrum, Apex, etc. It's common sense, and I don't know why I have to keep explaining it.

mcD · Post by **mcD** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:52 pm

Hey guys, your both right, I haver worked for a bunch of those big companies and had good and bad experiences at all of them. I have worked for a few of the smaller companies as well and can say that percentage wise had less bad experiences at these places. bigger companies can be a bit more risky, but if you know where to go ie. what crews and contracts you will do fine. plus we all have to start somewhere. after ten years the best contract I ever worked on was for Bugbusters(crazy as that may sound), but it was preceded by the absolute worst contract, so as the hamster says they cannot all be good. to the rock, I have been there, you have a company where you have been for a few years, they treat you well, and you know your contracts and how to make money there, so it seams pretty good to you. however nothing you can say will ever convince any of the people your talking to on this forum that it is a good gig, so your wasting your time trying. If anything they just call you a company boy and will hack on you even harder.

Post by **Scooter** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 4:15 pm

I always find it interesting that people say "rookies who are hired will get sent to less lucrative contracts," or a hundred other variations on that theme. The reason that I find it interesting is that at Folklore, the supervisors hire planters for their own camps, and there is not any appreciable amount of shuffling people around (except when a camp loans a crew to another camp on a temporary basis, if a particular contract needs to be finished more quickly). So our head office doesn't actually hire planters directly and assign them to camps, which makes it impossible for the above-mentioned scenario to happen. And furthermore, the owners at Folklore are very conscientious about trying to balance the amount of work between all camps, so you don't have particular camps that are shafted by being put on the less lucrative contracts (mind you, most of our camps usually work on almost the same contracts, year after year, so the planters get used to working in certain areas or for certain licensees). I always thought that this sort of scenario happened at quite a few companies, but perhaps I'm mistaken in this belief?

therock · Post by **therock** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 5:09 pm

no scooter, you are not mistaken, Celtic works the exact same way with equal distribution and serious effort by the owner to make the camps equal. foremen and crews are usually on the same contracts year in and year out and we have had the same contracts year in and year out for some time now.foremen hire all planters. I am trying to explain, poorly i guess, that there are shit big companies and then there are others that year after year maintain a higher quality standard and price standard that doesnt just drop off, they dont pick up contracts just for the sake of saying they have work. Celtic, Folklore as for all the companies out of Prince seem to be on the same page.

TheHamsterizer · Post by **TheHamsterizer** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:01 pm

Ok, I'll concede the point that if a company has all of the same contracts year after year it will have a more even distribution. It's usually the new contracts that have to dig deep into the rookie pool, since not many people like going to some random new contract instead of the camp they were at before.

krahn · Post by **krahn** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 8:26 pm

brinkman: they do bid low on a lot of contracts, and i know of people who have gone and not made a while lot, but i like the management, and the only contract i've done with them was overpriced, very short but easy.

celtic: i think they may be the best of the bigger PG companies. haven't worked there but have friends that have spent time with them and what i remember hearing is that they have higher prices than average, but make people replant all the time. like, a ridiculous amount, very specific quality standards. of these three i would choose these guys, if i had time to get used to their quality.

seneca: i've worked for these guys lots, it depends a lot on the crew, i think for the most part they're not the best. pros are that you stay in a hotel and they don't underbid too bad. cons, they care a lot more about firefighting than planting, they can be quite unorganized, super long drives, they spend a lot of time west of williams lake which is extremely rocky (actually i think they lost a lot of these to dynamic), and two of the three owners aren't, in my opinion, very honest people, however the third owner, richard, runs a decent show in the okanagan. great accomodations in falkland. not many bugs. and tolko is one of the better mills to work for. so i would say... if you're a vet you can do better but working on one of richard's crews ain't so bad. and if you're a rookie, the rest of the company is probably still more lucrative than something like apex, even with the downtime. that's my two cents.

muffin_man · Post by **muffin_man** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:07 pm

Worked for these guys on and off for a few years. Strange bunch of people, fairly stuck up really. Most boring planting experience ever, and prices are not really good. Good food last time i worked there. Big Big Big

kimber · Post by **kimber** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 8:00 pm

A while ago, I ran into a few wicked planters who had worked for Celtic. They said they had had a pretty rad season, and mostly all of them seemed like wonderful 'sorts' to plant with. None of them had any complaints, however it can be hard to judge a company from a few euphoric planters partying between the Spring and Summer plant...everyone loves their company once the season's out.

So what I'm Reeaallly trying to say is -I refuse to go back to Summit!
Anyone have any real info on Celtic?
i.e. company environment, pricing, general workings and overall experience...?

much respect

alp · Post by **alp** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 7:53 am

Hi everybody, this is my first post on this site witch I find to be a very interesting way for sharing experiences and opinions in respectfull manners. I have now been a treeplanter for seven years including 4 with Celtic. I have experienced a few other companies, some I think are better and some worse.

I started with Celtic with 2 season of experience in Ontario. It was quite a learning curve to acheive their standards, witch are pretty hi but it made me a solid quality planter. I was always well fed and camps, althought having some negative points, improved in the past seasons. I got to know most of the foremans and supervisors and most of them I consider to be good people.

Last season I had the pleasure to work for a smaller company in southern BC, witch made me realize a lot of things about Celtic and other mid to large size companies. I'd like to share my opinion about that.

First thing I want to say, there is good money to be made with Celtic. Althought they still have a few decent contracts, I don't think it's a secret that they have been doing a lot of underbidding. I could average between 250$ and 300$ a day with Celtic. Last season, with a smaller size company, my daily average went up to 350$ with several 400$ days and I don't consider myself a highballer. Companies that have a smaller size contracts will have more experienced planters witch will give them a higher production rate and better overall quality, witch will result in lower operation costs for them and better prices and conditions for you.

Another thing that annoys me is that most of Celtic's management have this way of thinking that they are the best company out there and that they are actually making you a favor by giving you a job. They are pretty famous for their ''I own your ass'' attitude and will try to make you feel bad about looking somewhere else. I do believe in respecting a commitment but, after a contract is over, you're a free agent and no company should try to hold you by threatening you of being banned or badly referenced, witch is a common practice Celtic uses.

I have to say that Celtic has a pretty has a pretty good organisation, good vehicles and a very good safety program but I don't think this makes them a better company. It's actually something we should all expect from our employer. I understand it's not the case everywere but, in my opinion, no one should accept to work below these standards of safety and organisation.

Bottom line, do I think Celtic is a bad company? The answer is no but I strongly believe that there is better. My advice is don't be afraid to ask questions about tree prices, rate of returning planters and how much they are averaging before accepting to work on a contract. Lots of very good companies are dying to find good planters out there, even if you don't have experience, convince them that you're serious about working hard and making money, they will invest in your training. I strongly believe that the more carefull we are about choosing quality work, the more we will keep companies like Celtic from growing bigger, underbidding to get more work and lowering standards in this industry. Thank you and good luck with your planting season.

E.E · Post by **E.E** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 1:06 pm

"I own your ass" - this is an actual quote from Dave Wilson at the start of the 2007 MPB probing season, immortalized in one of Celtic's porta-potty trailers. To be fair, probers were on day rate and Wilson was trying to convey that for 10 hours a day he expected value for the money...

frank23 · Post by **frank23** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:54 am

Anyone has an opinion to share about wich company is better and why ?

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 5:45 pm

frank23 wrote:Anyone has an opinion to share about wich company is better and why ?

First off, what is your real purpose in asking this question?
Would you go to nhl.com and ask "Leafs or Canadiens? and Why?"
What type of response would you get? And then what type of response would you get from a Red Wing fan?

Sorry to seem overly critical just trying to add perspective to your question.
What do I know, well of course my opinion is subjective just like anyone else. Do your homework, read as many posts on this site as you can and then disregard most of what you read because you are after all on the internet. Then do your homework and ask yourself the same question to get your answer.
Don't expect to get real answers unless you are willing to put a bit more into your question.

Food for thought to add for your question, these two companies used to be semi-quasi-joined but a fundamental change in philosophy in safety and quality issues made them split apart.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:57 am

I always wanted to write a book, but lacked the motivation to do so, until I devised a plan.
My arch nemesis, the internet, and my love of treeplanting have given me that opportunity,
but some personal assassination had to be done, I hope it was mostly to myself and sorry to offend anyone.

I enjoyed my time at Celtic and wish them well, but sometimes we do the strangest thing to close a chapter or motivate ourselves to plant trees. I hope everyone has a great 2009 I may be amongst some of you, but I may luck out yet....

Gnarly · Post by **Gnarly** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:56 pm

I'll give this one a shot. I've planted with both these companies- in some ways they are both just typical big PG based companies, but they are very different from each other. Both of their tree prices could usually be higher, but I found Celtic worse for money because of the kind of quality they expected for that price. I also personally found Celtic to be too controlling- it may have changed, but when I planted there they didn't even allow campfires! And if you enjoy the other kind of burning it's nice not to have to hide it all the time like we were told to do at Celtic. Nechako felt more relaxed, and had some amazingly fun people.
Celtic did sometimes have a bit more of an organized feel, had great food, and was all about the safety. (Though on the crews I was with with Nechako, I very rarely felt unsafe and safety is something I'm pretty conscious of. I think the standards vary a bit more from crew to crew there than at Celtic.) However, overall Nechako worked better for me, and I was usually able to make pretty decent money there, though I know that is not true of everyone- I was definitely able to make more there than at Celtic. The great people and times there were the clincher for me though- it was just more fun. So my answer would be Nechako. (FYI I'm not working for either of these companies, and have worked for at least 10 companies)

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 11:21 pm

it may have changed, but when I planted there they didn't even allow campfires! And if you enjoy the other kind of burning it's nice not to have to hide it all the time like we were told to do at Celtic.

In Alberta where we were, you can't have a campfire without permit and inspection, and often in the drier summer months, such permits are rarely given. Our manager got us a permit sometime during the early end of the season when it was suitably rainy and damp, but perhaps that's why? I mean, these companies have to follow laws to stay in business.

krahn · Post by **krahn** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:36 am

i haven't worked for either, but i know some good people that have stuck with celtic, while the only nechako alumni i know, which has been a few over the years, would never go back. they really thought it was a terrible company. but obviously not everybody has the same experiences, maybe it's different times, different crews?

Post by **Scooter** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 6:20 am

The situation with July trees has changed significantly over the past few years, for myself especially.

For years, I always used to pick up lots of extra planters after the end of June, to help us get through our July/August work.

In the past couple of years however, we've stopped hiring additional planters at that time. Why give the work away to people who start out at other companies, when instead you can prolong your own season and reward the people who worked in your own company from the start?

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:54 am

I'm still gonna try and avoid the the this way or that way argument but I think Mike has a good point on campfires.

Mike wrote:In Alberta where we were, you can't have a campfire without permit and inspection, and often in the drier summer months, such permits are rarely given. Our manager got us a permit sometime during the early end of the season when it was suitably rainy and damp, but perhaps that's why? I mean, these companies have to follow laws to stay in business.

I think most companies are a bit more responsible for fires than they'd like to be, I think the law changed a few years back.

Gnarly wrote:I also personally found Celtic to be too controlling- it may have changed, but when I planted there they didn't even allow campfires! And if you enjoy the other kind of burning it's nice not to have to hide it all the time like we were told to do at Celtic. Nechako felt more relaxed, and had some amazingly fun people.

They have changed the old "no" fire policy though who knows what the future holds with them or even WCB with all the dead pine. I think Celtic realized that having a fire in the middle of camp was better than hearing about the secret campfires all the time and trying to put ankle bracelets on everyone and still having a forest fire started by one of their planters. But by having a solid company policy enforced by everyone (including planters) is probably one way to avoid getting sued or having to go out of business as Mike points out. I know one of my old companies had a pretty fun and laid back attitude and we had some massive tree box fires, but also I kept hearing one of the owners always complain about a lawsuit that dragged on for years because some planter started a fire in camp that got out of control when I was 12 years old. Wonder how much that effected tree prices? (FYI this company no longer exists)

Gnarly wrote:(FYI I'm not working for either of these companies, and have worked for at least 10 companies)

Lol, you must have read some of my other posts about who to ask and what to believe or not. A couple years ago it's changed probably at both companies maybe for better or worse, but probably much different in both companies at least in personnel below owners/supervisors from where it was at 3-4 years ago. I know alotta people who left this business right at the same time their was tonnes of work. I don't know much about Nechako anymore as most people I know went off to start a new company but some of the good things I've read about them are true from what I heard a few years back, but judging by Gnarly's post you haven't been at either company in a while so it could have changed in either a good or bad way. I could lean one way but that's because I probably know who is trying to hire Frank23? And that's not always a good thing, knowing me that is.

On Free Agent day what would you read on NHL.com after such a question is asked? "Leafs or Canadiens and Why?"

Leaf would say: Canadiens suck there are way to many french people around all the time.
Canadien would say: Leafs suck, they haven't won a cup in how long? Plus, everyone hates the Leafs except Leaf fans.
Red Wing would say: They both suck, we won the Cup last year.
Leaf: Yeah but how many contracts are expiring next year? You'll soon be in the basement.
Canadien: Who cares what language everyone speaks, unless you think everyone is always talking about you. How many Cups have we won overall? More than the Wings and Leafs combined. Come with us you'll be a legend.
Red Wing: Still don't care, we won the Cup last year, nuff said.

Tupperfan · Post by **Tupperfan** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 3:04 pm

Duncan wrote:I'm still gonna try and avoid the the this way or that way argument but I think Mike has a good point on campfires.

Mike wrote:In Alberta where we were, you can't have a campfire without permit and inspection, and often in the drier summer months, such permits are rarely given. Our manager got us a permit sometime during the early end of the season when it was suitably rainy and damp, but perhaps that's why? I mean, these companies have to follow laws to stay in business.
I think most companies are a bit more responsible for fires than they'd like to be, I think the law changed a few years back.

Gnarly wrote:I also personally found Celtic to be too controlling- it may have changed, but when I planted there they didn't even allow campfires! And if you enjoy the other kind of burning it's nice not to have to hide it all the time like we were told to do at Celtic. Nechako felt more relaxed, and had some amazingly fun people.
They have changed the old "no" fire policy though who knows what the future holds with them or even WCB with all the dead pine. I think Celtic realized that having a fire in the middle of camp was better than hearing about the secret campfires all the time and trying to put ankle bracelets on everyone and still having a forest fire started by one of their planters. But by having a solid company policy enforced by everyone (including planters) is probably one way to avoid getting sued or having to go out of business as Mike points out. I know one of my old companies had a pretty fun and laid back attitude and we had some massive tree box fires, but also I kept hearing one of the owners always complain about a lawsuit that dragged on for years because some planter started a fire in camp that got out of control when I was 12 years old. Wonder how much that effected tree prices? (FYI this company no longer exists)

Gnarly wrote:(FYI I'm not working for either of these companies, and have worked for at least 10 companies)
Lol, you must have read some of my other posts about who to ask and what to believe or not. A couple years ago it's changed probably at both companies maybe for better or worse, but probably much different in both companies at least in personnel below owners/supervisors from where it was at 3-4 years ago. I know alotta people who left this business right at the same time their was tonnes of work. I don't know much about Nechako anymore as most people I know went off to start a new company but some of the good things I've read about them are true from what I heard a few years back, but judging by Gnarly's post you haven't been at either company in a while so it could have changed in either a good or bad way. I could lean one way but that's because I probably know who is trying to hire Frank23? And that's not always a good thing, knowing me that is.

On Free Agent day what would you read on NHL.com after such a question is asked? "Leafs or Canadiens and Why?"

Leaf would say: Canadiens suck there are way to many french people around all the time.
Canadien would say: Leafs suck, they haven't won a cup in how long? Plus, everyone hates the Leafs except Leaf fans.
Red Wing would say: They both suck, we won the Cup last year.
Leaf: Yeah but how many contracts are expiring next year? You'll soon be in the basement.
Canadien: Who cares what language everyone speaks, unless you think everyone is always talking about you. How many Cups have we won overall? More than the Wings and Leafs combined. Come with us you'll be a legend.
Red Wing: Still don't care, we won the Cup last year, nuff said.

Lesson learned from this post: Leafs fans are racist.

Hehehe!

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:21 am

Always try to talk or write about things that you know about.

I like Scooter because he has devoted some time and energy on this site and hope it serves well to better the planting community but respect everyone and other's and this to may help treeplanting some day.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:33 pm

Screefhead · Post by **Screefhead** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 3:30 pm

I worked an exceptionally bad summer contract for Celtic a few years back and it was as bad as anyplace I've worked. Lots of favortism, camp was a pigsty, planting specs always changing, and the French cook was a complete bitch to anyone who wasn't from Quebec. Out of a crew of 14 , I was one of the last to quit, I think only 2 planters remained and that was only because they were gunning for foreman jobs the next season(where the real money is).

Having said that I've also worked with some planters who more recently worked for Celtic and they said it was decent. The general consensus was that the money was OK but their days were longer. And as a bonus ... if you kiss some ass you can get on the Coast shows and thus have a pretty long season.

Despite my experience, I doubt Celtic is any worse than any of the other PG rookie mills eg ..Summit, Seneca, Apex.

Generally though I dislike Celtic for their underbidding on Coastal contracts in years past. Between them and companies like Coast Range, Osprey and a few others, they managed to completely screw up the pricing structure on the Coast.

Greg M. · Post by **Greg M.** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:38 pm

Generally though I dislike Celtic for their underbidding on Coastal contracts in years past. Between them and companies like Coast Range, Osprey and a few others, they managed to completely screw up the pricing structure on the Coast.

I agree.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 2:16 am

delete god dam it

Screefhead · Post by **Screefhead** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:37 pm

Pontius Pilatus · Post by **Pontius Pilatus** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:17 pm

Screefhead wrote :

And no.. this wasn't a Mackenzie crapfest it was somewhere else. How many legendary crap contracts has Celtic had?

Oh man, gold! That has to be the funniest thing I've read on this forum. Freakin dead on man. I say 1 million points for Screefhead for that one.

Pontius Pilatus · Post by **Pontius Pilatus** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:38 pm

Duncan » Mon Mar 23, 2009 3:33 pm

muffin_man wrote:Worked for these guys on and off for a few years. Strange bunch of people, fairly stuck up really. Most boring planting experience ever, and prices are not really good. Good food last time i worked there. Big Big Big

You must be lars zergun's buddy... A strange bunch, but not boring unless you wank out on the biggest party of the year!!!

Check out a real Celtic flick and other films at:

http://gallery.me.com/irock1978#gallery

I dunno Duncan man, I think you should be more open to other people's views. I'm not sure how long you were at Celtic or where you were before (bugbusters eh?) or how many companies you've worked for, but I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss people who actually worked full seasons at other companies, they might be offering perspectives that aren't really accessible to you otherwise.

I'm starting to think that you were asking for it if your movie gives Celtic a bad rep. I still love it though. Don't take out the water running through the culvert scene.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:22 am

Fair enough dudes(ettes)?

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:36 am

I feel the need to say where are all those quotes from me coming?

Post by **Scooter** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 6:04 pm

Didn't Celtic have no trees at all last year after June 24th, or am I thinking of another company? I'm not trying to be critical of the company, I'm just curious. This may be a more common phenomen this summer and in the future, considering the way the industry is going.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:09 pm

Hey Scooter,

the spring ended on june 29th last year, but some crews might have finished early and decided not to join the big party, but I believe everyone was invited but did not have to show if they didn't want to.
The summer was very very small,
20 guys for 10 days in tumbler where my old a$$ was highballin

like I do everywhere

hehe

Post by **Scooter** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:57 pm

A lot of trees have been canceled for different companies between six months ago and the present. Scary. And I'm sure that more will fall victim before the start of July.

therock · Post by **therock** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:10 am

we have lots of trees this year , april 25th till july 25th. lots of summer trees, because of what happened last year, and no they are not BCTS or mof, Majority canfor.

Pontius Pilatus · Post by **Pontius Pilatus** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 5:07 pm

Duncan wrote :
I had about 18 people who have at one time or another planted for me, mostly from my first crews, so I do know what it's like to work at another company for a full season, at least from many planters who I know, and what they are like as planters, more than a planters who just talk to another planter who they know little or nothing about to get their info. on other companies, just saying my side.

I might be over interpreting this bit. I'm just wondering where they've come from before working with you. If they've come from companies with people making 400 $ and up, that's one thing. If they've come from companies referred to as rookie mill companies or big p.g. companies or just not so well paying companies (let's say northern companies even though I know it's not that black and white), that's another thing and I maintain my position.

Having worked for Celtic for 3 Spring/Summers on 3 different crews and on a lot of the contracts that they had, including a short stint on the coast, all this from 2004-2006, I feel entitled to say that people that come from other companies to Celtic were working for northern companies worst then Celtic or from companies about the same and were on some bad contracts or sides of this company or had friends at Celtic. (Or from Ontario, Quebec or the Maritimes, but I think I read you saying you have never hired from the East.) After Celtic, people go to either same-ish type companies or better paying southern companies with better conditions (yes, this is also over generalization) or stop planting or become management at Celtic. You must concede that there are a fair amount of better paying companies with better conditions out there.

So I believe that your sources come from said not so good companies and thus offer a limited view of the planting world.