Northern Reforestation Ltd.

[replant]

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

This company is believed to work predominantly in Saskatchewan/Manitoba/Alberta.

[andrei vinogradov]

About a week ago, I have pressed criminal (assault) charges against Northern Reforestation, Formerly Known As the best planting company in Canada. Very formerly.
The charges were dropped, because "it was very steamy" when the assault happened and none of the 15ish witnesses saw much. Maybe, the youngsters are just afraid to lose their job... Now, I am sitting here in Saskatoon after being kicked in the nuts and subsequently fired by a foreman (who kicked me in the nuts), with a sore index finger (shovel hand, mind you - was protecting my nuts. They remained unscathed), being laid off and BROKE and frustrated. Well, if Cal (the boss) does not want to talk and hear things about the sketchiness at Northern, I am going public. I can send you my 5-page police report - be my guests.

My email is aav242@mail.usask.ca


I am very pissed off. However, the foreman who kicked and punched me is actually almost a victim - he is a sick puppy who should not be having this job. My main beef is with the company's owner whose manipulative, once charismatic, but now - plainly abusive practices are simply dangerous. Maybe, some other companies have similar things going. Maybe, this crap should stop?

[Scooter]

Maybe you should provide more details, and also let the owner know that you've posted here. Should this be a matter between you and your employer, or between you and an individual whom you don't get along with? Because of vicarious liability, employers are responsible for the actions of their employees in many cases, but it sounds like this is an incident of gross misconduct, not negligence.

[kitslam]

Ive heard that this company is really great...anyone feel like describing land, prices, people, to me

[Slash Monkey]

no good at all. terrible prices. crew of 90 percent rookies. some alright people there, but i'd never work there again. why get paid 10-12 cents for shitty ground in northern alberta when you can get paid 18-24 cents for the exact same type of land in bc?

[Nate]

Corporations cannot be the target of an assault charge, only individuals can, and in Canada people do not press charges against one another as they do in the U.S., the crown or the government is the plaintiff. Perhaps you're upset, and if you were kicked in the cash and prizes by part of the company's management team rightly so, but your story doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

When you say "charges were dropped" it probably means the police found insufficient evidence or the 'assault' in question minor enough not to warrant opening an investigation, which is much different than them investigating, believing something serious enough to warrant criminal charges occurred, but not finding enough evidence to continue on.

The report you filled out is likely the same one someone who loses their wallet fills out, and holds the same significance. I'm not defending Northern, I'm simply suggesting that if you want to make a post which makes serious allegations against a company, that you provide accurate details and outline the events thoroughly.

[Tupperfan]

That post is three years old, I don't think the unique-post poster will ever come back to back his claims.

Does sound like he was just upset though, and "pressed charges" a long time after the events...

[Nate]

Ha. Good point.

[TheHamsterizer]

no good at all. terrible prices. crew of 90 percent rookies. some alright people there, but i'd never work there again. why get paid 10-12 cents for shitty ground in northern alberta when you can get paid 18-24 cents for the exact same type of land in bc?

1. tighter spacing
2. less quality
3. better block setups(usually)
4. longer hours(can be good or bad)

...5. beautiful northern alberta landscapes?

[jono]

...

[krahn]

not too unscare people towards this company... but slash monkey isn't painting an accurate picture. 25% rookies last season i'm guessing, which is a bit surprising that they have any but it's good. 10-25 cents a tree. best fed planters around. best boss in the industry. boring ass scenery except for the kanaskis contract. i was away for when i believe mr. monkey and some of his bc friends came to help out 2 seasons ago, but there were people making really good money at the same time. maybe he lucked out with some bad land (my first contract there was the rockiest slave lake block they'd had in years) but mostly i think it's a matter of getting used to totally different specs. this land isn't for everybody but you won't find much more profitable contracts in the country these days, and it's definitely the most fair prices i've ever received in the prairies. but forget what i said just let them be.......

[Slash Monkey]

no good at all. terrible prices. crew of 90 percent rookies. some alright people there, but i'd never work there again. why get paid 10-12 cents for shitty ground in northern alberta when you can get paid 18-24 cents for the exact same type of land in bc?

1. tighter spacing
2. less quality
3. better block setups(usually)
4. longer hours(can be good or bad)

...5. beautiful northern alberta landscapes?

1. tighter spacing. it doesn't make any difference. i take the same steps whether i'm planting 6's or 10's. just adjust the distance between you and your last line. the steps are always the same so the plots can still be on target.
2. less quality. true i guess. maybe that's why alberta, ontario, and quebec planters have a harder time getting work in bc.
3. better block set-ups. i guess that's a matter of opinion and personal experiences.
4. longer hours. always. i'd rather work 8 and make more money than work 10-12 and make less. no brainer really.
5. beautiful landscapes. sure. bc, alberta, ontario, ect. it's all beautiful. besides the money, why else would we spend so much time in the bush? there's one thing that BC really takes the cake on though, especially in the interior, is NO BUGS!

[jono]

...

[Slash Monkey]

not too unscare people towards this company... but slash monkey isn't painting an accurate picture. 25% rookies last season i'm guessing, which is a bit surprising that they have any but it's good. 10-25 cents a tree. best fed planters around. best boss in the industry. boring ass scenery except for the kanaskis contract. i was away for when i believe mr. monkey and some of his bc friends came to help out 2 seasons ago, but there were people making really good money at the same time. maybe he lucked out with some bad land (my first contract there was the rockiest slave lake block they'd had in years) but mostly i think it's a matter of getting used to totally different specs. this land isn't for everybody but you won't find much more profitable contracts in the country these days, and it's definitely the most fair prices i've ever received in the prairies. but forget what i said just let them be.......

well, i don't want to be super argumentative or anything. but when i was there, there were only about 6 or so planters who had any more than 4 years experience. when i told people, even cal, about how much we got paid in bc for the same land. nobody believed me. so, if you say that you guys were getting up to 25 cents for ground out there, it must of been the schnarbiest shit around. cause what we got for 10 there, i was just getting 18 for in bc, no exaggeration whatsoever.

i really think it comes down to what you're used to and what you like. if you like wide open spaces and tons of bugs, or just like the crew you're on. that's fine. i like my scenario as well. i just tell people that i know from bc to never go out there and work. and by the sounds of it, the people at northern are more than happy to not have us bc folk come out and complain anyways.

[mcD]

there really is no comparison betwean ground in BC and alberta, to say you were paid 18c in Bc versus 10 in alberta is like apples and oranges. quality is a HUGE difference, and density DOES matter(a lot) even if you are taking the same amount of steps, they are shorter, therfore faster and easier. think of it this way, whic is more work per tree? walking 1km and planting 322 trees or walking 1km and planting 420 trees? BC and Alberta are two very different games and the only comparison that can really be made fairly is your paycheck.

[Slash Monkey]

there really is no comparison betwean ground in BC and alberta, to say you were paid 18c in Bc versus 10 in alberta is like apples and oranges. quality is a HUGE difference, and density DOES matter(a lot) even if you are taking the same amount of steps, they are shorter, therfore faster and easier. think of it this way, whic is more work per tree? walking 1km and planting 322 trees or walking 1km and planting 420 trees? BC and Alberta are two very different games and the only comparison that can really be made fairly is your paycheck.

you're right as far as the pay cheque goes. no argument there. that's why i prefer bc. but i think you're missing my point as far as density goes. i agree, that it's more efficient to walk 1 km and plant 420 trees opposed to 322. and that's what i'm saying, i could walk 1 km and plant 420 and achieve any density between 7-10. the steps are small and tight. the only adjustment is in the distance to the line your following, which has no effect on the steps you take. so you're planting tighter vertically but wider horizontally. this generally works between plots of 6-10. if you go above or beyond that, you'd have to make adjustments in your steps. but it's the idea that i'm trying to convey. that density doesn't matter 'that' much. if you planting 12 per plot, that's a whole other thing. but i've never seen 12's happen. if your in trenches like the previous gentleman pointed out, then this strategy is irrelevant.

[krahn]

well, i don't want to be super argumentative or anything. but when i was there, there were only about 6 or so planters who had any more than 4 years experience. when i told people, even cal, about how much we got paid in bc for the same land. nobody believed me. so, if you say that you guys were getting up to 25 cents for ground out there, it must of been the schnarbiest shit around. cause what we got for 10 there, i was just getting 18 for in bc, no exaggeration whatsoever.

i really think it comes down to what you're used to and what you like. if you like wide open spaces and tons of bugs, or just like the crew you're on. that's fine. i like my scenario as well. i just tell people that i know from bc to never go out there and work. and by the sounds of it, the people at northern are more than happy to not have us bc folk come out and complain anyways.

it sounds to me like you may have been stuck on a rookie crew, as the majority of this company is vets. which probably meant it wasn't as well organized possibly as some of the other crews. i do know which contract you came from in bc and it's very, very well priced, i've done the same area for like 5-6 cents a tree less with another company. so i can understand the shock at seeing some of the slave lake prices. however... you mention that you believe the wider spacing doesn't slow you down. and also that you don't like the longer hours. both are obvious reasons to me why you had a hard time (combined with being on maybe not the most organized crew of the bunch). for one, the spacing definitely does matter. the problem is that when i come from bc i don't automatically make this adjustment, and my numbers are lower till i start cashing in on the fact that my steps are shorter. the motion of planting trees is so repetitive that a certain clock speed really becomes ingrained. i know that some people lose less speed than others with wide spacing but they could all speed up by adjusting their gate a bit.

and the hours thing. the 9-10 hour days are really draining at first. i really didn't think i'd get used to it. but by mid season i didn't notice at all, 8 hours seemed like a part day. and at that point one doesn't subconsciously slow down towards the end. or pace ones self.

it's too bad you didn't get to go on a crew with some of the faster vets as there are many of them. one of your friends stuck around till the end and did alright, but still wasn't making the same money she was in bc. it takes a while. and for some just isn't worth it, i don't blame you for sticking to bc it probably suits your style best.

[krahn]

you're right as far as the pay cheque goes. no argument there. that's why i prefer bc. but i think you're missing my point as far as density goes. i agree, that it's more efficient to walk 1 km and plant 420 trees opposed to 322. and that's what i'm saying, i could walk 1 km and plant 420 and achieve any density between 7-10. the steps are small and tight. the only adjustment is in the distance to the line your following, which has no effect on the steps you take. so you're planting tighter vertically but wider horizontally. this generally works between plots of 6-10. if you go above or beyond that, you'd have to make adjustments in your steps. but it's the idea that i'm trying to convey. that density doesn't matter 'that' much. if you planting 12 per plot, that's a whole other thing. but i've never seen 12's happen. if your in trenches like the previous gentleman pointed out, then this strategy is irrelevant.

good point. that method can get tricky but i do it at times. i guess the high density speed thing makes more of a difference in trenches.

[L'Amour]

Nice bit of memory lane in this thread, but the information in the original post is comically outdated.

Northern Reforestation plants in Alberta. Period. The last Saskatchewan contract was in '07, and I don't even know about Manitoba. Planting is in Slave Lake and Kananaskis, and typically goes from mid May to early August. Standard shifts recently switched from 4-and-1 to 3-and-1, to some grumbling from vets. Days will usually last nine to eleven hours. Always gonna be a few rookies in the company; took on about ten last year, if my memory serves. Crew sizes are usually pretty small. Eleven cent base price for Slave Lake work last year; higher in Kananaskis, of course.

I have no idea who the contact information in the original post goes to. Jerry, maybe? I dunno. Regardless, you'd be better off emailing cal@northernreforestation.com. The company compound in Slave can be reached at 780-849-1980, but I've never had occassion to call there in the off-season, so I don't really know what to expect if you do, and you can send mail to Box 251 Slave Lake, AB T0G 6830. The website, http://www.northernreforestation.com, hasn't been updated in years.

Given all the negativity in this thread from Andrei and what's-his-name from BC, I figure I'll put up some more information come August. Northern's been a good home for me for a couple seasons now, as it has been for Krahn and Shellagh and I'm sure a few other people lurking around here, so I figure it deserves a better go than what people have been saying in this thread so far.

[krahn]

9-11 hours? i've hardly been there the last two seasons but in my few days there, the work day was still 9 hours or less. that must include driving time.

and the prices were still good, better than industry standard in these tough couple of years, in fact i'd say more than ever that all things considered, it's easily one of the best companies to work for. as long as you don't mind alberta. but even that is partially spent in the kananaskis which is nice.

[fishgirl]

I thought I'd chime in and say that Northern is a great place to work. I'm a BC planter (now retired) that spent 2 summers at Northern and loved it, averaged over $400/day. I'm sorry to hear that some of the BCers I brought there were unhappy, don't go back - doesn't seem fair to give them a bad name. In reality planting in BC in July/Aug is difficult to come by and usually involves 10 cent PG crap much worse than 10 Alberta in my experience. If your a BC planter looking for summer work I highly recommend giving Cal a call. However, big warning they do not adhere to in any way to a legal payment schedule, don't expect your final pay check until October.

[L'Amour]

9-11 hours? i've hardly been there the last two seasons but in my few days there, the work day was still 9 hours or less. that must include driving time.

The bit you were there for last year was... a bit of an outlier, as far as I'm concerned. That second contract in Kananaskis had the shortest work days (and longest travel times) of the entire season.

[Mike]

I'd really like some more recent, more thorough information about this company from someone who has worked there in the last 2-3 years. If you're not comfortable with public release, you can send me a private message (or request my e-mail address via private message), and I swear I will keep information silent, or if you happen to be in Victoria/Vancouver, we can meet up and I'll buy you a beer.

[Scooter]

Mike, try emailing Krahn. He didn't do a full season with them the last year or two he was with them, but I think he still planted short stints with them until 2010.

[L'Amour]

Krahn didn't even join us for Costume Night last year, the jerkface.

Anyway. One camp. About 40, 45 planters, give-or-take, mostly from BC or Saskatchewan. 10 or 11 rookies. Planting starts mid-May in Slave Lake (in theory - very late start last season, though the whole "everything's on fire" bit was a rather good excuse). First camp is usually short, then down to Kananaskis (obstacle planting, a bit higher priced) for 3-4 weeks. Return to Slave, spend as little time in hotels as humanly possible. A few more camps in the area, with everything wound up by early August. Most everything's for APL and Spray Lakes Sawmill.

Slave Lake base price has been 11 cents for the last few years. There was some higher priced fill at the very end of the last season on account of the fire, and we're hopexpecting a good deal more of that this year. Very little prep land in Slave; teeth if you're a lucky bastard in Kananaskis. Lots of heli work, and lots of hour-long commutes by truck, bus, and hagglund. Camp cost went up last year to $33. Awesome food last year and in '08, not so great in 2009 and 2010. Lot of dogs. Too many, some times. If you have one, please, for the love of Christ, don't feed it in the mess tent. Mostly nine or ten hour days.

Four or five foremen plus the Shellagh Baugh Special Mission Action Team, or whatever Cal feels like calling it. Planters' dishes done by rotating alphabetized crews. The foremen are cool with me planting in my underwear. Lots of poker (usually $10 buy in), crib, Scrabble, kaiser, and Settlers of Catan. No dancing on the tables. Decent gender split. I'd say 60-40 in the last couple of years, though I haven't done the math since The Lean Year (AKA, 2009). Four showers, most of which are reliable. A thirty-kilometer-long mud-monster that likes to follow us around Slave Lake and lay down on the road to camp all fucking season.

Anything else? PK?

[fr88]

I've planted for Cal a few years, last in '08. What can I say? He's the best guy to work for. I know I'll be back this summer for sure, even if I don't need the money, cause there's very few things better than working at Northern, even if I have to haul my ass out if BC and put up with crazy Ab bugs.

[krahn]

Not sure if anything needs to be said, but '13 was an exceptional year for Northern. The money was great, the food fantastic, the people mostly consist of vets who've been around for a while and enjoy each others' company although there were some new faces as well. The fucking bugs were worse last summer than I've ever experienced before and yet I'm going back, despite them. Cal has invested wisely over the years and has put together an impressive camp with smart people, who work hard and are rewarded for it.

[Mike]

Updated Contact Info:

http://www.northernreforestation.com/

Northern Reforesatation Inc
Box 251
Slave Lake, Alberta
T0G 2A0

Phone: 780-849-1980

E-mail:
Bliss@northernreforestation.com
Cal@northernreforestation.com
Brad@northernreforestation.com
Jerry@northernreforestation.com