Torrent Silviculture

[mcD]

Who are these guys? What's the word from planters?

[Scooter]

I think they do a fair amount of work around Quesnel.

[Jimbo the Mook]

Quesnel, Williams Lake, Horsefly, is where they normally operate. I haven't worked for them myself, but I do know people who have. From what I hear, Davin (the owner) is a top notch guy... who pays well.

[ohsnap]

after spending two months last winter trying to figure out who was the best bet for me this last season, i went with torrent. it didn't work out so well. i quit and went back to dynamic after about a week (in which we worked a day and a half -snow days and a wind day)

davin was nice, foremen were nice, people were nice; but when you say one thing and deliver another, it doesn't matter how nice you are.

if they'd stuck to what they know, which is motel shows with planters cooking for themselves, i think it would have been fine.

i'll admit - if i'd stuck around and pushed through the three weeks of last minute camping, i'm sure it would have got better. but i couldn't last - the food was abysmal, we weren't working, i got a serious lung infection from the -10 snow day weather with nowhere to warm up and knew that dynamic starts their seasons in cabins - which had been what we'd been sold.

really don't have the engergy or brain power to explain the rest, but i'll get there soon enough.

[Pebbles]

What is a wind day? This one time we left an hour early because the wind rose and started blowing over poplars that had been left on the block. Other than that I've never heard of a wind day.

[ohsnap]

you just explained exactly what i meant as a wind day. - we left at around noon because trees were being blown down throughout the block.

[sghyselincks]

That's a bummer Snap, I'm not a fan of the old bait n' switch trick either.

[jfbro]

Just terrible. Still left with unpaid wages and was constantly delivered misinformation.

To be avoided at all costs (or it'll cost you!)

[steve]

If there was a mistake on your paycheck why don't you bring it to someone's attention instead of throwing an internet tantrum.

Over 90% of our planters from last year came back this spring, so we must be doing something right...

[QuakingAspen]

The foremen and planters are good people, but I have some pretty seriously mixed feelings about the way the owner handled some things.

The prices are low. Everyone was telling me how much better the prices were at that point in the season than earlier (as in, the prices were bad when I got there but much worse for the other part of the season). I could expect to make about $100 less per day than the other company I plant for (not the highest, but that company was always fair).

The good: Their books are organized, as are the days. They were fairly consistent days (just in terms of length). I never waited on trees or land and I never was asked to do any unpaid labour. If you're a rookie, not a bad start. If you're looking for a longer season, they're one of very few companies in BC that have a summer plant.

[ohsnap]

Steve I wouldn't be so quick to throw that 90% out there, at least four people came to Dynamic this year, plus I know a few others returned to their previous companies instead of going back to Torrent. For a small company, I'm fairly certain that spells less than 90% return rate.

Also, what jfbro said is a far cry from throwing an internet tantrum. They're actually doing exactly what you said to do, only they're bringing it to the attention of a forum; for all you know Davin could have received their complaint already and has just ignored it. Sketchy behaviour on Davin's part wouldn't surprise me, as he tried his best to try and screw me out of employment insurance last year. I got a very interesting phone call from an agent last fall due to his statement on my quitting and going back to Dynamic.

I get that you like Davin and are trying to stand up for him and the company you enjoy working for, but you're not exactly ingratiating yourself or Torrent here...

[steve]

But you worked for two days, stayed home sick the next and when everyone else got back from the block you had packed up and gone to work for Dynamic. I'm not sure why you'd expect Davin to lie and say that you were laid off.

I'm only aware of 3 people that did not return, 4 if you count yourself.

I just feel like I should say something when someone is saying something I believe to be untrue but I don't really want to be dragged into some battle of he said, she said. I'm done here. Say what you like I guess.

[ohsnap]

I'm sorry Steve, but once again, you're wrong.
I don't really care if you read my response or not, but since you've put it out there as if I'm an idiot, I'm going to clarify.

NO ONE worked the day I packed up.

It snowed that day.
It was a day off for everyone...as it had been the previous few days.
We worked day one, day two was a half day due to wind.
From then on, til I left, it was all snow days.
I worked a day and half at Torrent, just like everyone else did in that first 'shift'. I went to the doctor's on one of the snow days to find out I had bronchitis.

I left the night of the 30th and started work at Dynamic the morning of the 1st, with bronchitis.

I believe your crew was elsewhere, and perhaps worked some of those days, but we were pretty much six days into the cold and everyone was drinking, huddled by the fire, trying to stay positive and warm in the -10 weather with nowhere else to go... that mess tent and those heaters that Davin was apparently 'looking into' before the season started didn't show up when we needed them most, and we were not allowed to hang out in the 'resort' as it was basically the owner's living room. Davin, the tree runner, and the foremen had rooms in the resort, the planters tented on a freshly graveled parking lot beside the water.
To be fair, the night I left, Amanda offered space in her room for people to sleep in. We were several days in to below freezing weather and people were getting sick.

You dragged yourself into this battle, but the least you could have done was get your facts straight.
Call it what you want, but you're wrong.
I've got date stamped pictures, messages and emails to prove my timeline. I'll take your blatant ignorance as a mistake because you were not there and heard secondhand information.

ALSO. I did not expect to get a layoff, nor did I need one.
I QUIT.
For good reason.
I didn't need/want or expect Davin to give me a layoff.
I went back to a company that treat their workers with respect by giving them proper and truthful info. I worked the season through with Dynamic, giving me a layoff from the last company I worked for. -Which is what you need to qualify for EI-

Seriously dude, what are you trying at here? I'd heard you're hard to get along with, but that's just a bit over the top.

I love how by sticking up for someone giving an opinion, I've apparently subjected myself to slander. Nice one. You really aren't making things look good for the company you're trying to defend.

I actually do have much more to say, I just really have no interest in reading more lies on the matter.

[fluffer]

Total Hours Portal to Portal: 724.8
Total Planting Hours: 461.6
Average Hours Portal to Portal: 12.50
Average Planting Hours/Day: 7.96
Total Days Planting (including partials): 58
Average $/Hour Planting: 38.15
Average $/Hour Total: 24.29
Average $/Hour With Vaca (2.8%): 39.2


Distribution of Average $/Hour Planting:

42-44.5 iiiiiiiiiiii (12)

40-41.99 iiiiiii (7)

38-39.99 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii (16)

36-37.99 iiiiiii (7)

34-35.99 iiiiii (6)

30-33.99 iiiiii (6)

25-29.99 iiii (4)


Distribution of Average $/Hr Total:

30-33.5 iiii (4)

27-29.99 iiiiiiiiiiiiiii (13)

24-26.99 iiiiiiiiiiiii (16)

22-23.99 iiiiiiiiii (10)

20-21.99 iiiiii (3)

17-19.99 iiiiiiii (7)

15-16.99 iiii (5)



30% of pay was covered by the Remote Work Site allowance (tax free monies)
4% vacation pay given on all the taxable income (2.8% effective vacation)
25$ camp cost. Not charged on day off.
15$ motel cost. Charged on day off but gave us 5 days free days during the 7 day break between Spring/Summer

79 days total length - Started May 6 Ended Jul 23. Includes 7 day break between Spring and Summer.
Planted 58 of the 79 days I spent with the company.
23 days spent in a camp (it had lodges for about half of people, half camped)




More subjective notes:

- Of 5 crews my crew was probably average in terms of favourability of blocks planted.
- I *think*, based on my rough mental calcs, I probably averaged about 10-13% higher output than my crew average. I didn't dig too much into earnings on other crews or their outputs so I'd just say I was around company average at least based on my exposure to planters from other crews, possibly slightly higher.
- My average planting day length was probably 15-20 minutes longer (from arriving at cache to leaving) than others on my crew.

[Scooter]

So does it make sense then that in your season your gross, before top-up of vacation and deductions for camp costs, was around $17,600? That seems to make sense to me.

Nice breakdown of stats. Really well organized, thanks for sharing. I wish more people would do this.

[Mike]

That spread sheet has got to be even more complex than mine.

[Skydivemic]

Anyone have anything to say about them ?

[Scooter]

If you use that search box up in the upper right part of the screen, you can find stuff:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=66066

[fluffer]

They are a Quesnel-centric company that performs silviculture related activities? Some context for what and why you want information might help.

[The_Bearslayer]

They're the best large company who works in Quesnel (IE better than Coast Range, Summit, Apex and Blue Collar, who all run rookie-heavy crews in the area and pay shit prices) and mediocre by any other standard.

[Scooter]

I've never had a good time in Quesnel. Overly stringent quality standards every time I've worked there.

[fluffer]

A few of my #s from this season:

- Avg. tree price incl. vacation of 16.91c
- Avg. day planting time of 8.97 hours
- Total days went out to plant 80 days
- Full day planting time avg. 9.39 hours
- Total full day equivalents 76.42 days
- Average $/hour planting 9.5% higher than last year

A few notes:

- Torrent had a camp setup this year which substantially decreased drive times to blocks, decreased overall day lengths, and increased planting time.
- My season dates ran from 14 Apr - 22 Jun and from 5 Jul - 8 Aug. My crew started earliest, however the other crews finished their Spring season later. There were still a few days of planting after 8 Aug.
- I planted very casually for a few hours on a few rest days in order to keep my averages where I wanted. Those hours/days are not reflected in my #s but if you want to include them they equal to about 12 hours of planting.
- There were 2 non-planting paid work days (this is individual specific) during the season in addition to the planting numbers posted above.
- There were some 5 species mixes with very specific planting specs on one contract.
- Another crew did a good chunk of hectare rate fill planting which resulted in some bonanza days and some flop days, if you are into that sort of thing.
- My guess is that my average daily earnings fell in the upper 3rd quartile or possibly (because of daily consistency, not speed) at the very bottom of the 4th quartile of the planters in the company.


One thing I want to point out is that I do not think I was ever in a position where I felt pressured by prices or by management to work unsafely. Also the management were very responsible. One example that stood out was during a windstorm when Torrent's planters called the day while the other company in camp planted the day, with multiple accounts of falling trees nearby. Sure it was annoying to spend most of a planting day in camp but it was the right call and I am glad circumstances didn't pressure us to stay out and risk our safety.

[fields]

They are a Quesnel-centric company that performs silviculture related activities? Some context for what and why you want information might help.

Hi fluffer, can you tell me if Torrent pays every two weeks or do they withhold until the end of the season?

[fluffer]

Two weeks.

[fields]

Two weeks.

Great. Are you planting with them again this year?

[fluffer]

I am not, and I did not last year. The owner"s last Facebook post mentioned he's looking forward to a long season. So hope it is nice and long for all the planters. Last year's season apparently was not so great but the Torrent seasons seem to run in cycles (one really good, then one less good, then a good one) depending on what focus the owner has in a specific year. Maybe this year will be a heavier effort on planting to compensate for last year?? Cross your fingers. If it is good it will probably be really solid.