Bivouac West?

[Hugo Pants]

Wondering if they are still around, their website talks about hiring for the 2008 season (Jan 20th... I think that didn't happen) and the number for Roland Emery is out of service. Thanks!

[backcountrysister]

Talked to Roland a month ago. They R around. I think they had a show that started in late august.

[roland]

Thanks for the heads up on our website.
...Too many trees...too many planters...not enough web time...
New info to come soon.

Our contact info is:
Bivouac West
250-974-8149
info@bivouacwest.com

[mwainwright]

i see from the BCTS site that roland picked up a decent chunk of work out of port macneil next year. i gotta say i like seeing it go to him alot more than some of the other names that were on that list.

[Rainman]

I heard a strange rumor that Roland fired his entire crew after the end of year party. Something sounds odd about this rumor. Anybody have details?

[jdtesluk]

That sounds like a highly suspect rumour. How can a company fire people after the end of the year party? I mean, the end of the year is the end of the year, there's no more work and people get laid off, that's the way it works. If you fire someone, it implies you are kicking them out of a job that still exists after they are gone, which cannot be the case at the end of the year.

[mwainwright]

maybe they had a layoff party

[roland]

Strange rumour indeed! Someone obviously relishes gossip. It is a highly exaggerated rumour. Some changes were made resulting from foolish and destructive actions by few highly intoxicated individuals post season. It is a private matter and not fodder for a public debate. I hope this satisfy your curiosity.

[right_arm]

No trees this fall, very sad.
A good example of the struggle respectable contractors must face when trying to balance responsible bidding that will pay their workers fairly and the need to acquire work that will keep their planters employed.

Normally the only downside of Bivouac is the owners archaic use of paper cheques for payment.

[Scooter]

I heard that. Kudos to Roland for being unwilling to dive into the bottom of the cesspool.
There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of fall work overall this year.

[Cyper]

Bivouac didn't bother to bid on the BCTS work available on the coast this fall. The "cesspool" consisted of 2-3 bidders. Roland must have personal reasons for not wanting to work this fall. The new Timberline swept up most of the private work on the north island.

[Scooter]

The new Timberline swept up most of the private work on the north island.

That's odd. They don't have very many people working right now.

[Cyper]

The new Timberline swept up most of the private work on the north island.

That's odd. They don't have very many people working right now.

It's not odd at all if you consider that fire hazard ratings are still extreme in most places on the coast. Most if not all BCTS and licensees have postponed their planting programs until at least mid September. Normally planting starts in earnest after Labour Day, not so this fall. It is super dry in the woods down here right now. the campfire ban is still in effect everywhere except for Haida Gwaii and the "Fog Zone" on Vancouver Island.

[Scooter]

Let me rephrase. They don't have very many people scheduled for the fall plant, period. Unless they have other work that I'm not aware of yet, they only have WFP Port Hardy on the north island (but staying in Alice). It's the same job that they've had for the past 29 years. I've worked there for the last seven fall seasons. Some I'm not sure if saying "swept up most of the work" is a good characterization, when to the best of my knowledge, it's just the same job that they do every year.

Of course, maybe they have something that I'm not aware of.

[Cyper]

Timberline also has work for Island Timberlands - the north island job and also for TimberWest Oyster River. I'd guess somewhere between 500 k and a million all told.

[Scooter]

Hm.