Chapter 4 – Getting a Job
Last Updated: May 2nd, 2010
This information was taken from www.replant.ca - Please feel free to photocopy,
share with other planters, and disseminate this information in any manner that
you want. If you post this on other
websites, please include a link back to the above site. Thanks!
Introduction
I get an
incredible number of emails from people all over the world, asking me for
information about the best way to get a planting job in Canada. If you're looking for a job, read this page
and act upon it accordingly. Don't bother to email me about jobs, please - I
love feedback and don't mind questions, but it's pretty senseless for me to
answer stuff that I've already posted on this site, and I don't hire a crew
myself anymore. In fact, if you have questions that weren't answered here,
check out the "Questions and Answers" forum on the Replant Message
Boards, since I have covered some additional questions there.
What Makes a
Person a Good Candidate?
First of all, ask yourself why you want to plant
trees. Be honest with yourself and the interviewer: if you end up getting a job
and hate it, and then quit, the person that you're hurting the most is
yourself. You're also hurting the foreman who took the chance on hiring you,
and sometimes you're also hurting other members of your crew in more indirect
ways. Therefore, if you're going to get a job planting, you should be prepared
to stick it out for the entire season, no matter how painful the job seems at
times (and it will). Here are some characteristics that might indicate you are
a suitable candidate:
- Physical fitness is important. Excellence
in aerobic ability and excellence in brute muscular strength are not
entirely necessary. Endurance is the key. Tree planting sucks energy out
of you. You have to be able to develop the ability to keep working
steadily. You cannot easily train for planting (unfortunately) unless you
spend three weeks before the season starts, hiking for two hours per day
with a twenty pound knapsack on.
- The only truly successful planters are
those who have a desperate need for cash. You should not go planting for
the experience, to see the world, or to meet people, and you should
especially NOT go planting to save the environment, or to be with a
boyfriend/girlfriend. Most experienced foremen will NOT hire avid
environmentalists or boyfriend/girlfriend combinations. Some won't hire
smokers or people who want to bring their pets.
- The ability to learn is another key
asset. Be open-minded and analytical. Tree planting, contrary to what some
people believe, is NOT a mindless job. In fact, it is one of the most mentally
challenging jobs there is, which is why veteran planters do better than
rookies. It takes time to learn. Even if you read, memorize and think
about every bit of information you can find on this and other websites,
there will still be things that you have to learn as a rookie, that
'cannot' be taught - ie. knowing where to place your shovel to ‘magically’
find dirt. Not only do you have to
watch yourself, but you have to watch others and learn, and ask your foreman
for advice. If you have a good foreman, he/she will also be a good
planter, and the truly great foremen know that all time invested in the
training of planters is rewarded in the long run, no matter how
frustrating it may seem in the short term.
- Almost anybody can eventually become a
good planter, with concentration and determination. Some take longer than
others, but all it takes is drive, focus, and the ability to learn from
yourself and others. You will not be successful unless you constantly and
actively try to improve your planting skills. Tree planting is for people who are
self-motivated and take initiative, not for quitters.
Now that I've listed a few success factors, here are
a few characteristics that might identify people who should not go planting:
- Anybody with a history of back, arm,
wrist, knee, or ankle problems definitely should not go planting. Planting
puts enormous physical stress on the body and WILL aggravate old injuries,
often making them even harder to deal with. Remember that knee surgery you had
eleven years ago, which hasn’t bothered you in a decade? Your knee will come back to haunt you
with a vengeance. Veteran planters
who spend years working in fast ground will slowly wear out their bodies,
destroying tendons, etc.
- Anybody under emotional stress should
probably not go planting. If you have “relationship hassles,” depression,
some kind of an existential crisis, or if you're in mourning, the bush is
the worst possible place to deal with it.
- Anyone recovering from a long-term illness
should probably not go planting. The physical stress of planting will
often break down your immune system and bring back the illness. Toward the
end of a two-month stint of planting, even the healthiest folk can and do
get sick easily.
- People with significant weight excess
problems should probably not go planting. If you're a bit stocky, then
you'll probably burn off fifteen to thirty pounds in the first several
weeks of the season. But anything more than that, and I would suggest you
look for work elsewhere. I'm not kidding. Look at the pictures of people
on this site: there are very few obese people in the industry, because
obese people generally do not make good tree planters. I’m not trying to discriminate against
fat people, but the fact is that if you're overweight, the statistics
prove that you will be far more likely to hate your job and quit. And that only hurts yourself. There are exceptions, of course, but the
fact that heavyset people don’t usually do well as planters is a pretty
accurate generalization, in my opinion.
How To Apply For a
Job
First of all, are you sure that you are ready to
apply for a job? Do you understand what
you are getting yourself into? How much
do you know about tree planting in Western Canada? I would suggest that before you go any
further, take the time to read through this page thoroughly, and make sure that
tree planting is something that you want to commit yourself to: http://www.replant.ca/camplife.html
Ok, if you’ve read through the “Camp Life” page and
understand part of what’s involved in tree planting, then continue here. First, know that timing matters: some months are definitely better than
others. Traditionally, most hiring seems to take place between January and
March for the upcoming summer season. In
Canada, there is very little point looking for work between August and
December. Finding a position in late March or April can sometimes be more
difficult, so start your job search early! (this applies to any reputable
company, although you might be able to get a job with one of the "rookie
mills" at almost any time throughout the spring). However, you should be
aware that crew schedules and logistics can change on a weekly basis as the
upcoming season is mapped out. Sometimes
a foreman who previously had no openings may suddenly find the need for an
extra planter or two at the last minute, so persistence can pay off. Sometimes
luck is a crucial factor! Once the
planting season is well under way (late May), it makes a bit less sense to
start looking for a job. By the time you
get a job, get your equipment, find your way to camp, and learn to plant, the
season will be almost over. However, if
you are seriously planning to plant for a couple of years, it is probably still
worth your while to start the learning process, even if it is part-way through
a conventional planting season. The big
question is whether or not you can find a foreman who would be willing to train
a new employee part-way through the season.
I have seen almost every type of job application
imaginable over the years. I have seen an application where, when asked about
participation in extra-curricular activities, the applicant said, "No, but
I would be interested in participating if any were available." I have seen
a resume where the applicant listed "breathing" among hobbies and
interests. Here is one of my all-time favorite letters of interest, verbatim:
"I want to plant trees and so does my best pal.
I know im only supposed to want the money but i gotta be honest man i hate this
whole fuckin idea of conformity and mid eastern society! I just wanna live like
an animal, puff a few and jam at night with my 100$ plastic neck guitar. im
desperate man, me and my friend are going nuts waisting our lives trying to be
something were not. we eat mountains and bugs for breakfast so we're ready for
the worst. My time is like a peice of twine being mangled by the sopporific
mind."
I have to admit that a letter like that is an excellent way to catch the
attention of the recruiter at any company. However, if you want to increase
your chances of actually getting a job, I think you might be better off by
taking a more professional approach. I would suggest that if you are sending
resumes and cover letters out to a number of employers, you should include the
following information:
- A brief description (300-500 words) about
your personal history. You can write about where you were born, places
you've lived, schools you've gone to, hobbies, sports, and previous jobs
that you've held.
- Why do you want to plant trees?
- Why are you specifically interested in
working for the company you are applying to, as opposed to any other
companies in the industry? Have you met any other employees who still work
for that particular company?
- For experienced planters: What experience
do you have? Provide as much detail as possible. Potential employers will
like to know about previous companies you've worked for, who your
foremen/supervisors were at these companies, and which contracts you have
worked on (which places, and for which lumber companies or government
agencies, if you can remember). What types of ground have you worked? (ie.
plant-as-is/raw/unprepped, trenching, ripper plow, donaren or
excavator/hoe mounding, drags, burns, etc.). What price ranges did you get
for these types of prep? What was your average/high/low daily production?
- For experienced planters: How would you
classify yourself as a planter? Do you prefer to aim for high or moderate
quality? Are you a "highballer" or a "slow and steady"
planter? Is high priced, slow ground your preference, or do you like
low-priced/fast ground contracts? What are your favorite working
conditions, in terms of site prep, weather conditions, slope, terrain,
geography, and teamwork vs. solitary work?
There is no such thing as a “wrong” answer to these questions – any
decent company will try to place you on a contract that suits your
preferences, if possible.
- For inexperienced planters: What do you
know about planting? Where did you
first hear about it? Do you have
friends that have planted, and what were their experiences? Since you don’t have previous
experience, your application will be somewhat shorter than a vet’s would
be, because you can’t answer all of the previous questions. Take this opportunity to let your
potential employer know everything that could possibly be of
relevance. This is your first
chance to start proving that you know what you’re getting yourself into,
and you’re not going to become a statistic by quitting your job part-way
through the summer.
- Do you have any medical conditions that
an employer should be aware of? Have you ever experienced back, knee, or
wrist problems, or any forms of tendonitis?
- Do you have any special certificates or
abilities that an employer should be aware of, such as advanced first aid
training, firearm's acquisition/possession certificates, class four
driver's license (multi-passenger commercial transport), snag faller's
certificate, WHMIS, TDG, S-100 fire suppression, etc.?
The above information should be quite sufficient to
provide a prospective employer with a thorough background on yourself. Be
honest, and don't be scared to give a very detailed answer, instead of just
providing a quick overview of your life. If you're going to write a cover
letter, consider using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Capital
letters in the appropriate locations would be nice too. If your grammar and
spelling aren't perfect, get someone else with a literary background to check
your application over before you submit it to anyone. This may be the most
critical point in your job search, when the piece of paper you use to apply for
a job reaches the person who either puts it in the "no" pile or the
"maybe" pile. You will find that the above information should be
comprehensive enough to catch someone's attention when applying to virtually
any planting companies in Canada, so feel free to apply to a number of
different organizations.
Here is a
list of known contractors in Western Canada and Ontario, with normal and
internet contact information, where possible.
Please note that I do not have the time to verify and update all this
information on an annual basis. Therefore, the contact information for
companies listed here is as correct as I can manage, but some of it may be out
of date by the time you read this page. I don't make any guarantees as to the
reputation of any of the companies listed here ... some of them are basically
"fly-by-night" setups, while many others have very legitimate ongoing
operations. If you are a company
representative for any of the companies below, please check back here each
winter to determine whether or not your contact information is still correct –
some of my updates come from company owners, and some come from other planting
websites, and I want to maintain the most up-to-date information possible. I have also recently included a list of Quebe
companies at the very bottom of this page, courtesy of Julie Bernatchez. Thanks Julie!
IMPORTANT!!! If
you have updated contact info on any of these companies, please let me know by
sending an e-mail to djbolivia@gmail.com. We have about 57 companies listed here at the
present time (plus several for the Quebec region). A lot of planters end up trying to contact
most of these companies when looking for jobs.
If you find that one isn’t in operation any more, I may not know yet,
especially for the smaller companies. If
you email me, I can take it off the list right away. Note:
in January/February of 2010, I attempted to contact a large number of
companies on the list. That project
resulted in deleting 41 companies that were no longer planting, so the list
below should be more accurate than prior to 2010, albeit a lot smaller. That should be indicative of the state of the
industry these days – this list had about 120 companies in 2007.
AKEHURST
& GILTRAP REFORESTATION (BC work)
Phone: (604) 925-8646, Fax: (604) 925-8647
Phone: (705) 674-5231, Fax:
(705) 675-7461
APEX REFORESTATION (Alberta/BC
work)
Box 34156, Station D, Vancouver, BC, V6J 4J1
Phone: (604) 736-0063, Fax: (604) 739-0205
ARLAND REFORESTATION
SERVICES LTD. (BC work)
P.O. Box 72, Sorrento, BC, V0E 2W0
Phone: (250) 675-2626, Fax: (250) 675-3847
ARTISAN REFORESTATION LTD. (BC work)
Box 2330, Fort St. James,
BC, V0J 1P0
Phone: (250) 996-7722
BACKWOODS
CONTRACTING (BC work)
Phone: (250) 847-4076
BIG
SKY SILVICULTURE LTD. (BC work)
784-916 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1K7
Phone: (604) 816-0241
e-mail: treeplant@gmail.com
Phone: (250) 974-8149, Fax:
(250) 974-2101
BLUE COLLAR SILVICULTURE LTD. (BC
work)
Phone: unknown
BRINKMAN AND
ASSOCIATES (Alberta/BC/Ontario
work)
Phone: (604) 521-7771, Fax: (604)520-1968
CALIBURN CONTRACTING LTD.
Phone: (250) 428-5056, Fax:
(250) 428-5077
e-mail: jswhite@telus.net
CELTIC REFORESTATION (BC work)
1991 1st Ave.,
Phone: (250) 562-2535
COAST
RANGE CONTRACTING LTD. (BC work)
Phone: (604) 986-2625, Fax: (604) 986-2636
COTTONWOOD REFORESTATION (BC
work)
Phone: (250) 991-9721
CYBER FOREST (BC work)
Phone: (250) 344-6733
e-mail: cyberforestltd@yahoo.ca
D.J. SILVICULTURE ENTERPRISES LTD.
Site 119, C1, RR#1,
Phone: (807) 548-8785, Fax:
(807) 548-8789
e-mail: Dorsey@voyageur.ca
Box 4129, Williams
Phone: (250) 398-9477, Fax: (250)
398-9478
ELF SILVICULTURE LTD.
Phone: unknown
EVERGREEN FOREST SERVICES
LTD. (BC work)
Phone: (250) 226-7611, Fax: (250) 226-7374
e-mail: egn@netidea.com
FOLKLORE
CONTRACTING (Alberta/BC work)
1077 Eastern Street, Prince George, BC, V2N 5R8
Phone: (250) 563-5765, Fax: (250) 563-2445
e-mail: info@folklorecontracting.ca
GREENPEAKS HOLDINGS LTD. (BC
work)
Box 140, Balfour, BC, V0H 1J0
Phone: (250) 229-5474, Fax: (250) 229-5722
HAWKEYE REFORESTATION LTD.
Phone: (250) 766-4791
HAVEMAN
BROTHERS FORESTRY SERVICES (Ontario/Alberta work)
Phone: (807) 475-4662, Fax: (807) 473-4042
e-mail: hbfs@havemanbrothers.on.ca
HILLCREST REFORESTATION (BC
work)
#8 Rosamond St., Nanaimo, BC, V9R 1R3
Phone: (250) 753-0487
e-mail: cswatez@island.net
RR#2, S7, C14,
Phone: (604) 709-0805
LEADER SILVICULTURE LTD. (BC work)
#22 – 8003 Timber Lane,
Whistler, BC, V0N 1B8
Phone: (604) 932-3912, Cell:
(604) 938-3599
e-mail: francois@direct.ca
LITTLE SMOKEY FORESTRY SERVICES (Alberta work)
#3, 9401 – 141 Ave.,
Phone: (780) 814-0017
e-mail: brett@littlesmokey.ca
LOKI – see Brinkman and
Associates
Phone: (807) 937-5806, Fax:
(807) 937-2384
9615
Syms Road, Prince George, BC, V2K 5J2
Phone: (250) 970-0270, Fax:
(250) 964-2275
e-mail: admin@nataram.com
NATURE’S TREASURES
Phone: (250) 838-7636, Fax:
(250) 838-7643
e-mail: brian_snelling@telus.net
NECHAKO REFORESTATION SERVICES LTD.
(BC work)
Phone: (250) 561-2688
NEXT GENERATION REFORESTATION
(Alberta work, this company is commonly referred to as “NGR”)
Box 2465, Beaverlodge, AB, T0H 0C0
Phone: (780) 532-2220, Fax: (780) 354-2008
e-mail: nextgen@telusplanet.net
NORTHERN REFORESTATION (Saskatchewan/Manitoba/Alberta
work)
Box 251, Slave Lake, AB,
T0G 2A0
Phone: (780) 849-1980, Fax: (866) 213-6830
e-mail: cal@northernreforestation.com
OSPREY SILVICULTURE
OPERATIONS (BC work)
P.O. Box 27051, Colwood Corners, Victoria, BC, V9B 5S4
Phone: (250) 474-7993
OUTLAND
REFORESTATION INC. (mostly
Phone: (416) 483-5152, Fax: (416) 483-8476
PANORAMA SILVICULTURE INC.
Phone: (250) 229-4709, Fax:
(250) 229-4759
PRT FRONTIER (Ontario
work)
Box 757,
Phone: (800) 270-9973, Fax:
(807) 937-8361
QUASTUCO
SILVICULTURE LTD. (BC work)
Scott Overland, Project Supervisor
1363
Phone: (250) 770-3218, Fax: (250) 770-3208
RANGER SILVICULTURE (BC
work)
Russ Malcolm
1156 May Street, Victoria,
BC, V8V 2S5
e-mail: treeranger@gmail.com
RAVEN VENTURES (BC work)
Phone: (250) 769-5086
ROOTS REFORESTATION INC. (Saskatchewan/Manitoba
work)
Phone: (306) 469-2307, Fax: (306) 469-2007
e-mail: rootsinc@sasktel.net
SALTSPRING – see Brinkman
& Associates
SENECA ENTERPRISES (BC work)
Box 1902, Prince George, BC, V2L 5E3
Phone: (250) 561-0890/565-9128, Fax: (250) 564-3275
SHAKTI REFORESTATION LTD. (BC/Alberta work)
RR #1,
Phone: (403) 352-8773
e-mail: info@shaktireforestation.com
SHAS MOUNTAIN SILVICULTURE
LTD. (BC work)
Phone/Fax: (250) 996-0073
e-mail: seanlangmuir@cs.com
SMOKY LAKE TREE PLANTERS (Saskatchewan/Manitoba
work)
Box 490, Big River, SK, S0J 0E0
Phone: (250) 564-0383, Fax:
(250) 562-4885
e-mail: srgi@srgi.ca
SUMMIT REFORESTATION & FOREST
MANAGEMENT LTD. (BC work)
Phone: (250) 847-5125, Fax: (250) 847-6009
THE PLANTING COMPANY
1121 Mable Lake Rd.,
Enderby, BC,
Phone: (250) 838-2338
TIMBERLINE REFORESTATION
(2004) LTD.
Phone: (250) 505-4362
e-mail: timref@telus.net
TREELINE
REFORESTATION INC. (
72
Phone: (705) 544-1142
WATERSIDE VENTURES LTD. (BC
work)
R.R.#1,
Phone: (250) 692-7402
WESTERN PACIFIC SILVICULTURE
CO. LTD. (Alberta/BC work)
Phone: (250) 991-0888, Fax (250) 991-0109
WILDHORSE SILVICULTURE (BC
work)
Box 17, Ymir, BC, V0G 2K0
Phone: (250) 357-2161
P.O. Box 3292, Smithers, BC,
V0J 2N0
Phone: (250) 847-1405, Fax:
(250) 847-1414
ZANZIBAR
HOLDINGS LTD. (BC work)
Phone: (604) 216-7766, Fax: (604) 980-1394
ZIZANIA REFORESTATION
Phone: (204) 793-1463, Fax: (204) 452-0792
Quebec Companies
Coopérative forestière de la Petite Nation
761, chemin des Pionniers
La Minerve (Québec) J0T 1S0
Téléphone : (819) 274-2442
Téléphone sans frais : (877) 274-2442
Isabelle Charest, responsable du reboisement
Courriel : cfpn@qc.aira.com
Coopérative agroforestière Kinojévis-Abijévis
97, 8e rue
Rouyn-Noranda (Québec) J9X 2A5
Téléphone : (819) 762-8699
Jean Goyard, responsable du reboisement
Courriel: coopka@lino.com
Site web: www.coopka.org
Coopérative forestière New-Richmond – St-Alphonse
121, route de Saint-Alphonse
Saint-Alphonse (Québec) G0C 2V0
Téléphone : (418) 388-5481
Benoît Pitre, responsable du reboisement
Courriel: cfar.benoit@globetrotter.net
COOPÉRATIVE FORESTIÈRE DE PETIT PARIS
576, rue Gaudreault
St-Ludger-de-Milot (Québec)
G0W 2B0
Téléphone : (418) 373-2575
Télécopieur : (418) 373-2445
http://www.cfpp.com/
Coopérative forestière Girardville
2077, rang Saint-Joseph Nord
Girardville (Québec) G0W 1R0
Téléphone : (418) 258-3451
Stéphanie Nadeau, responsable des ressources humaines
Courriel : snadeau@epicea.org
Site web : www.epicea.org
Coopérative forestière New-Richmond – St-Alphonse
121, route de Saint-Alphonse
Saint-Alphonse (Québec) G0C 2V0
Téléphone : (418) 388-5481
Benoît Pitre, responsable du reboisement
Courriel: cfar.benoit@globetrotter.net
La Forêt de demain
200, 6ème rue ouest
Amos (Québec) J9T 2T5
Tél : (819) 727-5556
Télécopieur : (819) 727-4656
LA FORESTERIE A.S.L. INC.
803 14ièm avenue
Senneterre (Québec)
J0Y2M0
Cathy Tremblay (Superviseur reboisement)
téléphone : 819-737-8851
télécopieur : 819-737-2780
cathy.tremblay@foresterieasl
http://www.foresterieasl.ca
Another possible source for additional information,
which I have not verified or cross-checked against the list of companies above,
can be found at the following website:
http://www.canadian-forests.
Conclusions
Good luck in your job search! Again, if you find any incorrect information in
the above list of contractors, I would appreciate knowing so that I can keep it
up to date. Please send me an email at djbolivia@gmail.com if you have any
additions, deletions, or corrections.
Also, please feel free to print
this page and pass the information along to other potential planters, and let
them know the link to www.replant.ca
Special thanks to Chris Stolz
and Wade Grandoni, whose websites provided some of the company addresses on
this page.
- Jonathan Clark (Scooter),
author.