Articles
The articles below have been selected from previous issues of Canadian Forest Industries Magazine. Of course, the only way to get each and every article, plus industry-leading news, views and technology, is to Subscribe.
An inhospitable climate, vast distances and small trees are all in
a day’s work for loggers in Canada’s most easterly province.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2011
A national look at what happened this year, new advancements in communication and
firefighting techniques – and how forestry is shaping the overall Canadian wildfire picture.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2011
In today’s marketplace, certification can play a key role in the success of an organization’s
marketing and promotional campaigns.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2011
This Quebec businessman got his start in forestry as a feller buncher operator. The
road has taken him from the bush to the millyard and back again.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2011
Harvesting and Processing Heads
Many loggers today are opting for heads that can cut the trees and process the logs.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2011
Live Action Returns with DEMO 2012
Slated for the hills just northwest of Quebec City on a 30,000-hectare private
lot, this live logging event promises to be the best loop yet.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2011
Finding a balance between size, production volumes and market demand can be
tough, but this coastal B.C. logger seems to be well on his way to hitting it just right.
PUBLISHED: May / June 2011
Emissions-related up-charges have cost truckers thousands of dollars. And
so far, they have very little to show for their investments.
PUBLISHED: May / June 2011
Help Your Equipment Beat the Heat
PUBLISHED: May / June 2011
Despite the major challenges companies in the logging business have faced over the past few years, this northern Alberta contractor has come a long way.
PUBLISHED: March / April 2011
by Laura Maguire, BC Forest Safety Council
PUBLISHED: March / April 2011
Finnish equipment manufacturer Logset is in the process of expanding its market in Canada, with larger gear at the top of the list.
PUBLISHED: March / April 2011
Here For the Long Term
It’s tough for loggers in northern Ontario to keep workers when they have to compete against the mining industry, but for this Timmins company, many of its employees are in it for the long term.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2011
Fatalities Trending Downward
A concerted effort by many in B.C.’s forest industry is resulting in a positive trend.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2011
Good as New
If you’re not retreading, you’re not maximizing tire life.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2011
Reaching New Heights
It’s been a long hard ride for the owners of West Coast Helicopters and having to work with the ups and downs of the forest industry hasn’t helped. But today the Vancouver Island-based operation is one of the leading helicopter companies operating on the B.C. coast.
PUBLISHED: November / December 2010
Logging Evolution
As it watches the forest industry slowly evolve to take advantage of renewable energy markets, Vermeer Corporation is introducing a new piece of equipment it thinks will help loggers to diversify.
PUBLISHED: November / December 2010
Selective Strategy
This Ontario logger keeps his business going thanks to a thorough understanding of selective harvesting.
PUBLISHED: November / December 2010
Sorting it out on Vancouver Island
Running a log sort can be challenging, especially when you have almost 100 different sorts and complex market requirements.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2010
Making it Work in NB
It hasn't been easy, but with ingenuity and the drive to succeed, this logging company continues to move forward.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2010
Enhancing Logger Safety
Effective communications can help loggers stay safe. We take a look at the pros and cons of various systems.
PUBLISHED: July / August 2010
Keeping the Wood Flowing
Domtar's Elk Lake finds the volume for three shifts.
PUBLISHED: May / June 2010
The CSI of Forest Fungi
A forest researcher has a few techniques that resemble a popular TV show.
PUBLISHED: May / June 2010
Taking It On At Both Ends
This logger handles both the harvesting and sawmilling sides of the business.
PUBLISHED: May / June 2010
Eastern Giant
Acadian Timber is one of the largest suppliers of roundwood and biomass in New Brunswick.
PUBLISHED: March / April 2010
B.C.'s Safety Record Improves
Fatalities are down in B.C.'s woods but safetyboss says, "we must look at trends."
PUBLISHED: March / April 2010
OLC Crowd Optimistic
Over 4,000 people came to the OLC this year. It was an optimistic show and gave many attendees an overview of biomass.
PUBLISHED: March / April 2010
High-Tech Loggers
The latest hightech dataloggers are already in the cabs of a Newfoundland logger's iron.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2010
Big Three
The new heavy-duty pickups from the Big Three are here. Our truck guy gives you the scoop.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2010
Atlantic Canada Venues
The Spotlight will be on Moncton, N.B., in early April as two big events for forestry come to town.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2010
TLA Optimistic
This year's B.C. TLA conference was upbeat and attendees were optimistic.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2010
Grin And Bear It
An innovative approach is helping this B.C. logger through the tough times.
PUBLISHED: November / December 2009
One Stop Shopping
From seedlings to logging, this Ontario contractor delivers it all.
PUBLISHED: November / December 2009
Clean Is Costly
If you are in the market for a logging truck, now may be the time to buy.
PUBLISHED: November / December 2009
Going Strong
This Quebec logger has adapted to stay in the game.
PUBLISHED: November / December 2009
Growing Power
Scott & Stewart in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, handle various aspects of forestry, from growing the trees to harvesting.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2009
All In A Day's Work
Beaver Dam Enterprises has its share of challenges, including harvesting in a watershed.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2009
Wood Week Holds Its Own
There was a big focus on bioenergy at Wood Week 2009 in Quebec City.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2009
Balancing Act In Southern B.C.
The Sunshine Coast Community Forest is just three-years-old and it is already in the black.
PUBLISHED: August 2009
A Screaming Success
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative is making big strides in the certification game.
PUBLISHED: August 2009
The Long Road
One of Nova Scotia's largest contractors started out as a two-man horse show.
PUBLISHED: August 2009
Elmia - The Big One
It's billed as the largest forestry show in the world and it didn't disappoint. Check out the latest equipment that was showcased.
PUBLISHED: June / July 2009
Park Specialist
For Bob Robinson and his crews, logging in Ontario's Algonquin Park is all in a day's work.
PUBLISHED: June / July 2009
Thinning It Out
An update on precommercial thinning and the equipment used to get the job done.
PUBLISHED: June / July 2009
Taking The Bull By The Horns
This Fort St. James, B.C. logger has many interests. From the forest to the farm - meet Kim Lodge of Stones Bay Holdings.
PUBLISHED: April / May 2009
Independent Breed
Self-loading truckers have to learn how to figure things out for themselves. It can be a lonely existence, but it can also have rewards.
PUBLISHED: April / May 2009
Size Matters
An inch here or an inch there can make a huge difference to the bottom line.
PUBLISHED: April / May 2009
Keeping It Going
From building a golf course to creek restoration work, diversification is helping this logging contractor manage the tough times.
PUBLISHED: March 2009
Handling the Surge
Judging capacity and efficiency in log or sort yard operations is not easy, but a little extra attention reveals some potential savings.
PUBLISHED: March 2009
Hitting the Bug
This high country logger in BC's Kootenay Mountains pulls out all the stops to harvest pine beetle wood, including investing in a new harvester/processor.
PUBLISHED: March 2009
Raised Expectations
Local comparisons as well as study sites in Sweden have convinced the Girardville Forestry Cooperative and its colleagues at Quebec's MNRW that raised-site planting pays off.
PUBLISHED: January / February 2009
Where's Waldo
In BC's southeastern interior actually, where environmentalists become loggers.
PUBLISHED: January / February
Wood Matters
Trends in raw material use from 1965 to 2010 show the growing need to consider log size and not just stand volume in forest management these days.
PUBLISHED: January / February
Planting the Future
The Girardville Forestry Co-op is a hotbed of mechanized silviculture innovation, home to two of the newest mechanical planters in Canada, along with a host of other new site prep gear.
PUBLISHED: November / December 2008
Braking Down Safety
With an impending law expected to reduce stopping distances, it may be time to re-evaluate air disc brakes.
PUBLISHED: November / December 2008
Saving your Business
In the woods or small sawmill yard, a more efficient operation can save a lot. In this environment, that may be the difference between working, and shutting down.
PUBLISHED: November / December 2008
Hold 'em or Fold 'em
When it gets tough, the tough get going - one way or another. Contractors, large and small, are digging deep to stay in the game until the US economy snaps back.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2008
Pumping Your Profit
This over-riding concern, and a major development in the 2010 engine landscape.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2008
Sprucing Up an Old System
As we get set for a global fibre shortage, researchers in northern Ontario are looking at the costbenefit equation of using thinning in dense black spruce stands.
PUBLISHED: September / October 2008
Hungry Bear
A bear in the market means a Bear in the bush, as Finnish CTL specialist Ponsse and its new western dealer Woodland bring the supplier's largest harvester and forwarder to the BC Interior. CFI saw the first demo.
PUBLISHED: August 2008
End of an Era
Faced with tough emission standards, Caterpillar decides to pull out of the North American truck engine market in 2010. It will make trucks instead.
PUBLISHED: August 2008
Bunking Solo
Lorin Dassow works private land with Cat single bunk forwarder to minimize impact and ensure landowner approval.
PUBLISHED: August 2008
Levelling the Field
A new add-on levelling system can turn ordinary forestry carriers into mountain machines.
PUBLISHED: June/July 2008
A Fork in the Road
Debate heats up among engine manufacturers over which 2010 emissions solution is best for North America.
PUBLISHED: June/July 2008
Steep & Deep
A Tigercat LH870C harvester works remote coastal BC timber tracts, with one metre per tree, slopes, and a long ride home.
PUBLISHED: June/July 2008
Sole Provider
ESC Harvesting keeps it simple, using a uniform fleet of logging gear to supply its main customer in southwestern Alberta.
PUBLISHED: April/May 2008
Forced Efficiency
Irving CTL contractor Timberline Logging increases production nearly 50% by moving to a newer, bigger harvester.
PUBLISHED: April/May 2008
BC City Bug
Hardwood CTL logger Clem De Young and Groupe Savoie have teamed up in central Nova Scotia to offer landowners mechanized select cutting with a light footprint.
PUBLISHED: April/May 2008
Diamond Dealer
The worlds largest Cat dealer turns 75 this year, and despite market slowdowns, Finning remains focused on forestry as an evolving, but growing market.
PUBLISHED: March 2008
No Need to Panic
The industry�s in the dumps, but mid- to long-term prospects look fine in all the major sectors.
PUBLISHED: March 2008
Hardwood - Easy Cutting
Hardwood CTL logger Clem De Young and Groupe Savoie have teamed up in central Nova Scotia to offer landowners mechanized select cutting with a light footprint.
PUBLISHED: March 2008
The Beasts are Cleaning Up
New attitudes, oil prices, and tenure systems in BC just might make biomass grinding operations like the Berrys' in Port Alberni more common.
PUBLISHED: January/February 2008
Money to Burn
The potential is there, but so too are the challenges. CFI sits down with Feric's bioenergy team to talk current issues and future possibilities.
PUBLISHED: January/February 2008
Cityboy Turns Logger
You can take the city out of the boy after all. We could use a few more converts like Al Falewitch, who now logs just over the Canadian border in UP Michigan.
PUBLISHED: January/February 2008
Fuel For Thought
Bowater's operation is rolling to major fuel savings on a growing fleet of rubber tire CTL harvesters, a move that's benefiting company and contractor alike.
PUBLISHED: December 2007
Winter Wonderland
It actually makes you wonder why you do it, but there are ways to ensure you - and your equipment - survive the winter.
PUBLISHED: December 2007
Where Wood Meets Saw
Survey of over 1,500 contractors leads to some surprising results. A CFI exclusive interview.
PUBLISHED: December 2007
The Day Remains
Companies and industry downturns ebb and flow, but veteran logger Dana Day keeps bringing out the wood.
PUBLISHED: September/October 2007
Hauling Tension
Regulatory changes log haulers must know about include new load securement rules. It's all here.
PUBLISHED: September/October 2007
Racing the Beetle
High on a Kelowna hillside, Tolko is racing the mountain pine beetle, while just down below a colourful pine meadow explodes onto the scene, proving nature's resiliency for any who doubted.
PUBLISHED: September/October 2007
Slippery Slopes?
FERIC examines steep grade descent limitations for truckers forced to work the nasty slopes, and has some helpful tips.
PUBLISHED: Aug 2007
Show How It's Done
A fully equipped, mechanized biomass harvesting system is in action in the Pacific Northwest, harvesting sawlogs and biomass in one pass.
PUBLISHED: Aug 2007
Made to Measure LOGGING
Moggie Valley Timber runs a flexible CTL logging side that can be dialed up or down to meet the needs of its own twoline sawmill.
PUBLISHED: Aug 2007
The Boss is Always Right
Well, maybe not, but thanks to a new supervisor training course in BC, at least the boss will know the facts of life when it comes to worker safety.
PUBLISHED: June/July 2007
Fourth Time Lucky
Fourth generation BC logger Jacqui Beban is taking this historical Coastal operation to the right size.
PUBLISHED: June/July 2007
Giving the Earth a Brake
Hybrids are not just for tree-huggers anymore, as heavy-duty rigs using regenerative braking technology are hitting the marketplace.
PUBLISHED: June/July 2007
Burning Our Wood
As prices for energy and petroleum products soar, and governments pledge billions to promote renewable energy, a recent conference in Edmonton reaffirms the industry's interest in bioenergy.
PUBLISHED: May 2007
Logging On Its Own Scale
Ontario's S.W. Madill Forestry Ltd.'s hands-on approach brings value to customer and landowner alike.
PUBLISHED: May 2007
Out In The Cold
We all know it's cleaner, but how's the new diesel for cold weather running? CFI evaluates ULSD's performance over its first winter.
PUBLISHED: May 2007
Board of Low Log Prices
A new, cost-effective solution can help loggers or woodlot owners turn marginal felled trees into sawn boards, either to boost revenue or to help out at the camp.
PUBLISHED: April 2007
Mounty Gets Its Log
BC's hills are alive with more than the sound of music, as a new cable system from Austria gets tested in the Interior.
PUBLISHED: April 2007
Made to Measure
Andy Looke of Nova Scotia has the first Canadian Deere 1470D, the supplier's largest rubber-tire harvester.
PUBLISHED: April 2007
Lo-Bar Set High
The move from central Alberta oil country to northern BC's key logging region is suiting this growing contractor well.
PUBLISHED: March 2007
Brushing Off Business
What started as a sideline for Alberta contractor Exact Oilfield Developing Ltd. has become major business, with six mulchers working full time.
PUBLISHED: March 2007
Big Foot - Small Cost
A test by FERIC and Weyerhaeuser is on the road to showing big road-building savings from using flotation tires on gravel trucks.
PUBLISHED: March 2007
