May/June 2011

On the Cover:

The new Highland Wood Pellets plant in Merritt, B.C. recently began operations with the goal of reaching full production by August to meet market demand for the upcoming heating season. Read the full story on the new Merritt plant, and a sister plant in Kirkfield, Ontario, beginning on page 28 of this issue. (Photo by Paul MacDonald)

Spotlight

There are significant opportunities for “bio-age” products for the
Canadian forest industry, but tapping into these new markets is going
to be dependent on integrating this new industry with a healthy
conventional forest products industry.

B.C. contractor starts to invest in equipment

Over the last few years, contractors have been “making do” with their logging equipment—but with things starting to improve for the industry, contractors such as Quesnel Bros. Logging of B.C. are starting to make equipment investments again.

Canfor gets a new top guy

Canada’s second largest lumber producer has a new number one guy, with new CEO Don Kayne taking charge of lumber giant Canfor, and he’s got a strong focus on further developing the China market.

Carrier carries on with mill improvements

B.C.’s Carrier Lumber has made a number of improvements to its Tabour sawmill near Prince George, the latest being the installation of a large log processing line made up of USNR equipment.

B.C’s Top Coastal Loggers

With a revitalized coastal B.C. logging scene, Logging and Sawmilling Journal is pleased to present its authoritative list of the top B.C. Coastal and Vancouver Island logging contractors by volume.

Producing pellets for multiple markets

Woodville Pellet Corporation has built two new wood pellet plants, one in B.C. and another in Ontario, each of which will initially produce 60,000 tons of pellets a year, and serve several markets, including for bio-energy.

Fuel-sipping forwarders

B.C.’s Lo-Bar Log Transport, like all logging contractors, has had some tough sledding the last few years. But they’ve been able to grow, in part due to their fleet of efficient, fuel-sipping Ponsse harvesters and forwarders.

New to Logging and Sawmilling Journal: The Edge!

With this issue, Logging and Sawmilling Journal is now incorporating The Edge, Canada’s leading publication on research in the forest industry, into the magazine. Included are stories on Canadian Wood Fibre Centre/Natural Resources Canada and Alberta Innovates - Bio Solutions.

Tech Update – Small Scale Sawmilling

Logging and Sawmilling Journal has the latest information on what’s new in the big world of small scale sawmilling, in this issue’s Tech Update.

The Last Word

Tony Kryzanowski says forest industry businesses need to re-evaluate their business models, and that the standard model in the industry should be one of price making—rather than price taking.

Supplier Newsline

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Top B.C. Coastal Logging Contractors

With a revitalized coastal B.C. logging scene, Logging and Sawmilling Journal is pleased to present its list of the top B.C. Coastal and Vancouver Island logging contractors by volume.

As is typical within Canadian logging, some see overwhelming challenges and others see opportunity on the B.C. Coast. Like many other areas of the forest industry, there seems to be a trend of younger individuals willing to take a chance on making a good living in logging.

With new markets developing for Canadian wood products, particularly in Asia, as well as greater industry involvement in the bio-economy, the overall picture over the medium to long term looks bright for the industry. This should also be reflected in prosperity within the logging community.

Logging and Sawmilling Journal made its best effort to contact the leading loggers working on the B.C. Coast and Vancouver Island based on volume. Participation by logging companies was voluntary.

We thank all those who took the time to respond and for those who might have been inadvertently missed, let us know so that you can be included next time.

1. Antler Creek Logging/Coast Forest Industries

Owners: John Mergatroyd and John Prachnau
Head Office: Port McNeill
Area of operations: Port McNeill/Northwest Bay
Falling and processing softwood
Annual volume: 1.4 million cubic metres

2. Island Pacific Logging Ltd.
Owner: Lyle Newton
Head Office: Chemainus
Area of operations: Vancouver Island east coast to west coast and South Island
Harvesting softwood
Stump-to-dump contractor
Annual volume: 1.2 million cubic metres

3. Island Fibre Ltd.
Owners: Trevor White and Don Bahen
Head Office: Duncan
Area of operations: South Island
Harvesting primarily tree length softwood
Annual volume: 600,000 cubic metres

4. Mount Sicker Lumber Company Ltd.
Owners: Craig Fredrickson, Ian Batty, Richard Holman, Gerry Gammie, and Ray Smith
Head Office: Duncan
Area of operations: South Vancouver Island
Harvesting tree length and cut-to-length softwood
Annual volume: 400,000 cubic metres

5. Harrison Logging Ltd.
Owner: Mike Soukup
Head Office: Chemainus
Area of operations: Nanaimo Lakes area
Harvesting cut-to-length hardwood and softwood
Annual volume: 220,000 cubic metres

6. Mike Hamilton Logging
Owner: Mike Hamilton
Head Office: Courtenay
Area of operations: Vancouver Island
Harvesting tree length and cut-to-length hardwood and softwood
Annual volume: 220,000 cubic metres

7. Tsibass Construction Ltd.
Owner: Keith Olsen
Head Office: Campbell River
Area of operations: Coastal B.C.
Harvesting both softwood and hardwood
Stump-to-dump contractor
Annual volume: 200,000 cubic metres

8. Kaatza Logging Ltd.
Owner: Shawn Nicholson
Head Office: Lake Cowichan
Area of operations: Southern Vancouver Island
Harvesting both softwood and hardwood, cut-to-length
Annual volume: 138,000 cubic metres

9. Tranquil Timber Ltd.
Owner: David Lornie and Keith Jenkins
Head Office: Courtenay
Area of operations: Port Alberni
Harvesting cut-to-length softwood and hardwood
Annual volume: 130,000 cubic metres

10. Greyback Logging Ltd.
Owner:Mike Soukup
Head Office: Vegreville, Alberta
Area of operations: Sooke/Gold River
Harvesting cut-to-length hardwood and softwood
Annual volume: 80,000 cubic metres

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