Quebec-based logging contractor Steeve Ladrie explains that his equipment approach is about meeting the needs of his teams: his selection of harvesting equipment is based on having a diverse set of machines assigned to his two separate teams, so that each team can efficiently—and productively—handle the diverse forest stand types assigned to them.

Ladrie established Les Chantiers du Lac in 1998 when he began a now 26-year association, contracting for Groupe Lebel. Les Chantiers du Lac is based at Ladrie’s home at Riviere Bleu, situated on the Quebec-Maine border, and about fifty kilometres north of the Quebec/New Brunswick border. Les Chantiers operates on public lands in southern Quebec and on Anticosti Island, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Ladrie actually began his woods career in 1982 as a tree planter, and later joined his father Richard’s chainsaw/cable skidder operation, contracting private woodlots through Groupement Forestier Temiscouta, around their home at Riviere Bleu. In 1986, he joined his uncle’s cable skidder crew harvesting for Abitibi Power and Paper Company.

Ladrie’s first adventure in mechanized harvesting was with a John Deere 693D harvester in 1994.

Les Chantiers du Lac divides their operations into two teams. Earlier this year, Steeve’s son Alex was supervising a team in Reserve Faunique Rimouski, while long time supervisor Tommy Senechal’s team was operating in Reserve Faunique Matane. The harvested wood was shipped to Groupe Lebel mills in the Gaspe region.

Both reserves are managed with Integrated Forest Management Plans (multiple use), which are guided by procedures and rules established by Quebec’s Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. The Rimouski Reserve covers some 729 square kilometres and the Matane Reserve covers 1,275 square kilometres. The Matane Reserve boasts the most dense population of moose in Quebec, and many streams and lakes that offer fishing opportunities. As well, the reserve hosts many recreational trails including a portion of the Appalachian Trail and the approach to the Chic Choc Mountains.

Through the year, Les Chantiers du Lac also contracts for J. D. Irving operations in Quebec and Maine, as well as contracting on private woodlots in Quebec through the Groupement Temiscouta.

The harvest team in Senechal’s Matane operation consists of a Weiler H457 harvester, with a Waratah H415HD head and a John Deere 753 with a 480 Waratah head. The Weiler harvester operates double (twelve-hour) shifts, while the John Deere operates only on day shift. The Weiler/Deere harvester team is supported by a 20-tonne Rottne forwarder, which is double shifted to handle the three harvester shifts. Senechal’s team also includes a second Weiler 457 with a Log Max 7000 Extreme head, matched with a John Deere 1210G forwarder.

Alex Ladrie’s team—harvesting at  Reserve Rimouski—includes a John Deere 803 harvester with 480 Waratah head, and a John Deere 753 with a Log Max 7000XT head. Forwarding capacity is handled by John Deere 1010E and Deere 1110G forwarders.

The Rimouski and Matane teams were operating about 150 kilometres apart.

Alex has 16 years’ experience as an operator, and three years as crew supervisor.

The forest type is dominated by balsam fir, with sites tending through mixed hardwood/softwood to pure hardwood stands. Topography ranges from gently rolling to decidedly steep slopes. Soil types range from very wet to very well drained. Winter cuts are steered toward wet ground operating on frozen conditions.

Ladrie explained that each team has the right equipment mix, allowing them to adapt to the diverse landscape and forest types.

“The Waratah heads are fast and they work extremely well in the more consistently uniform (size) softwood stands,” he explains. “The Log Max works well in the softwood too, but they can handle large diameter trees and especially the large heavy and limby hardwoods, where the Waratahs would not be as productive.”

Their customer, Groupe Lebel, was founded in 1956 by Deniso Lebel and Annette Ciman-Lebel. Louis-Frederic Lebel has served as Chairman and CEO of Groupe Lebel since 2004. Groupe Lebel currently operates 23 sawmills and value added processing plants in Quebec, New Brunswick, Ontario and Maine. Its 14 sawmills have an annual production in the range of 900 million board feet annually. The Groupe Lebel operations employ some 1,400 people.

In addition to those employed at the company operations, harvest and transport employs hundreds of independent contractors and private woodlot owner/producers.

Forest management is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified on the majority of the (Quebec) land base that Groupe Lebel procures wood from.

Marco Dube has worked the past 15 years for Les Chantiers du Lac, and currently operates the Weiler 457 with the Waratah 415 head. His resume includes an additional ten years of harvesting experience in Alberta.

Dube works a four day/forty-eight-hour week. Earlier this year, Dube along with twelve operators and mechanics from the Senechal team were living in a rented maple sugar camp for their work week. Dube returns to his home at Riviere du Loup, (three-and-a-half hours) for weekends.

Dube emphasized the co-operative work culture provided by Les Chantiers.

“We are a team,” he explains. “We have a younger operator with only three years’ harvester experience. He is not very comfortable with steep slopes and really rough mountain terrain, so he works in the less challenging terrain and on day shift only. That allows him to gain experience and confidence. Me and my cross shift on the Weiler, have a lot of experience, so we handle the challenging terrain.”

Two shifts with the Weiler and one with the John Deere is sufficient production to keep the 20-tonne Rottne busy putting the wood to roadside.

Dube, operating the day shift, is assigned to the most challenging terrain in the harvest block, while the Weiler on nightshift works in less challenging terrain which ensures the team maintains high production.

Working the day shift allows Dube to provide his maintenance, mechanical and troubleshooting talents, as required, to the harvester.

“I have many years’ experience with Waratah heads—I know them like the back of my hand, so I can analyze and repair or adjust them to keep them in top production.”

In addition, they can also call upon the talents of supervisor Tommy Senechal, who has been with Les Chantiers since 2009. Dube and their crew warmly refer to him as their ‘therapist’, for his talents to analyze problems both mechanical and human, and quickly come up with effective resolutions.

Dube explained that the Weiler works mostly as a harvester, but for a couple of weeks every spring it operates as a processer behind a feller buncher in big hardwoods on private woodlots.

“I like the Weiler very much—it has lots of power for lift, swing and travel. It has lots of ground clearance, and it is very stable. The machine’s power lets it climb and work on slopes very comfortably.”

Dube also admires the large roomy cab, with great seat and climate comfort. The large front window provides great visibility and doubles as an emergency escape, and a skylight adds visibility and emergency escape.

The Weiler’s clamshell hood exposes engine and components and serves as a large work surface. Fuel and hydraulic tanks are located on the opposite side of the 300 horsepower C9 Cat Tier 5 engine.

The Weiler has two hydraulic pumps, with the smaller one serving the head, and the larger one handling the carrier functions. The hydraulic flow capacity is 287 gpm or 1100 litres/minute. Tractive force is 69,000 pounds per foot, and the 457 weighs in at thirty tonnes. Its reach is 32 feet.

The Weiler machines replaced a pair of Cat 521 harvesters. Ladrie pointed out that the Weilers consume around 25 litres per hour compared to 30 litres per hour for the Cat 521. He added that the Weilers compare well with his John Deere harvesters’ fuel consumption, which range from 27 to 30 litres per hour.

Dube shared that the Weiler machines have proved very reliable. However, he did point out the DEF on the Cat engine has been challenging. “We keep the replacement part in the service truck and when it acts up, we replace it and get back to work. We make sure we always have the part in stock.”

Additional gear in Les Chantier’s machinery line-up includes a Tigercat 870 feller buncher, two Cat 322 excavators, D5 and D6 Cat bulldozers, a Cat 950 wheel loader, and a dump truck. Les Chantiers builds 20 to 40 kilometres of forest road annually. The harvest support fleet includes five service trucks and five tandem fuel trucks. There is also a large service and parts shop located at Riviere Bleu.

The operation also handles some trucking with a Cat-powered Western Star 4900 glider kit, two Freightliner Coronados hauling B-trains, and one International hauling a 48-foot log trailer.

Ladrie has a recognized affinity for Cat and the Weiler equipment’s Cat heritage. Weiler, Inc. purchased the Cat purpose-built forestry business in 2019.

“I like the Weilers because they are tough. We also get great service and support with our dealers Toromont Chicoutimi and Toromont Quebec City,” says Ladrie.

“I tend to put the Weilers in the toughest terrain that we work in. They can handle the steep slopes and maintain high productivity.”

About 25 per cent of their annual harvest is thinning or partial cut harvest. Over the past six years, some of their harvest operations have involved doing work in severe spruce budworm-damaged areas. Through the past year, they have operated in windthrow blocks. A wind storm that occurred in December 2023 is estimated to have toppled two million cubic metres of wood in the Gaspe region.

Ladrie explained that harvesting in blowdown lowers production by 25 per cent. The blowdown occurred in swaths, with adjacent stands appearing undamaged.

Dube explained that typically the trees in blowdown areas are in a swath (all one direction), and they operate by grabbing the stem at the butt and giving the tree a good shake, in an effort to knock the dirt off before making the butt cut. He said regardless of how well the tree is shook, there is still some dirt and grit on the stems which quickly dulls the saw chain, and there are frequent chain changes.

Steeve Ladrie is proud of his crews, and notes that a number of long term employees have made considerable contributions to the success of Les Chantiers Du Lac. Ladrie noted that his entire crew is focused on achieving a production goal of 200,000 cubic metres annually.

Ladrie is also very happy to have his son Alex working in the family business, and proudly notes that Alex is moving forward to take on more management responsibilities.