All Posts: Green Dream Internship Program

I was born here. I'm a guy who is rooted in my region, there was never any question of leaving it. I found the job I was looking for in my area. I applied to other factories, but I almost hoped I wouldn't be chosen because I didn't want to leave my part of the world.

Resolute Forest Products is a leading North American forest products company. Its products include market pulp, tissue, wood products and papers, which it markets in nearly 570 countries. The company owns or operates approximately 40 facilities and power generation assets in the United States and Canada. All of the forestlands under Resolute's management have been certified by independent experts to internationally recognized sustainable forest management standards. Resolute has received regional, North American and global recognition for its leadership in social responsibility and sustainability and for its business practices.

You really don’t know the full extent of what it’s like working in forestry until you do it.

A Via Ferrata is an Italian term meaning Iron Path. It is a permanently set cable through a climbing route to ensure safety and ease of use.

Now you might be thinking “Shane, what the fir does mycelium have to do with forestry?”. Well, other than the possibility that without mycelium there might not be any trees or life at all, 30% of the forest floor is made up of a neural network of mycelium that functions very much like a brain and, also just like the brain, it shares the same structure as the internet and the observable universe.

We are constantly replanting trees to revitalize the forest, thus allowing us to continue operating without damaging the environment.

There are many things I love about my summer job as a Silviculture student with West Fraser, the number one naturally being the fact that I am surrounded by nature nearly every day.

I love to take my dogs with me whenever and wherever I can. However, the wilderness is hazardous, and you never know what might be around the corner.

Just living in Northern Ontario has honestly been one of my favourite things about the past two summers. Being surrounded by forests, rocky hills, and literally hundreds of thousands of lakes, makes for some pretty good recreational opportunities! Unsurprisingly, my favourite ways to spend my days off all involve going right back into the bush (As if I’m not there enough already…).

The purpose of the Jobs to Grow interview series is to present the journey and dedication to the forest industry of people who started out working in production at Resolute Forest Products and who have now become managers. These managers are proof that the opportunities for growth are enormous in the forest products industry.

It is an uphill battle to repair roads that are constantly under heavy use from logging trucks, oil workers, and recreational vehicles, but without our roads division, we wouldn’t have access to our forests, and with no access we wouldn’t have wood products. Always appreciate your roads division and the hard work they put in!

I visited a block that was about 100 hectares in size. It took some time to navigate as the roads were deactivated and there was lots of debris. I usually drive to the back of a block and work my way to the front, so that’s what I did here. I parked my quad and was sitting preparing my notes before I walked into the trees when I started hearing movement not far from where I was parked.