Newsroom

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.

Today I would like to take sometime to talk about the importance of Indigenous partnerships in the forestry sector. ANC is on Treaty 8 land, the original resting grounds of the Cree and Athapaskans (Dené) people. These Indigenous groups were spread out across the territory that ANC currently resides on and were the original inhabitants of the forests we use today.

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…).

Whitecourt prides itself in being a FireSmart community, so in this blog I will share what Firesmarting is and how we can all help reduce the risk of fires. Additionally, I have interviewed a special guest, Whitecourt Fire Chief Brian Wynn, to share his knowledge on this topic.

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.