Hello readers,
This is my first blog of the summer and I am very excited to share my experiences and stories within the forest products industry! I would like to give a big thank you to the Forest Products Association of Canada for giving me the opportunity to tell you about all the great things green jobs have to offer.
A little about myself: I am Drew Ackerman, a Human Resources student at Tolko’s Meadow Lake OSB Division through Tolko’s Youth Recruitment program. I am currently in my 2nd summer with the company. This summer I get the privilege to learn about the different roles and responsibilities at our plant and how HR supports the operation in finding success. Last summer I had the opportunity to work in the plant’s “Stores” and see how the business functions from a maintenance standpoint. Having worked here for about 5 months total, I truly have enjoyed every minute of it.
I am currently in my 2nd year at the University of Guelph, working towards a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a major in Management and a minor in Human Resource Management. Born and raised in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, it was a little bit of an adjustment moving half-way across the country. Truthfully, the motivating factor for my decision to move to Ontario was the basketball program. In the Summer of 2019, I was recruited by many schools in Canada and in the United States. I felt that U of G was my best fit academically and athletically. The only downside is that I am over 3000km from my family and friends in Meadow Lake.
Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan is home to roughly 5000 people, including myself. Anything South of Meadow Lake mainly consists of farmland and plains while everything North is covered with forest. The town, (classified as a city in SK) gained interest from job seekers when 3 forestry mills were built as a convenience of being so close to the boreal forest. These mills were built in 1971(Norsask Forest Products), 1992(ML Pulp), and 2003(Tolko OSB). These mills have helped and continue to help grow Meadow Lake’s economy.
In my spare time, I like to golf, workout, and go fishing at the beautiful lakes and rivers covering northern Saskatchewan. In a future blog, I will explain why I believe the access to these scenic landmarks makes northern Saskatchewan the best place in Canada!
I look forward to sharing more with you throughout the summer. If you have any questions for me, drop a comment and I’d love to tell you more!
