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Vancouver Island, BC. Logging at its Best!

camptramp

camptramp

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Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
6,301
Location
The warm land on Vancuver Island
Occupation
Retired Logger Retired Part time pebble hauler
Hallback said:
Boy they sure have to handle those logs a lot compared to down south here. We do all the Sorting scaling and Bucking in the woods and it goes direct to the destination. Back in the day around here though we did have sort yards and off-highway trucks that would haul into them where feasible.
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These pictures were taken in 1999 , a lot has changed since then (and not for the better from my point of view) . There were many reasons that this system worked in its time . Even as these pictures were taken , change was in the works . By 2002 the Off Highway logging trucks were parked except for Lowbed moves and the Dryland Sorts were history . From 1993 to 2002 were some of the best years I had working in the Forest Industry . Timberwest had a change of CEO's around then and a fellow by the name of John Mann came from South of the border around that time . For the working folks and the contractors in the Industry it's been a struggle to survive ever since .
 
W

wornout wrench

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2012
Messages
740
Location
canada
camptramp said:
These pictures were taken in 1999 , a lot has changed since then (and not for the better from my point of view) . There were many reasons that this system worked in its time . Even as these pictures were taken , change was in the works . By 2002 the Off Highway logging trucks were parked except for Lowbed moves and the Dryland Sorts were history . From 1993 to 2002 were some of the best years I had working in the Forest Industry . Timberwest had a change of CEO's around then and a fellow by the name of John Mann came from South of the border around that time . For the working folks and the contractors in the Industry it's been a struggle to survive ever since .
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Oh I remember that bald headed #$@%^%$#$$%%%$$*
I was working for TW at the time.
 
camptramp

camptramp

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
6,301
Location
The warm land on Vancuver Island
Occupation
Retired Logger Retired Part time pebble hauler
He certainly left quite an impression with anybody that had the unfortunate opportunity to have been aquainted with him . After the transition from BCFP to Fletcher Challenge to Timberwest , the Div. had morale issue's , Doug Mosher was placed in HBO Div. as Manager around the time Caycuse and Renfrew Div. were amailgamated it took him about three years to get HBO turned around and the crews working together . He paid us well and gave us the tools to get the job done . I felt the Div. as a whole was producing better than it had in years . A half hour meeting in the Honeymoon Bay Hall with John Mann left the crews morale lower than the Fletcher Challenge days . When we left the Hall our sense of pride had turned to hate . And that was just the start of things to come !
 
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camptramp

camptramp

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
6,301
Location
The warm land on Vancuver Island
Occupation
Retired Logger Retired Part time pebble hauler
Dave Whiskin Collection Timberwest HBO Div. 1999 1st picture looking across Osborne bay at the Crofton Pulp Mill from Shoal Island DLS 2nd picture looking across DLS at overhead crane 3rd & 4th pictures overhead crane placing grapple on loaded highway truck scan277.jpg scan278.jpg scan279.jpg scan280.jpg
 
camptramp

camptramp

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
6,301
Location
The warm land on Vancuver Island
Occupation
Retired Logger Retired Part time pebble hauler
wornout wrench said:
Yup, same at Oyster River
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I use to work with a fellow Sid"Skidder"Smith who was quite a character , who started working in the 'Woods" during the 1930's . He always had a tale or story to tell . One was about when he heard about a Booman that drowned at work on the Fraser River . Thinking he could score a job . He headed down to the Booming Grounds . When he found the Foreman and asked about the job . The Foreman replied "Sorry Kid" the guy that pushed him in the River got the job . Another one was when your to old to work around here , they put you out to pasture . For a going away present they give you a suit case to move out of camp with and a hand mirror to watch your self starve to death ! Are we going back to that mind set ?
 
W

wornout wrench

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Feb 17, 2012
Messages
740
Location
canada
Sorry Camptramp.
I enjoyed my time with the Timberwest crew. There were some damn fine people working there. We made the company lots of money so it really was a bit of a shock when they decided to toss us away the way they did. Still a bit of a raw nerve.
 
Hallback

Hallback

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2011
Messages
2,322
Location
Aberdeen Wa.
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Gyppo tower logger
Even though I am South of the Border from you guys I definitely have to agree 1993 to 2002 were the best years of my career by far. I had the most fun, made the least money and lived the most Hardscrabble life a guy could and loved every second of it. There is a lot to be said for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a worn-out old pickup that is all yours.
 
D

dirty4fun

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Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
1,188
Location
N. IL
The loads being dumped at Timberwest have wrapers or cables on them being dumped and in the water. Why are they leaving the logs in bundles like that? Thanks just curious.
 
camptramp

camptramp

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
6,301
Location
The warm land on Vancuver Island
Occupation
Retired Logger Retired Part time pebble hauler
dirty4fun said:
The loads being dumped at Timberwest have wrapers or cables on them being dumped and in the water. Why are they leaving the logs in bundles like that? Thanks just curious.
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The loads are already scaled and sorted at Honeymoon Bay DLS , once the bundled logs hit the water they are placed in individual pockets of "Boom Sticks" on the water to create a "Boom" of logs of the same grade and species . The "Boom " is then towed by a tug to the Mill or Manufacturing Facility that has purchased it . Shoal Island DLS was handling over 30 different Grades And Species of logs . The bundled logs take up less space and travel better on our sometimes rough and turbulent waters .
 
camptramp

camptramp

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
6,301
Location
The warm land on Vancuver Island
Occupation
Retired Logger Retired Part time pebble hauler
Dave Whiskin Collection Timberwest HBO Div. Oct 1999 Dave Whiskin driving a new Mack logging truck owned by Dale Weaver leased to Timberwest . The green Mack that Dave was driving back a couple of posts got laid on its side , so Dale Weaver traded it in on this truck . I drove the Green Mack when it was brand new for several months in 1996 . When it was laid on its side , after the shop went over it to make sure it was safe to drive I drove it to the Mack Dealer at Nanimo . It was repaired and sold to Gordon Dougan .scan289.jpg scan290.jpg
 
petepilot

petepilot

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2018
Messages
2,168
Location
central shenandoah valley va,
Hallback said:
Even though I am South of the Border from you guys I definitely have to agree 1993 to 2002 were the best years of my career by far. I had the most fun, made the least money and lived the most Hardscrabble life a guy could and loved every second of it. There is a lot to be said for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a worn-out old pickup that is all yours.
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especially if the breads not moldy :)
 
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