K W 900 yes I can send the pictures as soon as I get someone in here that can figure out how I do that, I don,t know how to I'm a truck driver not a computer wiz that's for sure....Old School lol. I think it was 1985 when Saunders yard closed in Kitimat and moved to Terrace. I had to drive from Kitimat like the rest at around 3;oo am to Terrace get my 84 KW900 and drive back to Kitimat river and go in to load. At that time Walt Wheitman was our lowbed driver when we needed one. Dave thicket had left the Saunders group a few years before that and Ernie Hadley who had worked with Roy Saunders when they were young and starting to get busy was running the office. I had met Ken and Glenn Saunders in Kitimat some years before that time. Roy was a good man and a great boss. I came into the shop one night and my car wouldn't start. It was late and Roy was at the shop and he came out and said you have had a long day take my car and go home. well it ended up I got a battery charger and got it going and went home. I though it showed the measure of the man because he was going to give me his car to go home for the night. I left Saunders in July of 1986 and it was hard to park my Kenworth and walk away for the last time, it gets in your blood guys I loved logging. Before that I hauled lumber out of northern Quebec into Ohio and Michigan and Ontario.Sorry I'm a windbag too many years on the C B and two way radio. will send more later and some pictures when I get help to do that, happy trails guys.
K W 900 here I remember this western star being in kitimat. Jack Lavale drove it for a while when I was there. The truck you see in the background the gold and white one I saw working with us too but I can't remember who drove it. I was going to say Owen Evans but he drove an off road. Sorry to see it got smashed up but Ernie used to say hazzards of the industry when one rolled over. My Kenworth was wrote off six months after I left Saunders when Jack and Fred Blocksige met on a corner and fred was loaded, he was in bad shape for a long time after that. I found out when Darrell Lowes sent me the picture of my old Kenworth all smashed up and still have that picture as well. Saunders hauled for Friell Lake logging and I went there a lot. Butch loaded trucks there for Joe Mc Laughlin and did a good job loading us fast. Eurocan had Ted and Wayn Moon as loader operaters on the Erie track loaders. I was loading under Ted Moons loader when I herd the space shuddel blew up in Florida that day. We both got in my truck amd listened to the news report about it that day. I did load under these guys out Hersh creek road for a long time over the years I was there. Not sure what's at Saunders shop in Kitimat now if it"s empty or not. I do know that in the 80's when I was there it was boomimg till they moved to Terrace. But we were all booming in the 80's till things slowed down, and not sure how things are now in logging out there.I was surprized when I seen that R.W. Saunders had a Western Star.
Looks like it fell of the road.
K W 900 Sorry to hear Jack passed away.He was with Saunders in Kitimat all the time I was there and Brenda his wife worked in the office for Eurocan I think then. There may be a few more guys gone as well now not sure it's been a while. crazy how time goes by so fast seems like yesterday we were all out there working. You may know some of these guys that were at the Kitimat yard I worked with. Walt Weitman, Ron Campbell, Ernie Waters, Rodger Wilson, Derral Lowes, Fred Blocksige, John Johnson, Stew Hassla, Joe Mallio, Owen Evens, Bob Chase, Frances Boudreau, John Weibe, Glenn Mc Nab, Leo Lashwa '' not sure how you spell that'' and he was loud when he talked Glenn Trumble who has also passed away about 12 years ago now and Reg not sure of his last name he was french, and left after a bit to go down by Hazelton to work. but I did go to work for Houston Forest Products one winter about 120 miles back in the bush by lake Tatsa and Wisterea and ran into Reg out there again. A young guy worked in our shop in Kitimat his name was Joe not sure of the last name he did all our repaires, and Pat the tire man changed tires for us when we had a flat. So some of the guys may know where these guys are now.
Kw 900 I was looking for some imfo on Roy Saunders Hauling cause it's been a while since I was out there. That's when I came onto this site and was glad to see it. But I'm not sure how many other guys know the site is here, I didn't know about it. I think a huge amount of guys are still around we all worked with would love to see this site and also have lots to add to the posts and pictures as well..... just sayin guiys. Not sure how you could let them know about it, send out letters to the IWA members listed under Saunders so they will know it is right here not sure.
I think Ernie Hadley and his wife Sue were in Camano at the Saunders yard working when I showed up in Kitimat. Sue did some cooking and housecleaning down there then when Ernie ran the shop. They both came to Kitimat when Camano wound down at the end and Ernie worked with Dave Thickit in Saunders office in Kitimat in 1980. Dave thickit left to go back down south after that closer to where he came from and told me he was wanting to buy his own log truck and go hauling logs in southern B C. I'm not sure if he did go do that for sure I never herd about what he did after he left Kitinat. Ernie was at Saunders and was their till I left in 1986 he drove back and forth to the Terrace yard.
K W 900 here I'm not sure Hank if you got pictures from Ken or Glenn Saunders or not but I have this in my file where you might get hold of them not sure. R W Saunders & son Ltd. 2231 Mccullough Rd. Nanaimo British Columbia. V9S 4M7 Canada. the phone number then was 1- 250-751-0055. hope that helps you. my pictures will be on soon I have help coming soon to get them up on this site if all goes well.
KW 900 I see it may be that Ken and Glenn were in the office and not out hauling in the trucks so they wouldn't have them I guess. I always saw them around the shop never out in the bush in Kitimat. You tried your best it's all you can do so don't feel bad I think the only pictures that they may have is in the office, ones Roy had taken and they are hanging on the wall. there must be lots around the drivers took over the years at Saunders. I will get mine up soon as my daughter can get down here to help do it she knows how. So keep the faith Hank all is not lost yet lol.
