ance companies before
we found one willing to take a chance on us.
....The above is interesting for as
we went along through the years we found that very few accidents
happened to our contestants. This possibly proving that the skillful
logger, properly taught the use of tools and how to do the job,
is the safest logger. We wonder why then aren’t we teaching
every logger that there is only one way to perform on the job? The
right way will always be the only way in this dangerous profession
of logging.
....Canlog was formed and over the
years a rule book for loggers sports events was compiled. It has
been revised many times and is now the stan-dard for all logging
sports. Organi-zations in towns and logging communi-ties joined
Canlog and meetings are held each fall and winter to determine the
championship events and dates of each area’s logging show.
....Among those who have contributed
so much to the Canlog program are Jube Wickheim and his family.
Jube is the former world birling champion and a true entrepreneur
of the logging sports business.
....Many others have done so much.
The Harts of Whonnock – bless ‘em – Judy and Gord
have put in countless days andc weeks in organization work. Al and
Jean Boyko of Alberni have also been great contributors.
....One of the really great men of
the sport has been Peter Holmquist of Vancouver. Untiring in his
efforts, backing and actual competitiveness, Peter was and is always
there when needed. The list is long of those who have done so much
to promote the sport.
....Enough can’t be said for
the likes of Dick Herrling, Owen Carney, Bryan Couture, Wayne LeBlanc
and the daddy of champs, big Ron Hartill – a true champion.
....Turning back to the forest tours
for our visiting foresters, we found that |
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after covering those
forest nations of the world we needed to change.
....Our funds became thinner and our
concept of what was needed also changed. We could see that if our
secondary school teachers and young teaching faculty people better
under-stood our forest’s total picture, the reflection on
so many young people would be of real worth in a learning experience.
....So we changed the content of our
tours and put the emphasis on tours of about twenty persons, made
up of sixteen teachers, four graduating foresters, and a tour leader.
We have, to date, put over seven hundred people through thesxe intensive
forest environment tours.
....The forests and the forest industry
need a lot of explaining to lay-people. Clear cutting methods, slash-burning
techniques, labor-management relation-ships, silvicultural methods
and the rela-tionship of stream to forest are all diffi-cult subjects
to discuss in a normal class-room. But taken to the area of concern
– and with the help of the forest ranger, logging foreman,
federal fisheries officer, union representative and others –
the problems are so much easier explained and understood.
....In all the teacher tours we havec
sent out – to Quebec, Prince George, the Queen Charlotte Islands
and to dozens of other spots – we have had nothing but thanks
and appreciation for the complete information the people of the
tours take back to the classroom.
....Just the discussion of slash and
its unsightliness is worth a tour in itself for this subject is
not understood and looked upon as a horror to those who have never
had it explained. No discussion is bypassed on these tours and we
are only satisfied when the teachers run out of questions.
....Without the help of so many of
the foresters from industry and government these tours would not
be as well received as they are. There are too |
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many names to list, but I think of people like Bill Dumont and
Melissa Hadley who have given so much time, and of course a special
bow to one of the best, Gerry Burch.
....This is the mix of Festival of
For-estry. A simple goal has always been in front of us. “To
inform the public of the importance of the forests, the forest
industry and the people who work in and tend those forests across
Canada.”
....What is FoF up to now? Glad you
asked. There’s a reciprocal foresters’ tour of China
and B.C. coming up where our group of twenty four will be hosted
in China’s new forests this fall. We will host our China
forester friends in May, 1986, when Expo is on, as an added attraction.
....Since 1977 we have sent a team
of chainsaw loggers to Europe to compete in the World Chain Saw
Contest for Loggers. We have met with loggers from over 20 nations
in these forays as reported by your humble correspon-dent in past
issues of the B.C. Lumberman.
....Now it’s time for a meeting
to discuss new plans for the future. Which reminds me –
a note of gratitude to Gary Payne for his years of juggling our
meager financial figures – and of course to the best darn
organization secretary that any outfit this side of the Pecos
ever had, the nice Patricia Thackery.
....Festival of Forestry will be
twenty next year – and we will celebrate with our biggest
show ever. Coming to you live and direct from the stage of Expo
86, daily for the duration of this great event in Vancouver will
be our loggers in daring-do of their forest skills. Drop by and
say hello to the lads – and give them a cheer when they
do their stuff – and – Oszkar –
Keep out of the bight,
Bill Moore |
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