Greetings!

Hello forest lovers!

My name is Ann Normand and in the coming weeks, I will begin taking over Cam’s role as your Work Wild contact. Thankfully he is still working with me at the Alberta Forest Products Association so if you ask any questions that I can’t answer we still have the resident forest expert to consult!
Yesterday was my three-week anniversary with Work Wild. I’ve been spending my time learning everything I can about the forest industry so I can help you find a rewarding career in this exciting industry.

In my first week, Cam and I drove to Cochrane to tour the Spray Lake Sawmill. Seeing my first sawmill was a really cool experience. We walked right through the middle of a massive machine that carries logs through a cutting and finishing process until they are ready to be packed for sale. I also walked through the treatment facility where wood is treated chemically so it will last longer (up to 100 years!). Sawmills are fascinating facilities that offer a wide range of jobs. Some of the different jobs I saw in action were machine operators, lumber graders, and control room operators.

The next day we toured Jumpingpound Demonstration Forest to see a variety of cut blocks. A cut block is a section of a forest that is harvested at a given time. Trees are cut in sections, or blocks, to mimic natural disturbances like fire. When logging is finished, new trees are planted in the blocks so they can regenerate. You can tell how old a regenerating cut block is by measuring the age of the trees growing in that area. We saw cut blocks that were 5, 10, 25, and even 45 years old. After touring the cut blocks, Cam and I set up a booth at the A+ for Energy trade show and talked to teachers about sustainability in the forest industry.

Week two proceeded with more firsts. I toured the Millar Western pulp mill in Whitecourt (my first pulp mill). I learned how wood chips are turned into pulp so that they can then be made into paper products like cardboard, facial tissue, and magazine pages. As someone who loves having paper to write on and books and magazines to read from, I really enjoyed this tour! Then I went next door to the Millar Western sawmill. That is one very advanced wood cutter!

My first three weeks have included quite a few firsts for me. I toured my first two sawmills and a pulp mill, and I saw my first cut block and attended my first A+ for Energy trade show. And now I am writing my first blog post about all these firsts. Today I am continuing this exciting learning process as I head to Acheson to tour Spruceland’s manufacturing plant.

I found my place in the forest industry and I am looking forward to visiting your communities and showing each of you the rewarding and enjoyable opportunities available to you!