Chapter 4 – Getting a Job

Chapter 4 – Getting a Job
Last Updated: February 17th, 2015
This information was taken from www.replant.ca - Please feel free to photocopy, share with other
planters, and disseminate this information in any manner that you want. If you post this on other
websites, please include a link back to the above site. Thanks!
NOTE: The company that I do my summer work for is currently accepting applications from both
experienced and inexperienced planters. Click here for more information:
http://www.replant.ca/jobs2015_scooter.pdf
Don’t Do It – Friends Don’t Let Friends Plant Trees
Before I let you read through the rest of this page (the content that’s been online for years), I have
something to say. It’s 2014, and the tree planting industry has been in serious decline in Canada for the
past decade. Between wage decreases for tree planters, plus inflation, the average inflation-adjusted
earnings for Canadian trees planters has been cut IN HALF over the past decade. Although I’m still in
the industry (but planning to switch careers very soon), I highly recommend that if you’re not a tree
planter and you want to be, you re-think that decision. Many first-year planters in companies throughout
BC are barely able to make minimum wage, and why would you ever want to pay for all that planting gear
and camping gear, and have a miserable summer?
If you want a job where you’re barely making minimum wage, stay in a city. If you want to have fun and
party and hang out with tons of other people, stay in a city. If you want to try to make a ton of money in
the summer, get a job in Alberta’s oil patch, where you’ll make twice as much. I know that it sounds
crazy that I’m a camp supervisor and I’m strongly recommending that you don’t apply for jobs, but I’ve
watched the painful decline of prices and earnings over the past decade, and it really frustrates me.
Sometimes, when it comes to bidding, planting company owners are their own worst enemies. As far as
I’m concerned, the public bidding this past fall was the final straw.
If you’re really intent on learning more, check out recent bid results, and avoid companies that
consistently have the lowest bids on more than one or two projects in any given year:
http://www.replant.ca/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=27
Don’t believe me? Check out this recent report (especially page 3) from the Western Silvicultural
Contractors’ Association website: http://wsca.smartt.com/index.php?Page=225.0&Key=887
Seriously, look for a better job somewhere else. Anywhere else. And by the way, the data and prices
mentioned above are from western Canada. Ontario & Maritime prices are apparently worse than in BC,
although I haven’t worked in those provinces myself to confirm. However, many of my own planters have,
and they’ve all said that prices get worse the farther east you are from Alberta & BC.
Introduction
If you are NOT a Canadian citizen, and hope to get a job planting trees while on a work visa, please scroll
down to near the very bottom of this page and read the section just before the conclusions. This will
help you learn more about work visas for Canada!
I get an incredible number of emails from people all over the world, asking me for information about the
best way to get a planting job in Canada. If you're looking for a job, read this page and act upon it
accordingly. Don't bother to email me about jobs, please - I love feedback and don't mind questions, but
it's pretty senseless for me to answer stuff that I've already posted on this site, and I don't hire a
crew myself anymore. In fact, if you have questions that weren't answered here, check out the
"Questions and Answers" forum on the Replant Message Boards, since I have covered some additional
questions there. In fact, sign up for an account and check out ALL of the forums on that board. There
are almost ten thousand posts that are hidden from the public, but you can see them once you sign up
for an account.
Next, before you go any further, do you really know a lot about tree planting? You may THINK that you
want to be a tree planter, but if that’s truly the case, then it just goes to show that you’re retarded.
Yes, I said that, and I mean it. If I were to be politically correct, it might not get the point across
strongly enough. It is my moral obligation to warn you up front about the fact that this is no easy job.
You can skim through the rest of this page if you’re serious about trying to apply for a job as a planter,
but first, let me recommend that you do some VERY thorough research, so you understand exactly what
might be expected of you. Check out the following three sources of informal information about planting
BEFORE you apply, so you are intimately familiar with what you’re getting yourself into:
First, read the “Camp Life” page at this link: http://replant.ca/camplife.html
Second, watch the “Summer Memories” videos for the last several years on the Replant YouTube
channel: http://www.youtube.com/replant
Those are the videos with the dates beside them. As you’re watching them, remember that these videos
may almost seem to make the job appear to be glamorous. It isn’t. Remember that I don’t like to use my
video camera in really wet or muddy conditions, hence the reason why it always seems warm and sunny in
the videos, and everyone seems to be happy and smiling. It’s a charade.
Third, look through a bunch of the summer photo galleries on the main website:
http://replant.ca/photos.html
Same deal here – I tend not to use the camera as frequently during periods of abject misery. Be
forewarned: there ARE periods of abject misery. Actually, if you read some of the diary pages too, that
might give you more background about some of the daily problems we have to overcome.
Finally, if you are NOT a Canadian citizen, it is going to be very difficult for you to get a job planting
trees in Canada. You must first get a work visa. Very few companies will find it worthwhile to make the
effort to help you with this process, so you have to go out and get it on your own. A student work visa
might be easier to get than a regular one. If you do NOT already have a valid Canadian Social Insurance
Number, then you should definitely make sure you can get a work visa before you even begin talking to
tree planting companies.
What Makes a Person a Good Candidate?
Ok, so you’ve seriously done all the research that I suggested above, and you still want to learn more?
Fine.
First of all, ask yourself why you want to plant trees. Be honest with yourself and the interviewer: if you
end up getting a job and hate it, and then quit, the person that you're hurting the most is yourself.
You're also hurting the foreman who took the chance on hiring you, and sometimes you're also hurting
other members of your crew in more indirect ways. Therefore, if you're going to get a job planting, you
should be prepared to stick it out for the entire season, no matter how painful the job seems at times
(and it will). Here are some characteristics that might indicate you are a suitable candidate:

Physical fitness is important. Excellence in aerobic ability and excellence in brute muscular
strength are not entirely necessary. Endurance is the key. Tree planting sucks energy out of you.
You have to be able to develop the ability to keep working steadily. You cannot easily train for
planting (unfortunately) unless you spend three weeks before the season starts, hiking for two
hours per day with a twenty pound knapsack on.

The only truly successful planters are those who have a desperate need for cash. You should not
go planting for the experience, to see the world, or to meet people, and you should especially NOT
go planting to save the environment, or to be with a boyfriend/girlfriend. Most experienced
foremen will NOT hire avid environmentalists or boyfriend/girlfriend combinations. Some won't
hire smokers or people who want to bring their pets.

The ability to learn is another key asset. Be open-minded and analytical. Tree planting, contrary
to what some people believe, is NOT a mindless job. In fact, it is one of the most mentally
challenging jobs there is, which is why veteran planters do better than rookies. It takes time to
learn. Even if you read, memorize and think about every bit of information you can find on this
and other websites, there will still be things that you have to learn as a rookie, that 'cannot' be
taught - ie. knowing where to place your shovel to ‘magically’ find dirt. Not only do you have to
watch yourself, but you have to watch others and learn, and ask your foreman for advice. If you
have a good foreman, he/she will also be a good planter, and the truly great foremen know that all
time invested in the training of planters is rewarded in the long run, no matter how frustrating it
may seem in the short term.

Almost anybody can eventually become a good planter, with concentration and determination.
Some take longer than others, but all it takes is drive, focus, and the ability to learn from
yourself and others. You will not be successful unless you constantly and actively try to improve
your planting skills. Tree planting is for people who are self-motivated and take initiative, not for
quitters.
Now that I've listed a few success factors, here are a few characteristics that might identify people
who should not go planting:

Anybody with a history of back, arm, wrist, knee, or ankle problems definitely should not go
planting. Planting puts enormous physical stress on the body and WILL aggravate old injuries,
often making them even harder to deal with. Remember that knee surgery you had eleven years
ago, which hasn’t bothered you in a decade? Your knee will come back to haunt you with a
vengeance. Veteran planters who spend years working in fast ground will slowly wear out their
bodies, destroying tendons, etc.

Anybody under emotional stress should probably not go planting. If you have “relationship
hassles,” depression, some kind of an existential crisis, or if you're in mourning, the bush is the
worst possible place to deal with it.

Anyone recovering from a long-term illness should probably not go planting. The physical stress of
planting will often break down your immune system and bring back the illness. Toward the end of a
two-month stint of planting, even the healthiest folk can and do get sick easily.

People with significant excess weight problems should probably not go planting. If you're a bit
stocky, then you'll probably burn off fifteen to thirty pounds in the first several weeks of the
season. But anything more than that, and I would suggest you look for work elsewhere. I'm not
kidding. Look at the pictures of people on this site: there are very few obese people in the
industry, because obese people generally do not make good tree planters. I’m not trying to
discriminate against fat people, but the fact is that if you're overweight, the statistics prove
that you will be far more likely to hate your job and quit. And that only hurts yourself. There
are exceptions, of course, but the fact that heavyset people don’t usually do well as planters is a
pretty accurate generalization, in my opinion.
How To Apply For a Job
First of all, are you sure that you are ready to apply for a job? Do you understand what you are getting
yourself into? How much do you know about tree planting in Western Canada? I would suggest that
before you go any further, take the time to read through this page thoroughly, and make sure that tree
planting is something that you want to commit yourself to: http://www.replant.ca/camplife.html
Ok, if you’ve read through the “Camp Life” page and understand part of what’s involved in tree planting,
then continue here. First, know that timing matters: some months are definitely better than others.
Traditionally, most hiring seems to take place between January and March for the upcoming summer
season. In Canada, there is very little point looking for work between August and December. Finding a
position in late March or April can sometimes be more difficult, so start your job search early! (this
applies to any reputable company, although you might be able to get a job with one of the "rookie mills"
at almost any time throughout the spring). However, you should be aware that crew schedules and
logistics can change on a weekly basis as the upcoming season is mapped out. Sometimes a foreman who
previously had no openings may suddenly find the need for an extra planter or two at the last minute, so
persistence can pay off. Sometimes luck is a crucial factor! Once the planting season is well under way
(late May), it makes a bit less sense to start looking for a job. By the time you get a job, get your
equipment, find your way to camp, and learn to plant, the season will be almost over. However, if you are
seriously planning to plant for a couple of years, it is probably still worth your while to start the learning
process, even if it is part-way through a conventional planting season. The big question is whether or not
you can find a foreman who would be willing to train a new employee part-way through the season.
I have seen almost every type of job application imaginable over the years. I have seen an application
where, when asked about participation in extra-curricular activities, the applicant said, "No, but I would
be interested in participating if any were available." I have seen a resume where the applicant listed
"breathing" among hobbies and interests. Here is one of my all-time favorite letters of interest,
verbatim:
"I want to plant trees and so does my best pal. I know im only supposed to want the money but i gotta be
honest man i hate this whole fuckin idea of conformity and mid eastern society! I just wanna live like an
animal, puff a few and jam at night with my 100$ plastic neck guitar. im desperate man, me and my friend
are going nuts waisting our lives trying to be something were not. we eat mountains and bugs for
breakfast so we're ready for the worst. My time is like a peice of twine being mangled by the sopporific
mind."
I have to admit that a letter like that is an excellent way to catch the attention of the recruiter at any
company. However, if you want to increase your chances of actually getting a job, I think you might be
better off by taking a more professional approach. I would suggest that if you are sending resumes and
cover letters out to a number of employers, you should include the following information:

A brief description (300-500 words) about your personal history. You can write about where you
were born, places you've lived, schools you've gone to, hobbies, sports, and previous jobs that
you've held.

Why do you want to plant trees?

Why are you specifically interested in working for the company you are applying to, as opposed to
any other companies in the industry? Have you met any other employees who still work for that
particular company?

For experienced planters: What experience do you have? Provide as much detail as possible.
Potential employers will like to know about previous companies you've worked for, who your
foremen/supervisors were at these companies, and which contracts you have worked on (which
places, and for which lumber companies or government agencies, if you can remember). What
types of ground have you worked? (ie. plant-as-is/raw/unprepped, trenching, ripper plow, donaren
or excavator/hoe mounding, drags, burns, etc.). What price ranges did you get for these types of
prep? What was your average/high/low daily production?

For experienced planters: How would you classify yourself as a planter? Do you prefer to aim for
high or moderate quality? Are you a "highballer" or a "slow and steady" planter? Is high priced,
slow ground your preference, or do you like low-priced/fast ground contracts? What are your
favorite working conditions, in terms of site prep, weather conditions, slope, terrain, geography,
and teamwork vs. solitary work? There is no such thing as a “wrong” answer to these questions –
any decent company will try to place you on a contract that suits your preferences, if possible.

For inexperienced planters: What do you know about planting? Where did you first hear about
it? Do you have friends that have planted, and what were their experiences? Since you don’t
have previous experience, your application will be somewhat shorter than a vet’s would be,
because you can’t answer all of the previous questions. Take this opportunity to let your potential
employer know everything that could possibly be of relevance. This is your first chance to start
proving that you know what you’re getting yourself into, and you’re not going to become a statistic
by quitting your job part-way through the summer.

Do you have any medical conditions that an employer should be aware of? Have you ever
experienced back, knee, or wrist problems, or any forms of tendonitis?

Do you have any special certificates or abilities that an employer should be aware of, such as
advanced first aid training, firearm's acquisition/possession certificates, class four driver's
license (multi-passenger commercial transport), snag faller's certificate, WHMIS, TDG, S-100
fire suppression, etc.?
The above information should be quite sufficient to provide a prospective employer with a thorough
background on yourself. Be honest, and don't be scared to give a very detailed answer, instead of just
providing a quick overview of your life. If you're going to write a cover letter, consider using proper
grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Capital letters in the appropriate locations would be nice too. If your
grammar and spelling aren't perfect, get someone else with a literary background to check your
application over before you submit it to anyone. This may be the most critical point in your job search,
when the piece of paper you use to apply for a job reaches the person who either puts it in the "no" pile
or the "maybe" pile. You will find that the above information should be comprehensive enough to catch
someone's attention when applying to virtually any planting companies in Canada, so feel free to apply to
a number of different organizations.
Here is a list of some of the known contractors in Western Canada and Ontario, with normal and internet
contact information, where possible. Please note that I do not have the time to verify and update all
this information on an annual basis. Therefore, the contact information for companies listed here is as
correct as I can manage, but some of it may be out of date by the time you read this page.
I don't make any guarantees as to the reputation of any of the companies listed here ... some Canadian
planting contractors are basically "fly-by-night" setups, living on a shoe-string from day to day, while
others have very legitimate ongoing operations. For Western Canadian companies, I have ONLY included
information from companies who are members of the Western Silvicultural Contractors’ Association
(WSCA). If you are looking for a job in Western Canada as an inexperienced planter, it is my personal
opinion that you should ONLY consider working for a company that is a member of the WSCA. There are
a few members of the WSCA that still have room for improvement in their business practices, and there
are certainly a few decent Western Canadian contractors who are strangely NOT members of the
WSCA. But in general, the members of the WSCA are either well established and legitimate “veteranplanter-only” companies, or well-organized companies that accept applications from both experienced and
inexperienced planters. You should be fairly confident that your paycheques won’t bounce if you stick to
companies on this list.
Please note that for the Western Canadian companies, if I’ve said that the company will not hire
inexperienced planters, I mean it. Don’t waste your time and their time by attempting to contact them
if you don’t have previous planting experience (and references to back it up).
Sorry, there is no industry association in Ontario or Quebec, so I’ve just tried to include every single
company address I could find for those two provinces. “Let the buyer beware.”
IMPORTANT!!! If you are a company representative for any of the companies below, please check back
here each winter to determine whether or not your contact information is still correct – some of my
updates come from company owners, and some come from other planting websites, and I want to maintain
the most up-to-date information possible. I have also recently included a list of Quebec companies at
the very bottom of this page, courtesy of Julie Bernatchez. Thanks Julie! Anyway, even if you aren’t a
company owner, if you have updated contact info on any of these companies, please let me know by
sending an e-mail to jonathan.scooter.clark@gmail.com. A lot of planters end up trying to contact most
of these companies when looking for jobs. If you find that one isn’t in operation any more, I may not
know yet, especially for the smaller companies. If you email me, I can take it off the list right away.
Western Canadian Companies who are Members of the Western Silvicultural
Contractors’ Association:
AKEHURST & GILTRAP REFORESTATION (BC work)
480 Keith Rd., West Vancouver, BC, V7T 1L7
Phone: (604) 925-8646, Fax: (604) 925-8647
This company will NOT consider hiring inexperienced planters.
BRINKMAN AND ASSOCIATES (Alberta/BC/Ontario work)
520 Sharpe Street, New Westminster, BC, V3M 4R2
Phone: (604) 521-7771, Fax: (604)520-1968
DYNAMIC REFORESTATION (BC work)
Box 4129, Williams Lake, BC, V2G 2V2
Phone: (250) 398-9477, Fax: (250) 398-9478
FOLKLORE CONTRACTING (Alberta/BC work)
1077 Eastern Street, Prince George, BC, V2N 5R8
Phone: (250) 563-5765, Fax: (250) 563-2445
e-mail: info@folklorecontracting.ca
GREENPEAKS HOLDINGS LTD. (BC work)
Box 140, Balfour, BC, V0H 1J0
Phone: (250) 229-5474, Fax: (250) 229-5722
This company will NOT consider hiring inexperienced planters.
LEADER SILVICULTURE LTD. (BC work)
#22 – 8003 Timber Lane, Whistler, BC, V0N 1B8
Phone: (604) 932-3912, Cell: (604) 938-3599
e-mail: leaders@telus.net
PANORAMA SILVICULTURE INC. (BC work)
Box 962, Nelson, BC, V1L 6A5
Phone: (250) 229-4709, Fax: (250) 229-4759
This company will NOT consider hiring inexperienced planters.
QUASTUCO SILVICULTURE LTD. (BC work)
Scott Overland, BSc, Project Supervisor
11-477 Martin St., Penticton, BC, V2A 5L2
Phone: (250) 770-3218, Fax: (778) 476-5640, Cell: (250) 809-8619
This company will NOT consider hiring inexperienced planters.
RANGER SILVICULTURE (BC work)
Russ Malcolm
1156 May Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 2S5
e-mail: treeranger@gmail.com
This company will NOT consider hiring inexperienced planters.
RAVEN VENTURES (BC work)
Address Unknown, Kelowna, BC
Phone: (250) 4780-7897
This company will NOT consider hiring inexperienced planters.
SPECTRUM RESOURCE GROUP INC. (BC/Alberta work)
3810 18th Ave, Prince George, BC, V2N 4V5
Phone: (250) 564-0383, Fax: (250) 562-4885
e-mail: srgi@srgi.ca
SUMMIT REFORESTATION & FOREST MANAGEMENT LTD. (BC work)
P.O. Box 2786, Smithers, BC, VOJ 2N0
Phone: (250) 847-5125, Fax: (250) 847-6009
TIMBERLINE REFORESTATION (2004) LTD. (BC work)
1874 Spike Road, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1N5
Phone: (250) 505-4362
e-mail: timref@telus.net
This company will NOT consider hiring inexperienced planters.
WILDHORSE SILVICULTURE (BC work)
Box 17, Ymir, BC, V0G 2K0
Phone: (250) 357-2161
This company will NOT consider hiring inexperienced planters.
ZANZIBAR HOLDINGS LTD. (BC work)
#204 1801 Welch St., North Vancouver, BC, V7P 1B7
Phone: (604) 216-7766, Fax: (604) 980-1394
This company will NOT consider hiring inexperienced planters.
Ontario Companies
A&M REFORESTATION (Ontario work)
120 Larch Street
Sudbury, ON, P3E 1C2
Phone: (705) 674-5231, Fax: (705) 675-7461
BRINKMAN AND ASSOCIATES (Alberta/BC/Ontario work)
520 Sharpe Street, New Westminster, BC, V3M 4R2
Phone: (604) 521-7771, Fax: (604)520-1968
HAVEMAN BROTHERS FORESTRY SERVICES (Ontario work)
Box 249, Kakabeka Falls, ON, P0T 1W0
Phone: (807) 475-4662, Fax: (807) 473-4042
e-mail: info@havemanbrothers.com
MOOSE CREEK REFORESTATION (Ontario work)
Box 82, Oxdrift, ON, P0V 2J0
Phone: (807) 937-5806, Fax: (807) 937-2384
OUTLAND REFORESTATION INC. (mostly Ontario work, some Alberta/Manitoba)
Suite 200-250 Eglinton Ave., West Toronto, ON, M4R 1A7
Phone: (416) 483-5152
e-mail: outland@outland.ca
PRT FRONTIER (Ontario work)
Box 757, 75 Pollard Rd., Dryden, ON, P8N 2Z4
Phone: (800) 270-9973, Fax: (807) 937-8361
TREELINE REFORESTATION INC. (Ontario work)
72 Sixth Ave., Englehart, ON, P0J 1H0
Phone: (705) 544-1142
Quebec Companies
Coopérative forestière de la Petite Nation
761, chemin des Pionniers
La Minerve (Québec) J0T 1S0
Téléphone : (819) 274-2442
Téléphone sans frais : (877) 274-2442
Isabelle Charest, responsable du reboisement
Courriel : cfpn@qc.aira.com
Coopérative agroforestière Kinojévis-Abijévis
97, 8e rue
Rouyn-Noranda (Québec) J9X 2A5
Téléphone : (819) 762-8699
Jean Goyard, responsable du reboisement
Courriel: coopka@lino.com
Site web: www.coopka.org
Coopérative forestière New-Richmond – St-Alphonse
121, route de Saint-Alphonse
Saint-Alphonse (Québec) G0C 2V0
Téléphone : (418) 388-5481
Benoît Pitre, responsable du reboisement
Courriel: cfna.benoit@globetrotter.net
COOPÉRATIVE FORESTIÈRE DE PETIT PARIS
576, rue Gaudreault
St-Ludger-de-Milot (Québec)
G0W 2B0
Téléphone : (418) 373-2575
Télécopieur : (418) 373-2445
http://www.cfpp.com/
Coopérative forestière Girardville
2077, rang Saint-Joseph Nord
Girardville (Québec) G0W 1R0
Téléphone : (418) 258-3451
Stéphanie Nadeau, responsable des ressources humaines
Courriel : dlamontagne@cfgirardville.com
Site web : www.cfgirardville.com
Coopérative forestière New-Richmond – St-Alphonse
121, route de Saint-Alphonse
Saint-Alphonse (Québec) G0C 2V0
Téléphone : (418) 388-5481
Benoît Pitre, responsable du reboisement
Courriel: cfar.benoit@globetrotter.net
La Forêt de demain
200, 6ème rue ouest
Amos (Québec) J9T 2T5
Tél : (819) 727-5556
Télécopieur : (819) 727-4656
LA FORESTERIE A.S.L. INC.
803 14ièm avenue
Senneterre (Québec)
J0Y2M0
Cathy Tremblay (Superviseur reboisement)
téléphone : 819-737-8851
télécopieur : 819-737-2780
cathy.tremblay@foresterieasl.ca
http://www.foresterieasl.ca
For People Who Are NOT Canadian Citizens – Work Visa Information
ALL Canadian tree planting companies will require employees to have a valid working visa. NONE of them
pay in cash anymore – that practice stopped about fifteen years ago! You will not be able to work “under
the table,” so you need to have a work visa if you want to plant trees in Canada.
First, you need to be aware that there are different types of working visas for Canada. There is the
regular one, and there is a student work visa. In many cases, you will be much more likely to get a job
with a student work visa. I will explain why.
A regular “work visa” is a temporary work permit that proves written authorization to work in Canada,
from Citizenship And Immigration Canada. It is usually valid for a specific job, and for a specific length
of time. The problem with this is that the prospective employer will likely need to obtain what is called a
“Labour Market Opinion” from Human Resources & Skills Development Canada to confirm that the job
can be filled by a foreign worker. In order to obtain that LMO from HRSDC, the employer must
document all of the efforts taken to recruit and hire willing and available Canadian citizens and
permanent residents. But here you see the problem – there are a lot more people looking for jobs as
tree planters than there are positions available. If a company has made efforts to recruit employees in
Canada, then they will almost certainly have found enough employees! Although I am speaking from my
own experiences having talked to a very large number of tree planting companies, and I am not speaking
officially on behalf of any of my employers, you need to understand that I have NEVER seen a case
where a planting company will ask for an LMO and then try to help a foreign applicant with a work visa
application. I believe that you would be wasting your own time and wasting the planting companies’ time
if you trying asking a company to help with this process.
However, some people, depending on their age and country of origin and personal circumstances, are able
to get what is called a “student work visa.” The planting companies are not involved in any applications
for student work visas. If a non-Canadian is able to get such a document, it is valid for work in any
industry in Canada, for a broad time frame (perhaps a year). If you already have a student work visa,
check to see what time period it is good for and then ask companies when they have work. If your visa is
good during the planting season (which is ONLY during May, June, and July for 95% of the trees planted
in Canada), then you might be able to get a job.
However, let me break some bad news to you right now. Many companies will not hire people from other
companies who have student work visas. The problem is that there is a steep learning curve, and the
best tree planters are ones who have done it for several seasons. If someone is on a temporary student
work visa, they are less likely to be available to work for several seasons. Since there are many
Canadians and permanent residents applying for tree planting jobs too, the companies will try to hire the
“better applicant,” and an applicant who is able to work in Canada for several years has an advantage. I
am not saying that any companies will refuse to hire you because you are a foreigner and have a student
work visa. However, if they have lots of applications it makes more sense for them to hire the Canadians
and permanent residents. And unfortunately for foreign workers, there are lots of Canadians competing
for a very limited number of tree planting positions. Think about this: British Columbia, which is the
province that is most renowned for its reforestation industry, has about 4.5 million people. There are
only about six thousand positions for tree planters in the entire province, and the unemployment rate
recently was around 7%. That’s a LOT of Canadians who are looking for a very small number of jobs.
I wish I had better news for foreign applicants, but it is better to tell you what is really happening
there. A very small number of people on student work visas will occasionally succeed in finding a tree
planting job, but the odds are quite heavy against you. The Canadian economy is better than the
economy in most countries, but it is still hard for many Canadians to find a job.
Conclusions
Good luck in your job search! Again, if you find any incorrect information in the above list of contractors,
I would appreciate knowing so that I can keep it up to date. Please send me an email at
djbolivia@gmail.com if you have any additions, deletions, or corrections.
Also, please feel free to print this page and pass the information along to other potential planters, and
let them know the link to www.replant.ca
Good luck in your job searches …
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Jonathan Clark (Scooter), author.