Lumberjacks Are Workers In The Canadian Forestry Industry

Production Area

Canada has 10 per cent of the world’s forests. These forests are spread over 397.3 million hectares covering 53.8 per cent of its total land area. Four-fifths of its forestland comprise of coniferous and mixed deciduous forests, which characterise its Taiga belt. Spruce, poplar and pine are the main trees with commercial importance in Canada.

British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario are the major timber producing sites here. Products obtained from logs include industrial roundwood, wood pellets, sawnwood, wood-based panels, pulp for paper, etc. British Columbia produces roughly two-thirds of the softwood lumber in Canada.

Life of a Lumberjack

Lumberjacks are workers in the Canadian forestry industry. They are responsible for

They resided in tightly packed in shanties or bunkhouses. Logging continued during the fall and winter season in Canada, However, in case of British Columbia, logging has been a year-round activity.

Logging involved collaboration among several specialised men. The larger diameter trees were once cut by teams of two and three, as crosscut saws, axe and saws were used. Actual felling and bucking of trees was done by professional fallers and buckers. The smaller diameter trees were cut using swede saws or in tandem.

Modern working conditions for lumberjacks include use of motorised chainsaws. These days, huge machines are used to cut, de-limb and chop up the trees. Such conditions have resulted in fewer lumberjacks working in the lumber industry. Rather than migrating, today lumberjacks simply commute to work each day. The profession of lumberjacks is still predominantly male.

There is still a high rate of injury and death among the lumberjacks. They are prone to getting crushed by a log or hit by a wayward tree. Injuries are commonplace in the mountainous terrain of British Columbia. There are now laws and regulations in place, to make the working conditions for lumberjacks