TRAILSTRAILS && TALESTALES ULIC TIONULICTION OFOF TETE FOETFOET ITOYITOY OCI TIONOCITION OFOF LET LET FEBRUARYFEBRUARY 2017 2019 ISSUEISSUE #16 #18 DON’T FORGET YOUR TEETH AND BRING IT TH AFS OLDTIMERS 35 ANNUAL HOCKEY TOURNAMENT MARCH 8-9, 2020 ATHABASCA MULTIPLEX ATHABASCA, ALBERTA Contact Charlene Guerin at [email protected] to register to play hockey and/or help with the tournament (volunteers and referees needed). 18 TABLE OF BERTIE BEAVER TURNS 60! CONTENTS 02 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 14 VANDERWELL CONTRACTORS CELEBRATE 75 YEARS 18 BERTIE BEAVER TURNS 60! 28 THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SEVEN DAYS IN MAY 1968 48 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF FORESTRY 50 NORTHLAND FOREST PRODUCTS 28 PLANTS 30 MILLION SEEDLINGS 53 ALBERTA-PACIFIC FOREST THE SEVEN DAYS IN MAY 1968 INDUSTRIES CELEBRATES 25 YEARS 56 CLASS OF 1968 50TH REUNION 60 SLAVE LAKE ANTHEM 61 FOOTNER LAKE ARBORETUM TURNS 50! 63 PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE CANADIAN FORESTRY CORPS 65 EMBER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN WILDLAND FIRE SCIENCE 66 HOT OF THE PRESS: LEARNING FROM THE LANDSCAPE 69 FORESTRY DIVISION MEETING 1961 50 72 MARK YOUR CALENDAR 73 RETIREMENTS 30 MILLION SEEDLINGS PLANTED 89 OBITUARIES 94 FOREST HISTORY PHOTO CORNER 2018 MEMBERSHIP: 149 ON THE COVER: This version of Bertie Beaver (MEMBERSHIPS TRACKED ON A appeared on a number of Department of CALENDAR YEAR BASIS) Lands and Forests annual reports in the 1950s and 1960s. 2 120 1 TRAILS & TALES TRAILS & TALES ATTEND FEBRUARY 2019 FEBRUARY THE 14TH FOREST HISTORY MEETING Bruce Mayer opened the meeting President Peter Murphy was unable for current resource management with introductions of those in to attend due to an ongoing flu, information that would help educate attendance and provided an but provided some quick thoughts. and influence himself and other overview of the documents for Peter commented that the professionals. For those interested review, which included the draft organization was growing, and there in talking to Matthew or guesting on agenda, draft minutes from the was more going on than he had his podcast, the easiest contact is March 15, 2017 meeting and a copy ever envisioned. He was thankful at [email protected]. of the draft financial statement. for all those who made the effort to Also included on the tables was attend and thanked attendees for Dan Wilkinson was unable to the latest edition of the Trails & doing their best to capture, display make it at the last minute, so Bruce Tales, hot off the press. Directors in and educate with Alberta’s forest Mayer provided an overview of attendance were Bruce Mayer, Cliff history. Bruce Mayer went on to the 2018 Canadian Institute of Smith, Norm Denney, Ken Yackimec, thank the attendees, many of whom Forestry national conference to be Gordon Sanders and Bob Newstead. had travelled a long distance, and held in Grande Prairie, September Guest speakers introduced were recognized road conditions were not 18 to 20, 2018, hosted by the Ken Vanderwell with Vanderwell the best on Highway’s 43 and 63. Rocky Mountain Section. Dan is Contractors and Paul Lane with Bruce also thanked Bob Newstead the program chair; Jeff Renton is Air Spray. Special thanks were for his support in reviewing and organizing the agenda. The theme AlbertaForestHistory.ca given to Travis Fairweather for the editing draft newsletter content. for the conference is Sustaining projector and sound system set-up; Resources and Enhancing Jane Price, Charlene Guerin and Second-generation forester, Communities, Looking Back and Rick Harrison, who managed the Matthew Kristoff provided an Going Forward. The intent is to front registration table; and Travis overview of the Your Forest podcast recognize and incorporate learnings Fairweather again for taking still he created. Calling it essentially a from the past as we move forward photographs throughout the night. radio show online, Matthew created in forest and land management. the podcast after finding a gap Bruce Mayer indicated that he Annual General Meeting 3 would be chairing the forest history video played at the start of the in a European forest. Background TRAILS & TALES session, and had Pat Wearmouth meeting. His comments recognized history is within the 2003 book, and Peter Murphy lined up as the value of urban forests, but Learning from the Forests. two of the three speakers. the development of roads and buildings tend to damage and Pieter Van Der Shoot provided a Keith McClain notified attendees destroy those same urban forests. quick summary of the Breton and 2019 FEBRUARY of an upcoming workshop planned District Historical Society and for April 24 and 25, 2018; co- Bob Bott explained the 25-year the work they have done at their chaired by fRI Research and the history of the Foothills Model museum. In the 1920s and 1930s, Canadian Institute of Forestry Forest and subsequent fRI Research the Breton and Winfield area had a Rocky Mountain Section. The theme organization has taken on a life of large forest industry presence, with for the 2018 Forest Forum was its own, and has taken more time 3,000 to 4,000 people living and Alberta’s Forests are Under Threat: and effort than Bob Udell and he working in the area. The museum A Call to Action. The workshop will had envisioned at the start. Bob has a wealth of photographic and focus on the threats to forests, risks mentioned that each chapter will factual material, and is recognized and outline the research that the have a historical context, and the for its material celebrating Black TRIAA Network and fRI Research entire book will be a good read and settlement history in Alberta. have completed or have underway; reference document to all FHAA Pieter also talked about private and how forests contribute to AGM attendees. Bob did start by land forests, and said we should the vitality of the community. talking about the ‘bomb simulation’ not lose sight of their importance. research done in the 1960s in the In Canada, there are 450,000 to Keith also took a minute to Hinton area; where governments 500,000 landowners with forests, talk about the United Nations and military wanted to understand providing 21 per cent of Canada’s Forests and Sustainable Cities the effects of a nuclear explosion fibre supply. In the United States, there are five million landowners with forests, providing nearly 80 2 per cent of the United States fibre supply. In Europe, over ten million landowners have forested land. There are nine directors within the association, elected on a three-year rotation; three representing government; three representing forest industry; and three representing the public. The directors provide oversight, 3 1. Bruce Mayer opening the 14th annual Forest History Association AGM 2. Matthew Kristoff with an overview of his Your Forest podcast work AlbertaForestHistory.ca 3. Keith McClain outlining the upcoming fRI Research and the Canadian Institute of Forestry Rocky Mountain Section workshop on April 24 and 25, 2018 4 Annual General Meeting TRAILS & TALES TRAILS & TALES guidance and focus on the Alberta in 1910; the Vanderwell Harrington as company founder, yearly work of the Forest History logging history began in 1943 when spraying farmers fields with his Association of Alberta. Positions Barney Vanderwell and his partners, Stearman bi-plane aircraft. The up for election at the 2018 AGM brother-in-law Harry Dumouchel initial firefighting contract was were the government position and father-in-law Mike Paul Sr., signed with the Alberta government FEBRUARY 2019 FEBRUARY held by Ken Yackimec, the forest started the sawmill company in the in 1958, leading to further industry position held by Cliff Smith Keephills area, south of Wabamun contracts over the years with Air and the public position held by Lake. “We gotta do something to Spray’s Thrush Commanders, TBM Bob Newstead. Butch Shenfield support the farm …” was the reality Avengers, Douglas B26’s, Canadair resigned prior to the meeting, of the day, and winter logging CL-215s and finally the Lockheed and a one-year replacement for and sawmilling fit the bill. The L188 Electra. Don Hamilton the government position was also Vanderwell’s operated north of Red partnered with Dave Harrington open for election. Ken Yackimec Earth, near Chisholm and finally at in 1969, eventually becoming the (government), Katie McNaughton their current location in Slave Lake. sole owner in 1972. Don’s vision (public) and David Wall (industry) The full story will be included in the and ambition built Air Spray into were acclaimed, with Graham 2019 Trails and Tales newsletter. an international aerial wildfire Legaarden being elected to fill the suppression company. Don passed one-year government position. Paul Lane, Vice President and away at the age of 86, two months COO of Air Spray, provided a 50+ after being inducted into the A third-generation owner/operator, year overview of the company’s Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame. Air Ken Vanderwell gave a great past, and prospects for the future. Spray has expanded operations to presentation on the 75 years of During their research Paul and his the United States with its Air Tractor Vanderwell logging and sawmilling wife Lynn Hamilton, President and 802 wheeled and amphibious history. Starting from their CEO, found the original Air Spray aircraft and the next generation emigration to Canada to Keephills, history began in 1954 with Dave jetengine airtanker BAE 146. 1 2 3 AlbertaForestHistory.ca Annual General Meeting 5 TRAILS & TALES TRAILS & TALES 1. Bob Bott with an overview of the 4 25-year Foothills Model Forest / fRI Research history project he and Bob Udell are finalizing 2. Pieter Van Der Shoot explaining the importance of the work and 2019 FEBRUARY collections of the Breton and District Historical Society 3.