Tree Planting Resource

Manual 2023
Congratulations!

We are pleased to offer you a job with Brinkman Reforestation Ltd. This Tree Planting Resource
Manual outlines what you should expect from tree planting and from Brinkman. It also points out
what we expect from you. It is meant to be referred to before, during, and after the planting season
– so please keep a copy for your reference.

Note: while this manual is geared more towards first year planters, there is pertinent info in here
that seasoned vets also need to know about the way Brinkman operates. Please do take the time
to read the entire manual, as it is our expectation you will be familiar with this information prior to
working with us.

For 2023 – we have moved to online onboarding through a company called Bridge. Shortly after
receiving this manual, you should receive an email from Bridge Systems to complete your
onboarding. Let us know if you don’t get an email (check your junk mail first) because occasionally
people don’t get one. If you have any problems signing in or completing it – email
[email protected] - and if you don’t hear from us right away – Bridge help is quite good and quite
fast.

Once you sign onto Bridge, you will be in the My Learning Tab and you will see that you have been
signed up for a “Welcome to Brinkman 2023!” module. There are other available modules in your
Learning Library that may interest you but you don’t need to do them. The “Welcome to Bridge”
module is used to gather the information to set you up for a great season. We will set you up for
your financial onboarding closer to the start of the season.

Please complete your onboarding within a week – or let us know if you need more time. After we
receive confirmation that you have completed your onboarding - we will confirm with you within a
week. At this point your position will be confirmed.

We usually send you your season details in late February or early March. We often require you
confirm that you received these emails. We would appreciate it if you replied promptly. If you do
change your mind about planting with us, please let us know as soon as possible so we can hire
another planter. We don’t mind, we simply need to know.

Note: We will be contacting our people primarily by email and providing all the information and
instructions you need for the season (including pay stubs) through this route as well. As mass
emails are rejected by an ever-increasing number of email accounts, please ensure that
“brinkman.ca” is on your contact list, so that our emails are not relegated to your spam folder or
rejected altogether. Skipping this step may result in the loss of some important information. A few
weeks prior to your project start date you will receive an email requesting you to complete our
online Pre-Employment Competency Assessment. This program is administered through ‘Bridge,’
and consists of an assessment which you can complete wherever you access the internet. You will
also have access to a library of information about our Health & Safety Program, among other
topics. Included are the following:
1. The major elements of Brinkman’s Occupational Health + Safety Program: Daily Forms;
Emergency Response; Reporting Injuries + Incidents; Injury Prevention; Safety Meetings;
Worker Representatives; First Aid services; Safety Boards; Emergency Drills; Personal
Protective Equipment; Inspections; Audits; Goals; and Training.
2. Six Important Policies: Health + Safety; Progressive Discipline; Bullying + Harassment;
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 Violence; Drug + Alcohol; Headphones
3. The most relevant Safe Work Practices to your work as a treeplanter: Bears; Cougars;
Danger Trees; Heat Stress + Dehydration; Personal Care; Personal Tent Setup;
Treeplanting; and Worker Transportation.
4. The Rights and Responsibilities of both Management and Workers.
5. The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System
6. Your Employee Info
7. For owners of personal vehicles, a module on our Policies and expectations
8. For owners of domestic animals, a module on our Policies and expectations
9. Communicable Disease mitigation protocols (including for COVID-19)

As we continue to develop our online Program, more information may be added; we will let you
know which ones you should read. The Assessment is mandatory; please do not show up on your
project without having completed it. Completing it before your project starts will enable your
Project Manager and other staff to focus on topics that are specific to your project and get you into
the field for hands-on training sooner.

At least a few weeks in advance of your season, you will hear from us with information on your
start-up date, your contract’s location, your Project Manager, and the mustering directions to your
meet up location. Our start-up dates are typically in early May. They vary from year to year,
according to weather conditions, stock availability, the location, and particularly the elevation of
your contract. As soon as we receive the go-ahead from our clients, we will contact you. Be warned
– these initial dates often change a week or two later – it all depends on the weather! It is best to
purchase transferable or refundable tickets when booking transportation to and from your camp’s
mustering location. Always check your email and/or call us before you head up to your contract.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Judi Tetro Timo Scheiber
Chief Operating Officer Chief Executive Officer

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 CONTACT INFORMATION

Human Resources: [email protected] John Beaton

OH+S: [email protected] IT & BC Regional Manager – BC Kootenays
Generic: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
www.brinkmanreforestation.ca Cell: (250)-465-0987

Timo Scheiber Robin C. McCullough

Chief Executive Officer Occupational Health + Safety Coordinator
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Office: (250)-746-7037 Office: (604)-521-7771 ext. 104
Cell: (250)-850-9015 Cell: (778)-229-1581

Judi Tetro Samantha Mussells

Chief Operating Officer & Alberta Regional Human Resources Manager
Manager Email: [email protected],
Email: [email protected] [email protected]
Office: (613)-745-6618
Cell: (780)-237-1301 Jenn Clements
Administrative Assistant
Mike Priestap Email: [email protected]
Ontario Regional Manager Cell: (905)-467-3094
Email: [email protected]
Cell: (780)-515-0428 Anna Toczynska
IT Systems Assistant
Mike Hayes Email: [email protected]
Southern Ontario Regional Manager Cell: (204)-583-6150
Email: [email protected]
Cell: (705)-494-0952 Eastern Storage/Maintenance Facility
Johnny Mac’s
Matt Robertson 3941 Highway 601
BC Regional Manager – Central Northern BC Dryden, Ontario, P8N 3G2
Email: [email protected]
Office: (250)-642-1716 Western Storage/Maintenance Facility
Cell: (250)-709-7070 1201 Tumbleweed Rd
Ashcroft, BC, V0K 1A0
Brian Beaudry
BC Regional Manager – BC Coast
Email: [email protected]
Cell: (250)-331-3196

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 Table of Contents

CONTACT INFORMATION .......................................................................................................................................................4

THE COMPANY ...............................................................................................................................................................................7
Our Health and Safety Program .......................................................................................................................100
Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) program .......................................................................................122
Bullying & Harassment Response Protocols ................................................................................................122
THE JOB .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 133
Health and Safety on the Job ..............................................................................................................................133
Job Training..............................................................................................................................................................155
Quality ........................................................................................................................................................................166
Expectations .......................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.6
GEARING UP FOR PLANTING .............................................................................................................................................. 18
Getting Prepared ...................................................................................................................................................... 18
Mental Preparation ................................................................................................................................................. 18
Physical Preparation .............................................................................................................................................. 19
Injury Management Resources .........................................................................................................................233
A Typical Day in the Life of a Tree Planter ...................................................................................................266
Camp Life...................................................................................................................................................................277
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS................................................................................................................................ 300
How will I get to the contract? ...........................................................................................................................300
Can I bring my car?................................................................................................................................................300
When will the contract start and finish? .......................................................................................................311
What if I have to leave the contract early? ...................................................................................................322
What will my day look like? ................................................................................................................................322
How do I keep track of how many trees I plant each day? ......................................................................333
What is the ratio of Experienced to Inexperienced Planters?................................................................344
Will I get a day off? ................................................................................................................................................344
Our Drug and Alcohol Policy (key points):....................................................................................................355
Can I receive mail? .................................................................................................................................................366
What if I get hurt or sick? ....................................................................................................................................366
Can I bring my dog? ...............................................................................................................................................377
What about Bears? .................................................................................................................................................. 39
How can I dispel my parent’s fears about tree planting?.......................................................................... 39
How and when will I be paid? ............................................................................................................................390
And how do I get an ROE?...................................................................................................................................42
What is Brinkman’s camp cost? ........................................................................................................................422
Can I deduct my equipment purchases from my taxes? ...........................................................................422
A few other notes about RWA: ...........................................................................................................................422
What about Vacation Pay?..................................................................................................................................433
What if I find mistakes on my paystubs? .......................................................................................................433
EQUIPMENT LIST ................................................................................................................................................................... 444
Bags and Shovels ....................................................................................................................................................500
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 Where to buy planting equipment ...................................................................................................................522
AFTER THE PLANT ................................................................................................................................................................... 52
Other Available Work ...........................................................................................................................................522
A Career with Brinkman ...................................................................................................................................................... 55
Appendix One: Safe Work Practice Tree Planting ................................................................................................. 56
Appendix Two: Tree Planter – Job Description ...................................................................................................... 58
Appendix Three: Letter for Your Parents / Loved Ones .................................................................................... 59

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Who is Brinkman Reforestation Ltd.?

THE COMPANY
Brinkman Reforestation Ltd. is Canada's oldest and foremost reforestation
company. We have planted over 1.5 BILLION trees since our inception in 1970.
Brinkman is recognized as a leader and innovator throughout the forest industry,
and our underlying approaches to silviculture and restoration services are based on ecologically
sound practices. Our clients include private forest industry companies and government agencies
in British Columbia, Yukon, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick.

Since being founded by Dirk Brinkman, the company has been a driving force in the development
of Canada's reforestation industry. A founding member of silviculture contractor associations
across Canada, Brinkman has participated on many steering committees and roundtables
addressing national and provincial forest resource issues. Many of the company's innovations in
equipment and operations have become industry standards, including planting bags and spades,
girdling, mixed species/microsite planting, on-site camps, and seedling containers.

Since 1970 the company has expanded its services in response to the changing needs and
opportunities in Canada’s forest industry. Although planting remains the core activity, Brinkman
now offers many other
silviculture services to its
clients, including: juvenile
spacing, brushing, conifer
release, power girdling,
pruning, cone picking, slash
burning, as well as a full
range of survey capabilities.

The broad range of services

that Brinkman offers have
proven effective in a variety
of ecosystems within Canada
and internationally. Its
success and professional
reputation are due to its
people, a core staff group
that has built 35 specialized
crews with over 1000
seasonal employees.

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 Brinkman is pleased to be a
long-term supplier to many of
Canada's major forestry
companies, some for more
than 35 continuous years.

Brinkman’s head office is in

New Westminster, BC. We
have full-time office staff who
manage our Canada-wide
operations. Your payroll is
processed here, and our
policies and procedures are
created and reviewed here,
using feedback from our
various satellite offices and
field crews. We have storage/maintenance facilities in Ashcroft, B.C and satellite offices in northern
and southern Ontario, and on Vancouver Island.

Our Organizational Chart

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 Why work with a big company like Brinkman Reforestation Ltd?

There are many advantages to working with a larger, more established company such as:

• Long-term relationships with clients

• Extensive infrastructure, which means better camps and
less downtime, plus greater mobility across regions
• Opportunities for the longest working season in the industry
• Financially stable company
• Paid regularly (twice per month after initial project
setup), with direct deposit into your bank account
• Excellent Occupational Health and Safety program
• Experienced staff
• Exceptional training program

Brinkman Reforestation Ltd. is also known as a “planter-oriented” company. This means that it
is part of our overarching policy to treat our planters well, with respect, and to solicit and use
feedback from all of our workers. Reasonable planting hours and shift schedules reflect our
understanding of planter burnout and injury rates, and our commitment to reducing injury
frequency and severity.

Brinkman does not impose quality fines on its workers. We also pay our planters during the
contract every two weeks, using direct deposit into your bank account, so you see the money you
are making during the contract. Our food and our camps are of a high standard. For all these
reasons and more, we have one of the highest return rates in the industry.

For more information please visit the Brinkman Group website: http://www.brinkman.ca. This site
is the hub from which our various websites extend; see the table below for details.
Company Name Service Provided Website Domain
Brinkman & Associates Parent Company www.brinkmanforest.ca
Brinkman Reforestation Silviculture, Forestry www.brinkmanreforestation.ca
Ltd.
BARCA Services Forests
Tropical www.brinkmanreforestation.ca
www.barca-agroforestal.com
Brinkman Living Forest Renewal
Living Infrastructure www.brinkmanrestoration.ca
Infrastructure
Brinkman Earth Systems Research & Development www.brinkmanearthsystems.com
Brinkman Climate Carbon Finance /
www.brinkmanclimate.com

Stay connected with the Brinkman planting community online. Follow our YouTube channel,
(Brinkman Reforestation), our Facebook page (Brinkman Treeplanter’s Hub), and the Brinkman
Instagram Page (@brinkmanplanting) for more information and to stay connected to the planting
community.

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Our Health and Safety Program
Brinkman Reforestation Ltd. is committed to ensuring the health and safety of every worker in all
of the company's operations. We have a long and proud history of being involved in the
improvement of safety in the silviculture industry. We were directly involved with the
development of minimum silviculture camp standards in BC, silviculture health and safety
standards in Alberta and Ontario, and the development of minimum safety guidelines for
silviculture workers with the Worker’s Compensation Board of BC.

Brinkman’s operations have long been certified by various provincial, industry-governing safety
bodies. In fact, we were amongst the first companies in each province to do so, and we have
maintained our position as industry leaders in this regard. We are proud that our commitment to
safety has resulted in the following formal industry recognition:

1. In Alberta: since 1999, we have held accreditation with the Alberta Forest Product
Association’s Partners in Injury Reduction program.
2. In Ontario: since 2002, we have been members of the Worker’s Safety Insurance Board-
sponsored Workplace Safety North Advantage Group program. Since 2020, we have also
been members of WSIB’s Health and Safety Excellence Program.
3. In BC: since 2007, we have held the BC Forest Safety Council’s Safe Company Certification.

These commitments ensure not only that our Occupational Health and Safety (OH+S) Program is
approved by the relevant provincial worker safety regulatory body, but also that we are
continually improving and keeping up to date with changing safety requirements. Our worksites
are assessed regularly for hazards, our workers are well trained, our camps and equipment are
regularly inspected, and our management-worker communication protocols are both well-
established and always adapting and improving.

Each of our remote field camps and projects has a Field Safety Committee – with the exception of
our very small camps, which usually have an elected Safety Representative. These Committees
(and/or Representatives) communicate – through the in-camp OH+S Program Administrator and
through Safety Meeting documentation – with our Central Safety Committee, which operates out
of the Head Office in the off-season.

The Field Safety Committee in your camp is comprised of two staff members, as well as at least
two planters elected by their peers – you! This Committee plays an important role in documenting,
reviewing and investigating Health and Safety concerns that may arise at the camp or during the
planting operations. These people are there to listen to you, and are a very important part of our
OH+S Program. There is always information that would not make it back to Head Office without
your participation – we need to hear about it so we can improve upon it.

We also have an Ombudsperson, who can be independently and anonymously contacted through
the Ombudsperson email address:
[email protected]

While the Ombudsperson is not a replacement for our regular channels of communication, they
are another one of the resources we provide.
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 Every Brinkman worker is
responsible for following all
safety rules and safe work
procedures. These are
outlined in our formal
Orientation process and
made visible via handouts
and Safety Board notices. We
have material available in
French, and all workers are
oriented, regardless of when
they join the project. It is
critical that you get the
information you need to do
your job, and to safely live
together in camp; if you feel
unsure of your rights and
responsibilities, please
check out our camp Safety
Board, as well as the OH+S
materials available in the
Planter Resource Library.

Brinkman Reforestation Ltd.

meets or exceeds all
provincial first aid
requirements, including the
provision of first aid
equipment, emergency
transport, and first aid
personnel. Every Brinkman
crew includes at least one
First Aid Attendant, whose
job it is to:

1. Treat injuries, as well as document and report any time loss injuries to Head Office
immediately
2. Maintain the first aid kits and equipment properly
3. Assist with injury prevention and ongoing injury management

The company is required by provincial legislation to report any work-related injuries

immediately to the appropriate authorities. The First Aid Attendant in a key person in this
process. It is important that you know who the Attendant is, and that you report any injuries as
soon as possible. We also encourage our workers to identify symptoms of physical stress to their
First Aid Attendant early in order to facilitate injury prevention. Modifying a planting technique
or adopting a new one will often prevent minor aches and pains from developing.
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Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) program

Brinkman believes in the value of supporting the long-term health of our people. To this end, we
have created a unique Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) program for all senior field
managers (crew lead, foreperson, tree-runner, head cook). Persons qualify at the start of their
4th year in a field management role. The program also recognizes individuals who have planted
with us for 4 or more years and are entering their 3rd year in a field supervision role. This
demonstrates our great appreciation for both experience they bring to our operations and their
ongoing commitment to Brinkman.

The HCSA provides up to $1,000 annually for 100% reimbursement of medical

expenses not covered by your provincial medicare system or other benefit plans and programs.
If applicable, this amount can be shared by a spouse/common law partner and children. The
range of eligible benefits is extensive, including: dental care, eye exams, prescriptions,
chiropractor, naturopath, physiotherapist, acupuncture, massage, etc. Please contact Samantha
Mussells, our Human Resources Manager, for additional information about this program.

Community Safety - Bullying & Harassment Response Protocols

The Company takes complaints and instances of violence, bullying and/or harassment very
seriously. We expect all our employees – from field workers to senior management – to conduct
work activities, as well as their shared free time, respectfully and professionally. Instances of
harassment, bullying, or violent behavior – should they occur – will be dealt with through our
Community Safety Program, as follows.

Since early spring 2021, Brinkman Reforestation has implemented a Community Safety
Facilitation (‘CSF’) program. This consists of:
• Formal establishment of a Respectful Workplace Executive Committee, through which all
community safety investigations occur.
• Guidance materials for all levels of management, for responding to Community Safety
incidents with a consistent process, towards the goals of reducing further harm and
facilitating repair and restorative justice within the community.
• Pre-season, internal workshop training for all Managers and all Supervisors, in both
implementation and embodiment of the CSF Program. Worker-level employees also do
awareness training pre-season.
• A mandatory Community Accountability and Consent workshop, held in person on each
project, separate from initial project Orientation, but prior to the project’s first night off.
• One or two Community Safety Facilitators per field project, who have received both
internal and external training, and who are remunerated for one ‘office hour’ per day. The
CSFs are responsible for facilitating the Community Accountability and Consent workshop,
and for working with the Project Manager, Regional Manager, OH+S Coordinator, and
other employees on community building processes and activities; these practices are
preventative of community safety incidents. If a community safety incident occurs, the
CSFs are trained to provide support to folks who’ve experienced harm. The support given
can range from intaking a disclosure, to composing a safety plan, to assisting with filing a
formal report, to accompanying someone through an investigation process. The CSFs are
not counsellors, although they can direct employees with non-community-safety-related
issues towards various resources.
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 • Brinkman’s CSF Program will continue to develop, as we learn from our people and our
experiences.

Our collective goal is the creation of a safe, positive, and fun experience for all workers, in a healthy
body and an injury-free workplace. L i v i n g a n d w o r k i n g t o g e t h e r comes with
challenges, but when everyone is on board to do it respectfully, it is amazing.

THE JOB

The job has two essential components: safety, and planting trees. These are the foundations on
which all our operations rest.

Health and Safety on the Job

Brinkman Reforestation Ltd., as part of the

Brinkman Group, is committed to providing a
safe and healthy work environment for all
people working within the overall organization.
We are also committed to promoting positive
health and safety attitudes in all our workers.
For a lot of you, this will be your first job or
extended period away from home. Did you know
that young people (up to age 24) are statistically
more likely to get hurt on the job? It is very
important to pay attention, to know your rights,
and to know where to get information. This
manual is a great start.

Management (your Project Manager and all

support staff) will set an example and provide leadership in our Occupational Health and Safety
Program. Some of the key items your Managers are responsible for are:

• Providing a safe worksite by following practical and effective health and safety policies
e.g. setting up a site-specific Emergency Response Plan
• Ensuring safe work procedures are followed
e.g. conducting Daily Site Pre-Work Meetings at the start of every new block and
enforcing our Designated Driver Program
• Providing adequate equipment, training and education
e.g. ensuring that crew vehicles are safe to operate and transport passengers

Management is not the only participant in our Health and Safety program. Some of the key things
each worker is responsible for are:
• Being aware of the requirements of the law and our Health and Safety Program, as it
relates to your work. E.g. Participating in your crew’s Daily Site Pre-Work Meeting and
reporting Field Incidents and injuries

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 • Following all safety rules and safe work procedures. e.g. Using hand sanitizer or washing
your hands with soap after going to the bathroom, and before touching any food or shared
utensils

Reporting unsafe conditions or acts, and thereby working cooperatively toward the prevention of
incidents at work. e.g. letting your Project Manager, a staff member, or your Planter
Representative know if you’ve been in a vehicle that has been driven unsafely.

Planting

Although good physical health is key to becoming a great tree planter, even more crucial is the
motivation to do your best and the ability to cope in unusual circumstances. Tree planting is one
of the most physically and mentally challenging jobs you will ever encounter. This job requires
you to do the same arduous task thousands of times a day, often in a cloud of bugs, a terrible
rainstorm, or in blisteringly hot temperatures. It is not for the faint of heart or the weak of spirit.
Neither is it a job that allows for long lunches and afternoon coffee breaks. Rather, as seasonal
employment, it requires you to take advantage of every minute, and plant as many good quality
trees as possible in the time you have. The
satisfaction at the end of a hard day of
planting is hard to beat.

You were hired to plant for Brinkman

Reforestation Ltd. because you
demonstrated:

• A motivation to do your best every

day.
• Physical strength and stamina.
• Tolerance for unfamiliar weather,
as well as (at times) uncomfortable
living and working conditions.
• An ability to live and work co-
operatively in a group.

All these strengths will be necessary to

get through a single day of tree-planting.
Most important, however, is the ability to
cope with the unexpected. Expect the
unexpected! We know it’s a cliché, but
planting is all about snow in June, a piece
of land the size of Nunavut, bear anxieties,
a foot-soaking swamp adjacent to a sandy
beach, the need to manage repetitive
strain pain, or scorching sun followed by
hail. Sometimes all in the same day. You
need, perhaps above all else, to be able to
roll with the punches, and still plant hard
all day every day.

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 For the new planter:

Tree planting may sound

easy, but it is a skill that takes
time to master. You should
be committed to planting for
at least 2 years; many
planters do not get up to
speed until the very end of
their first season. Your first
year is an investment for
years to come – both
financial (in terms of the
equipment expenses) and
time. PLEASE DO NOT
CONSIDER TREE-PLANTING
IF YOU ARE ONLY ABLE TO
COMMIT FOR ONE YEAR.
You will have to work hard every day, and no one else can do it for you.

Job Training

A good job-specific training program is fundamental to success. If you’re new to planting, or new
to working with us, you will need to be trained. At Brinkman, we have developed a program that
enables you to quickly reach your highest earning potential while planting quality trees.

Before you arrive on your project, you will need to complete the online Orientation program. After
reading this Manual, the online training will be your next step towards demonstrating your
competency as a treeplanter, staff member, or another member of our team.

While we will do everything possible to help you reach your goals, your earning expectations
should take into consideration the time required to learn. Although it varies by conditions and
region, individual training typically lasts for the first few days. You will then be immersed in a
regular crew of inexperienced and experienced planters.

There are a few key approaches to making as much money as possible in your first year:

• Be in great – not good – shape when you arrive

• Complete the Fit-to-Plant pre-season training program (explained further in this Manual
– read on!)
• Work hard all day every day
• Watch the good planters, and request to plant with one
• Ask questions
• Set goals for yourself (bag up times, total # of bag ups/day, total # of trees/day)
• Stretch – you can use our Dynamic Warmup and Cool Down routines!
• Eat well and stay hydrated

See Appendix Three for a sample training day timeline and see the physical readiness section for
more info on how to show up ready to make it rain!
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 Quality

The Brinkman Reforestation Ltd. quality control system

is predicated on an open and consistent exchange of
information between our clients and our employees.
Although the Project Manager is ultimately responsible
for the implementation of all quality control programs,
it is the shared responsibility of all employees to
produce the highest quality service. This includes
maintaining high standards for: planting quality, stock
handling, stock tracking, and health and safety.
Accountability for quality resides at all levels of the
organization.
Brinkman does not impose quality fines, but we do
require that you rework any areas that do not meet our
clearly stated quality standards. You are paid for trees
planted that meet the quality requirements, so it is
important to plant the trees correctly the first time – and
that you understand you are accountable for your
quality.

Expectations

Although you will be performing your work at a piece rate (as opposed to an hourly or daily rate),
Brinkman has production and quality expectations of each planter. These expectations will be
different for each contract and in each region based on the client’s specifications and the different
ecosystems we plant. Your Project Manager will make you aware of these specific expectations –
and will speak with you to ensure these goals are reached. We will provide you with extra training
and ample opportunity (within reason!) to reach this goal.

However, if by the end of the probationary period (normally the end of the 3rd shift), you are
unable to plant at the level of the crew average, we may terminate your employment. Your
Project Manager will make you aware of what the benchmarks are for each specific project.

Please remember, our benchmarks are minimums. We encourage people to surpass these
minimums, as most first-year planters do. You may have a very short window in which to make
your money during the tree planting season. It’s in your best interest to make the most of each
day.

We expect experienced planters to achieve an established daily production goal, as well as the
established quality standard, within the first 2 shifts of planting.

We further expect experienced planters to remain above this number thereafter depending, of
course, on the ground and other circumstances.

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 Planters are expected to perform to the high-quality standards that Brinkman Reforestation Ltd.
is known for. Our clients (who grant us the contract to plant the trees and oversee our work)
expect that a Brinkman-run project will achieve a certain planting quality. This is a high standard
– but Brinkman is known for good quality work, and this is part of the metric that awards us
contracts.

Our training program is extensive, and planters can work their way to this high standard in a
short period of time. If you are unable to reach this standard, we will provide you with extra
training. If it continues to be a problem you will receive first a verbal then a written warning;
without improvement within an established time frame, you will be let go. Our quality cannot fall
below the standards set by our clients. In our experience, everyone can achieve our high
standards, but it is up to each individual planter to do the work – and have the attitude –
necessary to reach this target.

Tree planting is a very hard job. This is not summer camp. You have been chosen from hundreds
of applicants because we feel you are able to perform at our high standard and realize solid
earnings for your efforts.

We are expecting a lot from you – including arriving in excellent physical and mental shape – and
we expect that you will be prepared to work hard, learn lots and have fun. We know you can do
it if you show up ready to work.

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 Keep in mind that while you are working for
us – on any of our worksites, in any one of our
vehicles on a day off, or any time you are at
our camps– we are responsible for your
wellbeing. As such, there might be times
when you don’t like our policies or think we
are being overly controlling. For example,
you are not permitted to take off whenever
you like from the worksite or camp or invite
whomever you want to come and stay with
you. And, no, you can’t necessarily set up
your tent wherever you please, or park in the
middle of our camp, or start a huge bonfire
beside your car. We have rules and policies –
mostly to help keep you safe in the bush –
and we are asking that you please respect
them. If you are unsure, please ask your
Crew Lead or Project Manager.

Lastly, a word about job security. As stated,

we have high expectations of your quality,
your productivity, and your cooperation. If
you meet these expectations, you can count
on us to provide you with a good season, and
more work again in future years. Planters
are the engine of this machine, and good
planters can and will work with us for decades.

GEARING UP FOR PLANTING

Getting Prepared

There are many things you can do to get prepared for planting – most of which are far more
complex than throwing a few pairs of socks in your bag and booking a bus ticket.

Mental Preparation

Because there are many aspects of planting that exacerbate existing mental health
challenges, it’s in your (and our) best interest to have a plan for managing these challenges
– before you show up on the project. Just like with physical injuries, we have a much better
chance of avoiding re-injury if we know what to watch out for, and what to do when
challenges emerge. If you have a mental health condition or challenge, we respectfully ask
that you get in touch with Robin McCullough (our OH+S Coordinator) or your Project
Manager, towards building a management plan for a safe and productive season, and
towards connecting you with your project’s Community Safety Facilitator.

The aspects of planting that will exacerbate mental health challenges include: spending all day in
your own head; reduced contact with regular support systems; physical exhaustion; and the effect
that an increased metabolism can have on dosages for meds. Being a great planter and
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 successfully managing a mental health diagnosis are possible – but they can’t be left to chance.
There are many self-assessment tools out there, and completing one of these is the first step
towards designing a plan for your time in the bush. Our Community Safety Facilitators are not
intended to be mental health counsellors, and it is your responsibility to show up with the same
kind of awareness of your mental fitness as you have of your physical fitness.

If you have any doubts

about being able to stick
it out once you begin
planting, rethink your
acceptance now.
Planting is not camping.
This is a job to which
you should commit for a
minimum of two full
seasons. You will make
substantially more
money in subsequent
years – so please don’t
do it for only one! The
learning curve is too
steep.

This hiring manual is

part of your mental preparation for the reality of planting trees. By committing to plant with
Brinkman you are committing not only to staying until the end of the project, but to planting hard
every day you are there, and living cooperatively with everyone in your camp.

Planting is seasonal work. This means that you have only a few short months to make money.
You cannot afford to take a day off for any reason and we cannot afford to hire a planter that does
not work every day they are able. The best planters don’t take unscheduled days off without a
really good reason. Good planters are motivated to make money, arrive in excellent physical and
mental shape, and are ready to listen and learn what it takes. Make the most of every moment
out there.

Physical Preparation

We expect you to arrive in excellent shape for planting. There are specific exercises that should
be done in combination with a regular exercise program, starting (at least) 6-8 weeks prior to
your arrival at camp.

You have two great options for your pre-season training, both developed specifically for tree
planters, and both referred to as “Fit to Plant.”

1. Fit to Plant – Pre-Employment Training Regime

The most recent Fit to Plant program was created by a physiotherapy clinic in Smithers, BC called
Total Physiotherapy. Total Physio worked specifically with Brinkman to develop a “Self-
Administered Pre-Employment Training Regime,” also referred to as “Fit to Plant.” This regime
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 is both a screening tool to check fitness, as well as a training tool to build your strength in areas
of weakness.

The video is under 10 minutes in length, and can be accessed on our YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdlTbAwPbRU&t=7

The accompanying instructions can be accessed here:

Brinkman Fit to Plant Exercise Sheet

The physiotherapists at Total Physio have also put together an “Injury Management Quick Guide,”
along with other support materials, which will be available to you as part of the Planter Resource
Library on your project. This is an amazing set of resources we are pleased to be able to provide to
our workers.

2. Fit to Plant by Dr. Delia Roberts

The original Fit to Plant program was created by Dr. Delia

Roberts, a professor at Selkirk College in BC who specializes
in sports physiology and nutrition. Dr. Roberts has studied
the specific rigours of tree planting and put together an
excellent training program that you can find here

We request you follow at least one of these programs to

minimize injury, and to reduce the time it takes for your body
to get used to days of planting. Good strong planters plant more
trees per day, plant for more consecutive days in the season,
and make more money.
Becoming Fit to Plant will maximize your earnings!

Why should you follow a Fit to Plant Program?

• Planters who followed Dr. Roberts’ program displayed an increase in production of more
than 15% (results have shown $50/day higher earnings)

• Planters who followed Dr. Roberts’ program had a decrease in injuries of 42%. Injuries
cost you $$.

Dr. Roberts’ research is not limited to the pre-season conditioning Fit to Plant Program; she
has also extensively studied proper nutrition and hydration while planting. Her results are
published onl i n e through the link above, but here are some highlights:

1. Complete the 6 week Fit to Plant Program to increase earnings and decrease injuries. Note:
There is now also a 2 week “Desperate Planter’s Last Chance” program!
2. Follow the Power Eating for Power Planting Program. Two important things to
remember:
a. Eat throughout the day – not just a big lunch meal. Eat at every bag-up.
b. Be sure to eat 500 calories within 1 hour of finishing your planting day. This
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 will ensure your energy for the next day – you’ve got to start rebuilding your
muscles immediately.
3. Keep well hydrated.
a. Drink at least 4 litres of water every day regardless of weather and aim to bring
double that for hot days
b. Take a small water bottle in your back bag (or a Camelbak or similar water system).
The best way to stay hydrated is to drink regularly – and not just when you go
back to the cache (drinking a lot when you go back to the cache fools your body
into thinking you have “too much water in your system” and it often starts to
eliminate water)
c. A Gatorade-type mixture provides even more benefits than straight water; you can
make your own rehydration fluid using salt + sugar. It’s a lot cheaper than
Gatorade.

These are just the highlights. To maximize

your potential, make the most money, and
stay injury-free – read + follow one (or
both!) of the Fit to Plant programs,
designed specifically for tree planters.

Think About It

This job is definitely not for everyone. With everyone’s best interest in mind, we ask you to take
few minutes and truthfully think about the following. You are also welcome to contact us if you
have any concerns or questions. In addition to major illnesses and diseases which would
obviously interfere with your ability to perform this job, we do not recommend this job for people
with the following conditions:
• Heart disease
• Epilepsy
• Concussions
• Hard to control asthma (to the degree that might require hospitalization), or other
chronic lung conditions. We often work in extremely dry, dusty, and occasionally
smoky conditions.
• Allergies that might result in anaphylaxis. We work and live remotely, and it can take a
long time to get to primary medical care facility. It’s not like working in the city and just
calling 911.
• Bees and wasps are very common on the work site; if you suffer from life threatening or
severe allergies from stinging insects, working in the city may be a better option for you.. We
may request a doctor’s assessment of a health concern you may have.
• Peanut, tree nut, shellfish, or other severe food allergies. While we will cook food that does
not contain these foods, you must remember we are remote and if you mistakenly eat
something you are allergic to, it will take much longer to get to primary medical care. We
may request a doctor’s assessment of a health concern you may have.
• Restrictive or Special diets. Planters need to intake an extraordinary amount of food to
plant hard each day and we cannot cater to each person’s dietary preferences. Often, we
are working out of small towns with less variety in the stores than can be found in the city.
For example, we are unable to reliably cater to a strict Celiac or Gluten-Free diet. Please
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 talk to us about any allergies/intolerances you may have BEFORE committing to this job.
• Any condition that requires precise medication. Your dosages will have been calibrated
for your non-planting levels of exertion + hydration; tree-planting will push your body
to its limit, and your medication is likely not able to adjust to the rapid changes in your
body. Please discuss this issue with your physician if you are determined to plant,
and b e p r e p a r e d t o p r o v i d e u s w i t h a d o c t o r ’ s n o t e f o r t h e i r
p r o f e s s i o n a l o p i n i o n a b o u t y o u r a b i l i t y t o d o t h e j o b . You will
be required to share all pertinent information on your confidential Medical Information
form.
• Mental health challenges for which you do not have a management plan. There are many
aspects of planting that will exacerbate mental health challenges, such as: spending all day in
your own head; reduced contact with regular support systems; physical exhaustion; and the
effect that an increased metabolism can have on dosages for meds. Being a great planter and
successfully managing a mental health diagnosis is possible – but it can’t be left to chance.
There are many self-assessment tools out there, and completing one of these is the first step
towards designing a plan for your time in the bush. Our Community Safety Facilitators are not
intended to be mental health counsellors, and it is your responsibility to show up with the
same kind of awareness of your mental fitness as you have of your physical fitness.

Such conditions may not preclude you from being able to work for us, but we are asking that
you notify us immediately and discuss the potential for problems, and what the solutions might
be. Y o u M U S T l e t u s k no w b e fo re y o u a r ri v e i n c a m p . Our concern is not that
you can’t do the job, but that the remote nature of our work makes travel times to medical
facilities longer. We must
work together to ensure that
you are put on the crew that
best fits your needs and that
the situation is safe for you.

We want to stress that if you do

have any allergies, you must
“make your own safe work
environment”. This would
include informing your Project
Managers, First Aid Attendants
and the Cooks of your allergies
as well as providing your own
medications, two EpiPens
(minimum), anti-histamines,
and/or creams that you may
need.

We ask you to consider that you will be working very closely with a group of people, often
sharing confined, dirty spaces. Despite providing excellent facilities and trying to keep
everything clean, dirt is a reality of working in the elements and living in a bush camp.
Our workers’ health and welfare is very important; it is critical that everyone be respectful of
one another, and understand the effects that their personal hygiene will have on others.

If you have had tendonitis or other Muscular/Skeletal Injuries in the past (from planting or
otherwise), please tell us, so that we can proactively prevent further injury. Many items –
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 taping, supports, proper footwear – can help. There are many physical requirements in this job
(weight bearing, bending, climbing) that you should be prepared for and able to handle.

If you have experienced concussions, we will need to know their severity and frequency and
you may want to reconsider accepting this job. Tree planting takes place on rough, uneven ground
where slip/trip/fall incidents can occur. If you are likely to experience any recurring symptoms
which affect your balance, this job may not be appropriate for you.

Maintaining a healthy body is crucial in making tree planting a financially and emotionally
rewarding experience. Most injuries can be avoided by strengthening your body before you
arrive. Get Fit to Plant!

Other ways to avoid Injury or Illness

Once You Have Begun Tree Planting:

✓ Get proper rest: arrive at the worksite alert.

✓ Start out slowly. Allow your body time to be
accustomed to unfamiliar movements. Make
your first bag-up of the day lighter (this is great
for experienced planters too!)
✓ Ensure sufficient hydration (drink lots of liquids,
in both hot and cold weather). Drink at least 4
litres of water per day; up to twice that on hot
days. Bring a small water bottle for your back
bag, or use a Camelbak or similar backpack unit.
✓ Eat a well-balanced diet: a proper mix of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, including lots
of fruits and vegetables. Time your food intake properly – bring a sandwich to eat on the
way home.
✓ Multi-vitamin supplements may be helpful. Ensure adequate intake of vitamin B complex
(particularly B6), essential fatty acids (fish/flax/hemp/evening primrose oil),
glucosamine sulphate, and greens.
✓ Reduce coffee and alcohol intake. This will help you avoid dehydration and will speed
muscle + wound healing.
✓ Take regular breaks, which will enable you to plant harder when you’re not at rest.
✓ Warm-up before you start planting; we have some great Dynamic Warmup material!
✓ Stretch periodically throughout the day and spend at least 10 minutes doing Cool-down
Stretches at the end of the day.
✓ Do not carry more trees than you can plant in 1 hour, or 1.5 hours at a maximum.
✓ Always keep your knees bent and your back straight when lifting objects like tree boxes
or logs to keep your cache tarp weighed down.

Injury Management Resources

Should you feel a potential injury developing, your Project First Aid Attendant will be able to
connect you with physiotherapy resources. These have been developed specifically for tree
planters, and when accessed in a timely fashion, can help you avoid injury and get back on the
job swiftly and safely.

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How to avoid injury from improper shovel use

✓ Strengthen your wrists and forearms before the season begins.

✓ Avoid gripping the handle of your shovel tightly. Keep your grip loose enough that your
hand can slide around the handle.
✓ Shorten your shovel if necessary. Less weight/height = less fatigue.
✓ Avoid excess movements with your shovel. Do not lift your shovel above shoulder height,
and do not ram it into the ground. Our Crew Leads and trainers will help you develop
proper techniques.
✓ Change hands regularly to avoid overusing them. PLANT WITH BOTH HANDS. Yes, it’s
awkward – but if you’re a new planter, you are awkward no matter which way you slice
it. Learn to be ambidextrous now and make more $$$ forever.
✓ Use your foot and leg muscles – not just your arm + back – to drive the shovel into the
ground and open your hole.
✓ Be cautious in rocky or hard ground.
✓ Keep your wrists straight as much as is possible.
✓ Check your technique routinely, to ensure you are using proper posture. Ask your Crew
Lead to watch your technique and provide feedback.
✓ Monitor your wrists and shoulders for redness, soreness and swelling. If these symptoms
arise, report them to your First Aid Attendant and Crew Lead, and follow their
recommendations.

The Support Staff

Each Brinkman camp includes a Project Manager, and various staff

members. All of these people will aid you in safely achieving a high
standard of quality and production. A typical tree planting project
staff will include:

The Project Manager is ultimately responsible for the management

and safety of all the workers in camp. The Project Manager is also
responsible for coordinating the efficient completion of all aspects
of the contract. It’s a big job and these are busy people – but not too
busy for a chat now and then. Our Project Managers began as
planters, and therefore understand how difficult it is and appreciate
interacting with the crew.

The Logistics Manager (or Tree Runner or Tree Deliverer) works with the Project Manager and
Crew Leads and is responsible for transporting trees from the main tree cache to smaller caches
within the work area. These people often manage the field operations and monitor crew safety in
the absence of the Project Manager.

Crew Leads assist the Project Manager and are responsible for crews of 5 to 13 planters. We have
both “Full Crew Leads,” who do not plant and are responsible for 10-13 planters, and “Planting
Crew Leads,” who do plant and are responsible for 5 or fewer planters.

These people safely drive you to the planting site, train you on technique and specifications, do
quality checks on your work and help you correct mistakes, keep track of your daily tree tallies,
and ensure you have enough trees and planting ground for the day. Crew Leads have been trained
to be your team leaders and are responsible for ensuring your safety and productivity at all times
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during the day. They are also major channels of communication between workers and
management; you will likely get to know your Crew Lead well and letting them know what you’re
thinking about our operations can be of great assistance to us as a company.

The Quality Assessor is responsible for assessing and documenting the quality of all the trees
planted on the project. They will be in contact with the Crew Leads and the Project Manager about
your quality, through both verbal discussions and through the Daily Quality sheet that every Crew
Lead completes and files. Generally, these results are submitted to our clients to determine our
payment percentage.

The Cook and Assistant Cook provide you with excellent and nutritious meals every day. They are
required to be trained in Food Safety, and they oversee the kitchen. The kitchen is their worksite,
so you must have explicit permission from them in order to enter.

The First Aid Attendant (usually a Crew Lead or a planter) is a part-time position and they are
responsible for tending to the health of all the planters and staff. You must report any injuries to
this person. They are usually available both in the field and in camp; the location of all First Aiders
is one of the items discussed during your Daily Site Pre-Work Meeting.

The Planter Representative is an experienced co-worker (a planter whom the crew has elected),
who fields enquiries from other planters and represents you to the staff management group. If you
have any questions or concerns about how the project is being managed, this is the person to speak
with.

The Field OH+S Administrator is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Occupational
Health and Safety Program in each field camp. They have received training, from the OH+S
Coordinator at Head Office, and is a communication link between your camp and the Head Office.

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As of 2021, each of our projects has had a Community Safety Facilitator (sometimes two), who
have received both internal and external training. The CSFs are resource persons, who are
expected to provide peer support and resources for all kinds of safety: emotional, physical, sexual,
cultural, psychological. Through education and guidance, the CSF role is also about prevention of
the issues that cause harm (harassment, sexual assault, bullying, perpetuation of toxic culture).
The CSF role is:
• Building community
• Facilitating connections
• Providing resources and directing people to them
• Providing peer support to people in need
• Preventing issues and concerns through education and guidance

If Community Safety Facilitation is something you are interested in participating in, please get in touch
with Robin McCullough and/or your Project Manager, to find out more.

The size and structure of

your project’s support team
depends on the size and
complexity of the project
and will vary. Make an effort
at the beginning of your
season to get to know who
the staff are, and what each
of them is responsible for.
The first crew meeting is a
good place to find out where
to direct requests and
questions. Good
communication between
staff and workers is essential
to successful communal
living – we would rather
hear about something than
not hear about it.

A Typical Day in the Life of a Tree Planter

“6:00 am. You fumble for the snooze button but by the time you find it you can smell the coffee.
You start the routine: polypro, hoodie, slide on a pair of runners and head for the coffee urn. The
lunch table rush won’t happen for another fifteen minutes. The mess tent is quiet. You could use
another two hours of sleep, but today you’re going to highball the crew. Fair enough.” Or…

“Something’s wrong: your alarm’s going off but there’s no way it’s six o’clock yet, you’re too tired
and it can’t be this cold at six! There’s been a terrible mistake.

But the generator is running. You can hear other alarms in other tents, people whispering, rain on
your tent fly. Your polypro is damp and smells really bad; your soon-to-be-disowned sister has
your hoodie. As you stare at the two solid blocks of ice that used to be your boots, you realize you

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 would pay three hundred
bucks not to go to work today.
But you must, and you will
tomorrow and the day after…”

Your average morning is

somewhere in between the two
above scenarios, culminating
in a love-hate relationship that
– for most – ends up being just
a bit more love than hate.
Whatever the case may be, if
you are new to planting you’ve
got to prepare for. There’s a lot
to love: big money, great
people, exhilarating
atmosphere, heaps of food, fun
parties, and a very real
experience of piece rate labour.

To be sure, hard physical work,

bad weather, bugs, wet clothes,
and physical ailments can push you to the edge. Very little in life will prepare you for the highs
and lows that is tree planting, and we can pretty much promise that it will be the standard against
which all your other “tough” jobs in life will be judged. This manual is intended to give you an
idea of what to expect this season. Coming in with no idea of what to expect is not recommended.

Browse YouTube to see some excellent footage of planting, some funny warnings, some amazing
documentaries, and more. Read this guide, talk to friends who’ve done it – especially those who
have worked with Brinkman. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Camp Life

*Please see the 2022 COVID Mitigation Expectations for a look at our Protocols from 2022.
We will update this for 2023 as the season draws closer.

Brinkman provides some of the best bush

camps in Canada. We supply dining facilities
(with a Cook!), all the dishes and cutlery, clean
and welcoming kitchens, stereos, clean and dry
outhouses (politely referred to as shitters), hot
showers, and heated dry tents or trailers for
equipment storage and drying your clothes.

Each bush camp is portable so that we can pack

up and move during the contract. We do this to
be closer to our blocks, and to shorten daily
travel times.

Our camps are powered by generators, which

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 provide electricity for the kitchen, mess tent,
showers, and camp office.

Most importantly, our camps comply with all

Ministry of Health and Ministry of Labour
Standards, as well as provincial Silviculture
Camp Standards. The interior of all of our
structures and vehicles are covered by our No
Smoking/No Vaping policy. “Ghosting” (holding
vapour inside your lungs until it dissipates, then
exhaling) is also prohibited as per our policy.

With communal living comes the possibility of communicable disease. We provide dedicated
hand washing sinks, with soap, and do our best to situate these in the most convenient spots in
camp. Washing your hands frequently is the most effective way to control disease vectors – and
failing to do so is the fastest way to share your bug with 50 other people.

What you provide is your own tent to live in. You must also provide a positive and responsible
attitude towards communal living. Not everything in a bush camp will work exactly as it should
each and every day. Sometimes the showers
aren’t hot, the coffee wasn’t put on, the mess
tent has a leak and there won’t be enough tuna
salad on the lunch table. That happens.

You are responsible for helping keep camp clean

and garbage free. This includes all communal
living areas, such as the mess tent, shower tent
and vehicles, as well as your own personal
campsite. Garbage that is not stored and
disposed of properly is a safety hazard as it
attracts unwanted wildlife, such as bears, to our
camps. A bush camp of 30 - 70 people requires
that all workers to be patient, and to contribute
towards basic cleanliness of the camp, and the
health and safety of everyone on the project.

Occasionally Brinkman contracts use motels, lodges, logging camps, boats, or barges as their
home base rather than bush camps. In these instances, planters sleep in a cabin or motel and
often cook their own food (logging camps and barges usually provide Cooks). Sometimes planters
will sleep in a tent but eat their meals inside and use indoor toilets and showers. In the case that
you are required to provide your own food and cooking, we adjust your DPA (daily planting
adjustment) accordingly. Unless you have been informed otherwise, assume your contract is a
bush camp and you will need a tent and sleeping bag.

Food and Nutrition

Brinkman Cooks provide three nutritious meals a day: a hot breakfast, a hot dinner, and a field
lunch that you pack every morning from a camp lunch table. While we provide utensils or dishes
for breakfast and dinner, you do need to bring storage containers for your lunch. All of our Cooks
and Assistant Cooks have their Food Safe certificate, and will provide both vegetarian and non-
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 vegetarian meals every day. Please let your project staff know as early as possible (like right now)
of any special dietary needs or concerns and we can determine if we can accommodate you.

Please note that it is not always possible to purchase

a wide range of vegan food in remote locations; many
foods are unavailable or are prohibitively expensive.
If you eat a vegetarian – or particularly a vegan – diet
you may not get the same range of options as you may
be used to at home. Cooks will make every effort to
accommodate you, but it may be limited.

It is therefore not a good idea to “try out” being vegan

at our camps. You would be dramatically changing
your activity level and your diet at the same time; your health and your daily production could
suffer. That said, if you are a true vegan, we will of course try to accommodate you. The same
approach applies for gluten free, dairy free, and allergy related diets. If this is critical to you, we
will do all we can to accommodate it – but please note that tree-planting camp should not be
considered a trial ground for new diets.

Please talk to the person who hired you prior to starting work if you have special dietary needs,
to help us figure out the best fit for you.

Brinkman has found that a diet based on Delia Roberts’ proven recommendations is the most nutritious
and productive for our planters. Her guidelines are based on sound principles of sports nutrition. As she
states, “Eating right can help you plant hard all season. Eating right can help you do more than survive
the season. It can help you stay strong and make money. That's what you want, right?”

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How will I get to the contract?

It is your responsibility to get to the mustering point, which is usually the town nearest your
contract. From this point, we will pick you up and drive you out to camp. Most of our Ontario and
Manitoba contracts are run out of bush camps. When we send you your contract details (often in
early April for our big May start-up), we will let you know the best way to get to your contract.
Depending on where you are starting, you may need to take the bus, fly, or do a combination of
the two.

Check with your Project Manager (or the person who hired you) to see if there are planters
driving to your mustering point. Sometimes we can connect those who are offering or need rides.
It may be possible to book transportation to a larger center (e.g. with an airport) further from
the project and meet a company vehicle provided the Project Manager approves.

Bear in mind that we won’t know the

mustering date until a few weeks prior to
contract startup, which may mean we
don’t contact you until late April for
projects starting in May. Your proposed
start date almost always changes due to
unforeseen weather events, like a
Chinook, or two feet of late spring
powder. If you book travel before formal
confirmation of mustering dates, you
may end up waiting around a few days.
We do realize it is cheaper the earlier you
book – but the weather doesn’t always
cooperate!

Can I bring my car?

Most of our camps are accessed via

rough and active logging roads. The
camp sites themselves vary widely in size
and condition, and the good parking
spots are always – of course – reserved
for the work vehicles. While having a
personal vehicle may add convenience in
some regards, it also adds risk: every
time you drive in and out of a rough road
– which CAA will not touch – you risk an
encounter with industrial traffic and/or
wildlife, damaging your vehicle and the subsequent costs, requiring an unplanned rescue by
project staff, and requiring more alert driving time than your weary body is able to give.

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 If bringing your personal vehicles feels non-negotiable to you, there are a number of policies to
follow:

• You may only bring a vehicle to the project with the

express consent of your Project Manager.
• You may only leave camp with the express consent of
your Project Manager. We need to know where you are,
and when to start looking for you if you don’t return.
• You must abide by our Personal Vehicle Policy, which
will be made clear through a mandatory online course,
prior to the start of the season. This course includes a
Bush Road Ready checklist so that when you bust a tire on a mob., you’re not THAT
PLANTER who came without a jack or a spare. This course also includes incident
investigations into some of the issues that have arisen with personal vehicles.
• You may only use hands-free devices for your cellphone or other electronics. This is the
law in most provinces, and company policy in all provinces.
• You will be required to convoy with camp vehicles into and out of camp. Even behind very
slow school buses. Get used to it.
• You may not pass or overtake a camp vehicle, logging truck, or other industrial traffic on
any road.
• Brinkman Reforestation Ltd. is not responsible for personal vehicle damage or
breakdown. You are taking your vehicle into our camps at your own risk.
• If your vehicle breaks down, you are financially responsible for getting it to the nearest
garage. We cannot go back and get it for you.

When will the contract start and finish?

Our main spring season starts across

Canada between the 20th of April to
the 20th of May; these contracts
usually finish by mid-July. New
contracts often emerge for July
and/or August; this work usually
finishes by Sept 1st.

BC Coastal work can take place at

almost any time of year, but there are
typically two seasons each year: mid-
February to the end of April, and the
start of September to mid-October.
Coastal work is quite
technical and we
usually only hire very
experienced planters
for these projects.
Coastal planters often
move on to the main spring and summer season between
coastal projects.

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 If you are attending school and your exams continue into the beginning of May, we can usually
place you on a contract that starts in the second week in May. Likewise, if you have a job that
starts before your season finishes, we can within reason place you on a contract that starts earlier,
and therefore finishes earlier. Just remember you will be making way more $$$ by the end of the
contract and leaving early is very costly both for you and for us. While we do not fine you for
leaving the contract early, we discourage it; we invest a lot of time and training wages into your
skillset, and we would like to see our return on this investment as much as you would. Please
Note: we cannot give you an exact day that the contract will end so you can book your return trip
home. End dates are reliant on a variety of changeable factors: weather, start dates, planter
attrition and how fast you plant the trees. We usually won’t know an exact date until the last week
of the season.

What if I have to leave the contract early?

If you are injured, sick, or have a family emergency, we will deliver you to the nearest appropriate
transportation service as soon as possible. If you are leaving for any other reason, we will deliver
you at a time that is convenient for us. Often, we are many hours away from the nearest town and
taking you there costs valuable time and money. As mentioned above, Project Managers are very
busy people, and driving you into town because you can’t hack it is not always possible during
workdays.

You may not at any point leave camp or the work site of your own accord, regardless of whether
you have your own vehicle or where your camp is located. You must always clear any departures
with the Project Manager. We are often situated in remote locations and leaving of your own
accord either by foot or by car can be very dangerous.

What will my day look like?

Schedules can vary from contract to contract, but the typical scenario is as follows:

Planters are up by 5:30 – 6:30 am to make their lunch, have breakfast, and get their gear together
before leaving camp at 7 am. Your Crew Lead will drive your crew to work in the vehicle most
appropriate for your project. This is usually a 4x4 truck in the BC interior, Alberta and
Saskatchewan; a boat or barge for our coastal BC work; a school bus or van in Manitoba and
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 Ontario, and potentially some sort of swamp-navigator (like a tracked vintage Bombardier tank,
or less sensational Argo) in northern areas with little bedrock to speak of. For difficult access
across any of our provinces, we will use helicopters. These commutes can be anywhere from 10
minutes to 1 ½ hours long. If you are a nervous flier and would prefer to avoid helicopters, we
will need to place you on a non-flying contract; working around a non-flier on a flying contract
is too much to ask of our Logistics Managers.

Please note that travelling daily to and from the area we are planting
is a basic aspect of the job. While we endeavor to keep these
commutes as short as possible, poor weather and the variable state of
bush roads makes this hard to predict. Whenever possible, we will
move to a campsite closer to the areas we are planting, rather than
spending more non-productive time on the road.

On the drive to work many

planters sleep, do wrist and arm
stretches, or eat a slow, tidy
breakfast. Your day consists of
loading up trees at your cache (a
roadside tree deposit that is
refilled all day long), planting
those trees, having your Crew
Lead check your trees for good
quality, and finishing your piece of
land. Again, and again and again.
You will be planting in pairs or in
groups (crew planting) –
whichever mode gets the trees
planted and the land finished most
efficiently, as determined by your
Project Manager, Logistics Manager or other staff. We only allow planters to work on their own
in specific circumstances, and it is not common. This is for your own safety. Between 4:30 and
5:30 pm, your Crew Lead will pick you up and drive you back to camp. Dinner is usually between
6 and 7, after which planters are free to relax, read, play guitar, talk, and even complain bitterly
about the day

How do I keep track of how many trees I plant each

day?

Trees are packaged in boxes or trays, containing a

predetermined number of seedlings. At the beginning
of each contract, your Project Manager will let you
know how they want you to keep track of your
numbers, and how to report them to your Crew Lead.
Each time you load up with trees during the day, you
will count the bundles/boxes/trays, and note that
number on an Individual Production Log (IPL). At the
end of the day, you will sign and submit your IPL to
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 your Crew Lead. You may be keeping track of several combinations of trees, prices, and blocks
in one day, so accurate record keeping is very important. It is important that you track these
numbers as well – and so, a waterproof note pad, pen, and calculator should be part of your daily
gear.

What is the ratio of Experienced to Inexperienced Planters?

Brinkman has a high return rate among our planters – one of the highest in the industry. We are
proud of this loyalty, and we strive to maintain it by treating our planters well and with respect.
Most of our camps have an experienced ratio of at least 30%, depending on the year and the
camp. This climbs to 75% on some contracts in the BC Interior, and 100% with minimum
experience requirements on the BC Coast. If our volume of total trees to be planted goes up in a
given year, our experience level will go down, as we need to hire more planters. The opposite
holds true for times when our overall volume of trees goes down.

Will I get a day off?

The shift schedules of our contracts are flexible in order to accommodate project needs. Our aim
is to work either a 3 + 1 (3 days on and 1 day off) or a 4 + 1 schedule. These are the work
schedules that we find to be the most efficient for you and for us. Please check with your Project
Manager prior to start-up to find out the shift schedule that is planned for your crew.

Shifts may be shortened or lengthened by one day to accommodate efficient project logistics or
our nursery stock schedule. Sometimes we also work extra days or longer hours to finish an area
of land or a particular contract.

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 On the night before the day off we usually kick
back and relax, and have a night off with people
in camp. Bring fun clothes for our theme nights! It
is extremely rejuvenating to change out of your
planting pants and work boots at the end of the
shift.

We encourage workers to socialize and have a

good time, and we enforce our Drug and Alcohol
Policy so they may do so safely. These rules are
posted at the worksite.

Our Drug and Alcohol Policy (key points):

• You must be of legal age to consume alcohol or cannabis
• Consumption of alcohol or cannabis is strictly prohibited on our worksites
• Consumption of alcohol or cannabis is strictly prohibited in Brinkman vehicles – even if the
vehicle is parked and the keys are removed
• The possession or consumption of illegal drugs is not permitted at any time
• Any worker who reports to work under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be disciplined,
according to our Progressive Discipline Policy
• Consumption of alcohol or cannabis during off-work hours that results in missed work will
invoke application of our Progressive Discipline Policy
• Any unacceptable behavior (i.e. endangerment of Workers including harassment, or
damage to equipment) a t a n y t i m e w i l l result in termination
• Drinking in camp is a privilege and can be revoked at any time at the management’s
discretion.

On your day off, we provide transport to the nearest town when appropriate. This is, of course,
contingent on current and local or client COVID-19 protocols. Please bear in mind that
occasionally our camps are too remote to make a town visit reasonable on every day off, in which
case we will stagger our visits. On your day off you can usually do your laundry, get your fast-food
fix, see a movie, and/or buy bug dope and supplies. You can also – Project Manager permitting –
stay in camp, which is the best way to properly recuperate and prepare for the coming shift.
Please remember that day off activities are privileges and not rights, and you must abide by your
Project Manager’s rules for both camp and town. Depending on your project, there may be
additional incentives to stay in camp on your day off, to reduce travel on bush roads and reduce
the driving that staff are required to do.

Often planters, staff, and Project Managers will get together to plan day off activities. In the past,
these have included rafting, sightseeing trips, horseback riding, and paint ball activities.
Whatever (legal) local flavors are out there, we want you to experience them. However,
dangerous activities that put you, other planters, or the company as a whole at risk are strongly
discouraged; engaging in them may result in disciplinary action.

Please remember that as an employee of Brinkman Reforestation Ltd., you represent the
company both on the block and in town. It is very important that we be considerate of local
residents and businesses; these are the same people that fix our generators, find spare bus tires,
serve us killer club sandwiches, hook us up with internet service, and let us wash our filthy
clothes at their laundromats. Many of our day off towns have only one option for each of these
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 critical services available – please do not jeopardize these very important relationships. We are
guests in their community – and it is our company policy that planters act in a respectful manner.

If you do stay in town overnight during a camp move or on a day off, please treat your motel room
and the motel staff with respect. If you make a mess, clean it up; if your dog chews up a
carpet/sofa, offer to reimburse the owner. Most importantly, do not have a loud party at 2 in the
morning in a motel. There is no quicker way to alienate a community than by waking them up or
asking them to clean up after you.

Can I receive mail?

Yes, you can send and receive mail while you are planting – but you often
won’t know the mailing address until you arrive in camp. We often leave
an area where we are working within a few days, and if your mail has not
arrived by the time we leave, you may not receive it.

What if I get hurt or sick?

Every camp has at least one trained First Aid Attendant, and all our field staff have basic first aid
training. You are required to report all injuries or illnesses to the First Aid Attendant. We have
radio phone or satellite phone communications in the field and in camp, and often have cell
service and Spot trackers or similar devices as well. We also have extensive emergency response
procedures. If you need to go to a doctor or the hospital, we will transport you to town as soon as
possible.

We do acknowledge the need for days off, when absolutely necessary, and we m ay charge a $40
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 camp cost for each day you stay in camp without planting. If you are injured on the job, you will
be formally offered Modified Work, and we will work with you to get back to your regular job as
quickly as possible. Our Modified Work Program can provide you with a number of resources,
including access to physiotherapy services that have been designed specifically for tree planters.

Can I bring my dog?

We allow dogs only under certain circumstances, and in certain

camps. You must ALWAYS confirm with your Project Manager,
the person who hired you, or Regional Manager before bringing a
dog or other animal to a contract. If they have specifically
endorsed your particular dog (or other animal), you will be
assigned a mandatory online module to complete. This module
includes our Domestic Animals in Camp Agreement, which has
specific conditions that must be met in order for your pet to
accompany you treeplanting such as:

• A current rabies immunization certificate, issued at

least 30 days before your animal was brought to the
project. You will be asked to provide this, so please
have this in order before requesting to bring your pet.
• A personal vehicle, or the access to one. See below for more details.

Some projects do not allow pets at all. Certain provinces (BC in particular) require dogs /
animals to be secured in the cargo area or restrained with an approved harness while in a
vehicle. You must also be prepared to leave your dog in camp while you go to work each day –
there is no guarantee that you will be able to take your dog with you to the block. As such, dogs
must be self reliant during the day and/ or restrained while left alone in camp. A tree planting
camp is a work environment, and not a place to train a puppy.

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We discourage first year planters from bringing their dogs. Your first year of planting is very
arduous and adding a dog to the mix can complicate an already challenging experience. Many dogs
are a direct earnings-decreaser, as well as an occasional social hindrance to their owners in
camp. Examples are time lost looking for your dog while it’s chasing a rabbit; town trips and vet
bills to remove porcupine quills; and difficulty getting rides to and from town or the next
contract. Yes, a few well behaved dogs can be great in camp and (at times) a real asset in bear
country, but please think seriously about these issues before you bring your dog planting – and
please do not bring your animal unless you also have a personal vehicle. If your dog needs
medical attention during the contract you need to be able to transport them to the nearest vet. And it
is important that you can transport your dog between contracts, and on days off. Many motels and
restaurants do not allow dogs, and this makes camp moves and days off tricky. Because of
restrictions on dogs in motels etc, if your contract is a motel, boat or logging camp contract,
bringing your dog is probably not an option.

It must be said that any environment with many large trucks is a hazardous place for your dog.
Quite a few dogs have been seriously injured or killed through accidents involving vehicles in
camp, and we ask you to please consider this fact before making your decision.

If your contract is a motel, boat or logging camp contract, bringing your dog is probably not an
option. You must confirm with your Project Manager before bringing a dog or other animal to
the contract. Please remember, you are responsible for your animal’s welfare and for keeping
the camp area FREE OF POOP. Sociable, self-reliant and quiet dogs tend to work out best in
camp; a dog that presents a danger to others through aggressive or untrained behaviour will not
be allowed to stay.

If your dog does any damage to Brinkman equipment or vehicles, you will be required to pay for
the repairs. If a dog is deemed dangerous, unsociable, or disruptive (under the sole discretion of
the Project Manager or Regional Manager) it may be expelled from the camp/ project at any time.

Can I bring my laptop / cell phone / iPod / tablet/ other electronics?

Yes, you may bring your electronics to the camp. Please be aware of the following:

• We do not guarantee wi-fi or cell service in our camps. While we endeavor to have it – it
is not always possible in every location.
• We cannot store or protect your electronics for you, and we are not responsible for loss or
damage to these items. Leaving your electronics in the mess tent is a bad idea; do so at
your own risk.
• Bring a waterproof container (like a Rubbermaid or Pelican case), in which to keep your
electronics, within the safety of your tent or trailer.
• You may not store or use your computer in our camp office.
• Camp computers (for the Project Manager or payroll clerk) are for staff use only. If
anything goes wrong with these machines, payroll may not happen, and nobody will get
paid. Your contract might very well be interrupted because of lost information necessary
to do our work. For these reasons, we must be firm on this rule.
• We cannot supply power to your personal tent or trailer.
• You can charge your electronics in the mess tent, but we are not responsible for their
wellbeing, and they must be removed immediately after charging.

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 What about Bears?

Very often, tree planting is located in bear country.

Bears are dangerous wild animals. We have dealt
with this issue for many years, and we take many
safety precautions to protect our employees.

We have a Bear Safety Manual which is always

available in camp and we will go through it with all
planters if we are camped or working in areas
where bears are a risk.

We remove all garbage every night and close the

kitchen. We have bear spray and bear bangers in every camp. All our Project Managers are
experienced in dealing with bears in camp and in the field.

What you need to do is to make sure you do not leave anything that smells like anything in
your tent. We provide a dry tent and a shower trailer for all smelly items. Bears are attracted to
anything that smells –really. Toiletries, food, your day pack (which may smell like your lunch),
cigarettes, gum, empty beer bottles, bug spray, sunscreen, essential oils, vitamins and other
supplements – everything. Do not leave any of this in your tent.

More great information regarding bear safety is available through the following websites:

http://www.bebearaware.org/

http://www.bearsmart.com/

How can I dispel my parent’s fears about tree planting?

Many parents are nervous about letting their adult children go tree planting. We encourage you
to give them this hiring manual so they will have something to read to calm their anxieties. We
have also written a letter which summarizes the important information contained in this manual,
and which will help alleviate your parents’ or loved ones’ potential fears. Please see Appendix
Three at the end of this manual for a copy of this letter. Make sure you pass along your Regional
Manager’s and Project Manager’s cell number to your parents as soon as you receive it.

What paperwork do I need to complete before I start planting?

Brinkman Reforestation Ltd. requires that all workers complete their onboarding documentation
through an online portal called HR Cloud.

HR Cloud is a modern, secure platform in which we can collect your employee information.
Through HR Cloud you will be able to quickly and safely upload all the information we need. This
means we will have what we need to get you paid, accurately and on time – all before you leave
the comforts of home. We encourage you to read up on the company online if you have any

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 concerns – after engaging with several potential HR
partners we were impressed with what they brought
to the table, and happy to engage with them to help us
responsibly manage our employee’s precious personal
data.

You will be set up on HR Cloud a few weeks before you

start work. Everything must be completed before you
arrive - and you will not be able/allowed to work
without completing all the tasks. Tasks include: an
Employee Profile, all your Federal and Provincial Tax
forms, Remote Work Allowance Form, Direct Deposit
information, uploading a Direct Deposit Form and sign
a Planter’s Agreement. You will not be able to complete
this paperwork in camp.

What is the Planter’s Agreement?

This document outlines our administration practices

and employment conditions, and we ask that you sign
it to acknowledge that you have read it and understood
it. It is not a contract and does not change your rights as
an employee and does not commit you to pay any fines
– whether for quality, leaving early, or arriving late.

How and when will I be paid?

Brinkman provides payments twice a month. This is done through direct deposit to
your bank account. Calculation of pay periods and direct deposit dates differs by
province, so be sure to confirm the dates with your project manager. When you
move from one province to another, please note that you must complete provincial
tax forms for each province you are working in – as well as an Employment
Agreement for the new province (which will outline some of the provincial employment standard
differences for the new province – including pay dates). These forms are available through our
online portal HR Cloud. It is your responsibility to ensure they are completed before you are
paid.

Direct deposit only works if you complete all of the financial tasks assigned to you in your HR
Cloud onboarding process. This includes uploading a voided, blank personal cheque or direct
deposit form, as well as your Social Insurance Number. This allows us to enter your information
into our payroll system ahead of time, lessening the chance of any errors or delays. If you do not
upload a voided cheque/direct deposit form, your pay will be delayed until you upload it on HR
Cloud. We expect that you will use our direct deposit system, as it is the quickest and most
efficient way to be paid. This is particularly true if you go on to another contract, or go traveling
directly after the plant and do not return to your permanent address. If you do not complete
Direct Deposit – we will send you a pay cheque to the address provided – remember though that
this can add a very significant amount of time between payroll processing and you receiving your
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 pay. Unless there are special circumstances to consider, we will require direct deposit
information in the format requested.

Pay is transmitted to workers’ banks in accordance with provincial employment standards; if you
have questions about the schedule in your province, please ask your Project Manager for
clarification.

While our Head Office payroll Managers (as supported by field payroll clerks) work hard to
transmit your pay within the provincially mandated time frames, this does not always mean that
you will see the $$ in your account immediately. Head Office will transmit the payroll data to
your bank. If this data transmission occurs before a weekend or a statutory holiday, we cannot
guarantee that the $$ will be deposited into your account immediately. It is up to your bank to
determine their policies regarding depositing our payroll transmissions, and they are under no
obligation to standardize across their industry. Please note: sometimes there is a delay
between the emailed paystub and the deposit.

It is important to bring some spending money for your days off before you get paid for your tree-
planting work, and to accommodate the delays that accompany remote work. While we can give
you a cheque advance to tide you over at the beginning, it will be restricted to $100.

Your Project Manager, or Camp Administrator, will provide you with a summary of your paystub
earnings to review for accuracy. It is extremely important to check your personal record of
planting numbers right away, as any changes required must be processed on the next pay run.
After you are confident of your summary pay stub, or have requested any necessary adjustments,
you will be required to sign the document and return it to your PM or camp Admin.
You will also receive a detailed paysheet (with your daily numbers) from Brinkman via
email and a summary copy of your taxable earnings for each pay period from our payroll
processing partner, Rise People. The Rise paystub will match the amount deposited into your
bank account. If it does not, once again, please follow up immediately so that we may correct the
issue on the next pay run.

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And how do I get an ROE?

Your ROE (Record of Employment) is a required document if you are applying for Employment
Insurance. ROEs are now uploaded directly to HRSDC electronically after you receive your
last pay; you do not need to request one, and they are no longer mailed out. Please look
for it at Service Canada. This is a federally mandated change, rather than a Brinkman initiative.

What is Brinkman’s camp cost?

Brinkman does not impose a daily camp cost to cover infrastructure costs like other companies.
Instead we have a Daily Production Adjustment (DPA) of $25 per workday. This is a tax-free daily
adjustment to your wages. The significant advantage to you is that while a camp cost is taxable,
a DPA is not.

Can I deduct my equipment purchases from my taxes?

There are two ways to receive tax breaks if you plant trees in remote locations.
Legally, you can only choose to use one of the following two methods:

1. One method is by claiming Remote Work Allowance (RWA). You are eligible to claim RWA
for every day you earn money on the contract. RWA is a non-taxable allowance that
recognizes that an employee incurs particular expenses when they are working at a
special site away from home for longer than 36 hours from their home base. This can be
a significant tax savings, and is available to most Brinkman planters. This is one of the
many advantages of working with Brinkman, as most companies do not provide for RWA.
You should conduct your own due diligence on Revenue Canada’s TD4 tax forms. (Note:
some planters who plan to apply for EI do not take RWA, because it decreases their
insurable earnings and therefore the amount of their claim).
2 . The other method is by claiming employment expenses using a T2200 form. If you have
elected to claim RWA (see above) you will not be eligible to claim employment expenses.
However, if you do not elect to claim RWA, you will need to request a T2200 form directly
from the head office. which you then submit with your taxes in the spring. Often people
who are claiming EI in the off-season choose this method

A few other notes about RWA:

• RWA is paid each pay period (twice a month), and is added on after CPP, EI and income
tax are calculated and deducted.
• RWA is not insurable, as the employee does not pay EI premiums on these earnings. These
earnings are therefore not included in your taxable income.
• Your earnings minus RWA is the amount that will show up on your Record of Employment
(ROE).
• Your earnings minus RWA is the amount that will show up on your T4 at the end of the
year.

Please note: if you opt for RWA, we cannot provide you with a T2200.

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What about Vacation Pay?

You will be quoted an “all-in” tree price, as well as a net price per tree. For example, if 11 cents
per tree is the quoted “all-in” rate, the net price per tree is 10.577 cents plus .423 cents in vacation
pay. This means that you are paid vacation pay each pay period. Both the “all-in” tree price and
the net price per tree will show up on your paysheet.

What if I find mistakes on my paystubs?

Although we endeavor to correctly input and process your payroll, we do make mistakes on
occasion. Please keep track of the number of trees you plant for your own records. Do not rely on
your memory – you will forget. You will be provided with a summary of your submitted payroll
by your Project Manager or Camp Admin before, or just after, payroll has been submitted for
processing. If there is a discrepancy, we will correct it. We require you to review this summary,
make any requested changes, sign it and return it to your PM or Camp Admin. If you cannot
contact your PM or Camp Admin, or this process does not happen for any reason, please
immediately reach out to our Payroll Processor at [email protected] about these corrections.
The office contact information will be displayed on your pay stubs. All corrections must be made
before the next pay run is processed.

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 EQUIPMENT LIST - ONTARIO

For first year planters, there is a serious investment involved in gathering

everything you will need for the bush, and in making your way up to your first
contract. It is not unusual for an inexperienced planter to spend $500-$1000 buying all the
necessary equipment. Secondhand stores or Kijiji may have some good deals, but don’t be too
cheap. There are some items (like your tent, sleeping bag, boots, shovel, and planting bags) that
are investments you will want to last more than one season. Similarly, a light, durable,
waterproof pair of boots that fit well will more than offset their cost in additional earnings
compared to a pair that does not fit well or loses its treads quickly.

We reserve the right to stop you from working

if any of your equipment is inadequate for the
conditions. This is one of our responsibilities
as Managers.

On our Ontario and Manitoba projects we will sell

tree planting bags and shovels and some project-
specific Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Please make sure you have all the required PPE
you need. If you are unsure of what equipment
you need to bring, please ask for clarification
before arriving at the mustering location.

You must bring the following:

- Government-issued identification: such as

your Driver’s License
- Provincial Heath Care card, sometimes
incorporated into drivers’ licenses

Field and Safety Equipment - required

All the following items are required. You will NOT be allowed to plant without them.
They must also fit inside your daypack, as you will be required to bring them to the block
with you every day. Waterproof daypacks such as dry bags with shoulder straps are strongly
recommended.
Please note: Our camps in Ontario provide the following items for purchase in camp: tree
planting bags, shovel, hard hat, safety vest, safety glasses, gloves, whistles and plot cords.
All items in red are provided. (See the chart at the end of this document for prices).

• CSA-approved steel-toed boots with over-the-ankle support. Not shoes. And yes, they
must be steel-toed. See below for more detailed information on boots. DO NOT
ARRIVE IN CAMP WITHOUT STEEL-TOED BOOTS as you won’t be able to work
without them.
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 • Hard hat. All Ontario contracts require a hard hat. You will need a hard hat no
matter where you work in the province.
• Hi-viz safety vests are required on all projects. Your local work wear store will
have several options, such as breathable mesh hi-viz tee shirts, or hi-viz straps.
MEC stocks hi-viz biking vests, which are very light and
breathable.
• Safety Glasses – Safety glasses are required on many of
our contracts. We will let you know if you will need
them on your contract. We do provide them in camp for
sale, but you may want to buy a few pairs before you
head up it as is also important to find a pair that fits you
well. We do not recommend buying the very cheap glasses as they fog up quite easily.
Mark’s Work Warehouse carries Dakota glasses that work well. Try on a few pairs and see
what is comfortable. Buying a pair of tinted safety glasses is nice for really bright days
• Side Shields for Glasses – If you wear glasses, you can purchase side shields to make your
glasses acceptable safety glasses. They are often available at safety sores or Canadian Tire.
This is only acceptable for prescription glasses not sunglasses. We do have side shields
available for purchase in camp.
• Planting bags and shovel. More details on following pages.
• Plot cord. All planters, whether green or experienced, are required to have
their own 3.99 meter plot cord to monitor quality and density. We do sell
these in camp on our Ontario projects.
• Whistle. A vital piece of safety equipment for every contract. Often these
are built into planting bags, but they tend to get gummed up and not work
very well, and they do not pass external safety audits Fox 40 whistles are always a good
choice, as they are loud and relatively indestructible.
• Work Gloves. Brinkman considers work gloves to be part of your mandatory safety
equipment. Some contracts have specific requirements for gloves – such as Cut Level 4 - and if
so we will sell them to you in camp to avoid any confusion. Duct tape does not provide proper
protection from the places you will be putting your hands, day after day. Dirt has sticks and
rocks in it, and gloves will extend the health and function of your hands. We do have gloves
for sale in our camps, but you may prefer to bring ones that fit you.
Here are some examples of what you may need:
▪ Comfy gloves or mittens to keep your hands warm around
camp, before and after work. Bring a few pairs, to make up
for ones that get lost or wet.
▪ For your work gloves, we recommend half-coated nitrile
gloves, combined with a full (surgical style) disposable
nitrile inner liner. Many people like the Viking or Atlas half
rubber and half webbed ones from Marks Work
Warehouse, or the thinner grey ones also sold at Marks. All
gloves should be tight fitting. Buy extra pairs; having 6 on
hand is not unreasonable. Surgical style nitrile liners can
be found at Shopper Drug Mart, or any first aid supply
store.
▪ Gloves with some aspect of impact mitigation are strongly recommended for
all workers. Every inexperienced planter should arrive with one pair. These
can range from cycling gloves (minimal protection) to more industrial styles.
Check out the Impacto Website at www.impacto.ca for some excellent
suggestions.
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 • Good rain gear. You MUST BRING both coats and pants. Don’t buy your gear too big or
too tight, because you will have to work in it. Don’t buy cheap materials – they can’t stand
up to the block. Go to an army surplus and buy used Wetskins, and you will be happy you
did! The flexible neoprene raingear is a good durable option; consider layering with wool
underneath.
• Day pack. To carry your all your field gear (raingear, lunch, duct tape etc.). The dry bags
from MEC are good options, as they are bright coloured, waterproof, and durable. M a n y
planters bring day packs with built in rain covers as they
a r e o f t e n l e f t o u t s i d e . These are a popular choice. Just like your tent, the size
of your daypack is a personal preference. You will often need to carry it a significant distance
so keep that in mind.
• Water containers – at least one large 4L jug to leave at the cache, and a small
water bottle or Camelbak for use while you plant. Some people prefer insulated
containers, but a juice jug or industrial size salsa bottle will work too.
• Lunch storage containers. To keep your lunch dry and un-squished. Bring
more than one, to separate the GORP from the hummus. You will eat a lot –
pack for large lunches!
• Bug dope. There are many name-brand versions that have DEET as the active
ingredient in differing concentrations. Generally, the higher the concentration (up to 95%),
the more effective the repellant is. However, some people have allergic reactions to
commercial bug dope, it can cause headaches, and it tends to melt some plastics. Many
planters have opted for differing combinations of olive or vegetable oil, sometimes mixed
with citronella oil, lavender, tea tree oil or other bug-repellant essential oils. Covering
exposed skin in olive or vegetable oil will not repel black flies, but it will stop them from
biting. You can also check your local outdoors store for new DEET- free products, which
you may have to reapply more often – but which have the advantage of not melting your
watch. Watson’s Cream bug dope is popular but do your research and find your preference.
• Sun block. A few bottles and a few lip balm with sun block too. At least SPF 30, in a
sweat proof and waterproof sport version. This is particularly important early in the
season, when you haven’t been outside much. Make sure you wear a high SPF sunblock if
you use olive or vegetable oil as your method of insect repellent. A note on sunscreen:
Heat and sun related injuries remain one of the leading causes of lost production and
wages. Wearing proper sun protection is not optional and is part of your mandatory PPE
(personal protective equipment) – just like wearing your seatbelt when you are riding in a
truck. Planters who do not protect themselves from the sun will be asked to do so by their
Crew Lead. Bad sunburns have cost individual planters entire shifts of work. We spend
months working outside for 9 hours a day – the tan will come if you want it to. Just let it
happen slowly.

Field Equipment – optional but VERY nice to have

• Duct tape. Buy at least one big roll of the good stuff. You will need it.
• Thermos. Optional, but essential for nice warm coffee, tea or hot chocolate on rainy
days.
• Swiss army knife or multitool – Optional but useful
• Notepad and pen. To write down your tree totals; waterproof notepads (brand name:
Rite in the Rain) are great for this.
• Ziploc bags or mini dry bags. To carry tampons, toilet paper, and anything you don’t
want to get wet.
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 Personal Camping Equipment - REQUIRED

You will be living in your tent for at least two months. Please make sure your setup is comfortable
and dry! You MUST bring the following:

• Personal tent with rain fly and ground sheet. Ensure it has bug-proof netting (you want
this to be no-see-um proof – meaning the mesh is very fine) on the windows, and that the
zippers are in good working order. The bugs want to eat you alive at night, but you don’t
want to give them the opportunity, right? Any sized tent is fine,
but you will need to fit yourself and all your gear in it. Small
tents tend to be warmer, but a 3-4 person is probably best.
Large tents can blow away more easily in a windstorm or get
crushed by too much snow. We don’t have limits on how big
or small your tent can be.
• Large tarp, to protect your tent from the elements. This should be at least 1.5 times bigger
than your tent. Bringing more than one tarp is not unheard of
• Rope, to keep the tarp from flapping in the wind, and to keep it up so it doesn’t touch your
fly walls and inhibit their rain proofing qualities.
• Warm sleeping bag. It should be rated for at least –15o C. Being cold can keep you up all
night long.
• Extra blankets + a pillow, to add to the warmth and comfort of your sleeping bag.
• Foamie, Thermarest, or air mattress, as well as a pump to blow up the mattress. You can’t
arrive without something to sleep on. It is simply too cold to sleep on the ground.

We do not recommend bringing personal space heaters that run off propane. These can be
very dangerous and may cause carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and/or death. A tent is not
a well-ventilated area despite common thoughts. If you do bring a personal heater, you will
be required to have your setup inspected, and you must have a CO detector.

You must also bring a watch and an alarm clock. Do not rely on your phone, as we cannot
guarantee that you will be able to charge it each night. Recharging it in the mess tent, 10 to 100
meters from your campsite, is less convenient than at home. Many planters choose not to bring
their phone out to work each day.

• An alarm clock is necessary to wake you up in the morning. If you have a tendency to sleep
through your alarm buy a very loud alarm – or two. It is your responsibility to be on time,
and your co-workers will not be happy if they have to wait for you in the morning.
• A watch is necessary to time your bag ups, which is essential for setting and achieving
production benchmarks. A watch also ensures that you are in the truck or bus on time at
the end of the day. Your co-workers will be bitter if you are still planting (and making
money) while they are waiting in the truck for you at the end of the day.

Do not arrive in camp without a watch and an alarm clock!

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 Work Clothes
Buy old or second-hand clothes, since your work clothes
will take a beating. It is good to have at least 3 good base
layers which are tough and quick dry. White and light-
coloured clothing is recommended, as darker colours
attract bugs. In areas where ticks are problems, they are far
easier to see against light clothing. Above all, bring what
you are most comfortable in.

We also cannot stress enough that it is cold in the spring in

Northern Ontario. It will snow – a few times. In June. You
MUST bring very warm clothes as you will essentially be
outside 24/7. Mitts, scarf, toque, long johns, winter jacket –
all are required not optional.

Don’t underestimate the value of great block style –

being beautiful and amazing on the block is inspiring
for everyone.

• Work pants. Planters

wear a wide variety of
pants. Tights (with or
without courtesy
shorts) are streamlined
and stylish, but
mosquitoes can bite
through them unless
they’re thick. Loose
fitting pants (such as
quick dry “rad pants,”
army pants, cheap used
cotton pants) are also
popular, but they rip
easily. Jeans are
strongly discouraged
– and here is a risk
assessment about
how to pick your
pants:
• Work Shirts. T-shirts,
undershirts and light
cotton men’s dress shirts are good for hot weather. Long-sleeves are good to protect your
arms from the sun and scratches. For cold weather, it is good to have a number of layers
(shirts and sweaters and jackets) that can be adjusted as the weather changes. Cotton is
good when it is hot, but for cold days, wool (such as Stanfield woolies or Merino), polypro
and fleece are better. There are many hi-viz shirts out there, which are a really smart
choice. There are many benefits to being visible out there!
• Socks. You can never have too many socks. Layering a thin polypro sock under a pair of
wool – or better yet Icebreaker or SmartWool – socks will make your feet very happy, both
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 in terms of warmth and in reduction of friction. Gore-Tex socks work well and keep your
feet dry, but they are pricey.
• Gloves or mitts for around camp. Leather work gloves are a great idea if you plan to help
out with or learn about equipment, as well as for camp moves. Cozy mitts are one of those
items that make a big difference on damp evenings in camp.
• Bandana. Optional. To sop up the sweat under your hard hat
• Buff – a lightweight summer version can help protect you from the bugs.
• Hats. Baseball/trucker caps and summer hats are obvious for sun protection, but warm
toques are critical for those days when the weather is extreme in the other direction. Plan
to be cozy.
• Long underwear. Polypro, not cotton. To sleep in on cold nights or to wear
under your clothes on those cold mornings.
• Gaiters. Some planters use gaiters to protect their shins, and to keep
dirt/twigs/water from getting into their boots.

Boots

Your work boots are probably the most important purchase you will make. CSA-
approved (green triangle) boots with ankle support are required in Ontario. We
get many questions about boots each year but the best way to find out which boot
is right for you is to try a lot of them on. Take your time in the store, walk
around, try them with a couple of pairs of socks, and buy an extra pair of
laces. General qualities to look for in a boot: lightweight, yet tough and well
stitched (less seams are better), a good tread, waterproof or water resistant, good ankle support,
some breathability, and as comfortable as possible.

*All projects in Ontario require CSA-approved steel-toed boots with over-the-ankle

support. *

The following are various types of boots you can buy with a steel toe:

• Hiking boots. The cheap ones often fall apart before the end of the season, and are not
always over the ankle.
• Leather or nylon work boots. If you get leather boots, make sure they aren’t overly heavy
or higher than mid-calf. Leather boots become very heavy when they’re wet, and very stiff
when they dry out. Bring boot grease to maintain them.
• Rubber boots (with neoprene booties or a “Bama” type sockette). Optional,
but nice to wear in wet and muddy situations. Steel toe rubber
boots can be quite cheap, it is not unheard of for people to
purchase more expensive lace up work boots and bring
rubbers as a back up (especially if you know what you land is
looking like). They are also nice to wear around camp during
rainy days.

Suggested Extras

• Clothes for the days off. Bring warm and comfortable clothes, including a toque, gloves and
long johns, for the nights and days off. Bring costumes and fun clothes for our theme parties,
and a swimsuit.

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 • Toiletries. Enough for the whole season. The less scented the better because they attract
biting insects and bears in camp. As biodegradable as possible, for our fragile ecosystem.
Foot powder (GOLDBOND or Baby Powder) and anti-fungal cream will come in handy, as
will a nail brush.
• Lip Balm – More than you think you need. And then one more
• Sewing kit. To fix holes in tents, pants, planting bags etc.
• First Aid kit. Bring remedies for bee stings, Polysporin or another topical antibiotic
• Blister Kit with moleskin. You can purchase a kit or build you’re your own.
• Band-aids, Tylenol/ibuprofen, cough medicine, and other items as you deem necessary
• If you are aware that you are allergic to anything, we require you to bring 3 Epi-pens and/or
antihistamine tablets, and ensure you speak directly with the first aid attendant to develop
an emergency response plan/procedure.
• Women: bring tampons with applicators (packaged in a Ziploc so they don’t get wet, baby
wipes, and an over-the-counter yeast infection remedy if you are susceptible to yeast
infections. These are all vital resources in the dirty planting world. Don’t worry – if you run
out of anything on the block – all our vehicles have extra supplies in the glove box!
• Mosquito coils. To de-bug your tent or dinner table.
• Towel. Big enough to cover you while you run back to your tent from the shower
tent/trailer.
• Writing stuff, books, cards, calculator, to figure out how much $$ you made, and write home
about it.
• Music – and a phone to listen to it. Plus a waterproof bag to keep your device dry on wet
days. You must keep your phone at a volume level that allows you to hear Crew Lead
instructions, outside warnings and hazards. Brinkman practices a “one head phone policy”,
and should be followed
• Flashlight and /or headlamp. Very important to be able to safely get back and forth to your
tent in the dark.
• Extra batteries. You can bring rechargeable and a charger and charge them in the mess tent.
• Cell phone. Most camp sites don’t have cell coverage. As cell towers are built, town coverage
has increased. Town coverage in Ontario is still patchy, but it is increasing. Cell phones
could easily get wrecked over the course of the season, so please take care of yours.
• Shoe Goo -can work in a pinch if you decided to cheap out on boots and need to make do
until you can buy a new pair on day off
• Electrolyte powder (Gatorade powder, Cliff blocks, Nuun tablets etc.). Northern stores run
out of stock quickly and during a heat wave having electrolyte replenishment on the block
makes a HUGE difference.

What you don’t need:

• Flagging tape – we provide it.
• Toilet paper. We provide as much as you need. That said – you should NEVER bring a
whole roll to the block. The invariably get wet. Bring a Ziploc and take some not all.
• Laundry detergent as it is available at the Laundromats or local stores.

Bags and Shovels

If you are an inexperienced planter, Brinkman will be supplying the essential planting gear for
your purchase. We can also order gear for experienced planters if you need anything. We will
have it in camp when you arrive. We do this to minimize your start-up costs, to eliminate the cost
and hassle of ordering them online, and transporting them up to camp, and also to ensure you
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50
 have the right equipment for the project. The total cost for
your equipment is ~$230.00 in 2023. It will be removed
directly from your pay as an advance. This is (at least) the
price these items would cost if you were to walk into a store
and purchase them. You can of course opt out of anything if
you would prefer to purchase any or all of these items.

If you are planning on purchasing your own shovel …

In the past, planters have arrived in camp with a wide variety
of shovels, all of which needed modifications. Because you
will be throwing this shovel into the ground thousands of
times a day, it needs to be light and streamlined for optimal performance. You should look for a
shovel that has:

• A short 22cm blade. This is the IDEAL length, and the minimum blade length is 20 cm.
• The blade may have one “kicker” (side of the blade that you step on) removed.
Inexperienced planters should not buy a shovel with both kickers removed.
• The photos on the left show some guidelines for modification; the photos on the right show
3 different shovels with varying modifications.
• A shorter shaft than the “off the shelf”
shovel is recommended for all but the tallest of
planters. Most of our best planters shorten the
shaft enough that when holding the shovel by the
handle, the blade will just skim the ground when
swung with an extended arm. This may seem
short – but it lightens the shovel, reduces injuries
on your shoulder (because you don’t have to lift it
as high), and is more maneuverable and enables
you to plant a better tree. Being this short will
make you bend down – but you have to bend
down to put the tree in anyway. It will mean more money in your pocket!

Both Bushpro (look for the Highballer shovel) and Workwizer make a modified shovel. The
stainless-steel blades are lighter, and therefore recommended. We sell Bushpro shovels for our
planters.

While you can buy a shovel anywhere tree planting equipment is sold, usually it is modified to
correctly fit your body. Please wait until you get to camp, and we will be able to help you adjust
it, though it might not be right away.

You can also buy second-hand gear from ex-planters, but you should make sure it is in good
shape; check the stitching on the bags, and make sure the shovel isn’t too tall or too heavy, and
that the blade is at least 20 cm long. Again, you will need to make sure that any used shovel you
get has been modified to correctly fit your body.

Your shovel must be a proper, dedicated tree planting shovel. Gardening spades from Canadian
Tire or Lee Valley will not work. They will be funny for about 5 trees and then really not funny.
Spend some time on http://www.tree-planter.com for more information o n the pros and cons
of both shovel types, as well as more general information on tree planting.
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*Below are the 2022 prices for gear that Brinkman sells directly in camp - prices for 2023
will be similar but likely go up a bit*

Item New Used

Tree Planting Bags (3-Pouch
$120.00
w/High Vis) $60.00
Shovel (Bushpro Stainless Speed
$65.00
Spade) $35.00
Hard Hat $15.00 $7.00
High Vis Stripes $8.00 $4.00
Fox Forty Whistle $6.00 n/a
Plot Cord $11.00 $5.00
Complete Set $222.00 $111.00

Safety Gear available in camp New

Safety Glasses (Not required for
$5.00
every project)
Side Shields (for glasses) (Not
$8.00
required for every project)
Rhino Cut Level 4 Gloves
$10.00
(Specifically for Resolute projects)
Kosto Gloves $4.00

Where to buy planting equipment

Most planters these days buy their equipment online. There are a few places that sell shovels and
bags in store, but if you live outside a major city, online is the way to go. Here is a link to all locations
you can buy BushPro planting equipment: BUSHPRO Locations

AFTER THE PLANT

Other Available Work

Brinkman works in many parts of Canada, with crews out in some place or other most months of
the year. This is a key benefit of working with Brinkman, as we have the longest seasons available
with a single company.

BC Coastal and Interior:

Work opportunities are limited during the

‘winter’ months of October, November,
December and January, but there are
sometimes small contracts doing silviculture
work such as cone removal or brushing.

The spring coastal plant typically starts in late

February to early March and provides a select
group of e x p e r i e n c e d planters with
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steady work until the rest of the country starts planting in late April or early May. The main
spring/summer season (off the coast) usually lasts from late April through to the start of August,
and we typically have coastal fall plants starting in late August to early September and running
until early October.

Coastal positions are typically reserved for planters who have worked with us before, and who
have demonstrated their ability to meet the particular challenges of this kind of work. If you are
interested in spring or fall coastal work contact Brian Beaudry by December, as the limited number
of positions are filled quickly. He can be reached by mobile at 250-331-3196 and email at
[email protected]

Ontario

If you are interested in more work before and after the spring/summer contracts (from early
April until November), Brinkman has a variety of options in Ontario. We typically have s p r a y
a n d p l an t i n g w o r k i n s o u t h e r n O n t ar i o fr o m e a r l y Ap r i l w o r k t h r o u g h t o
N o v em b er . W e a l s o h a v e tree plants in August and September in north eastern Ontario, as
well as thinning and surveying work through September and October. Later in the fall, we also
run slashpile-burning contracts in Northwestern Ontario. We do prioritize our Ontario planters
for this work.

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 Brinkman Living Infrastructure

We have urban restoration projects running year-

round in the Lower Mainland of BC, as well as in
Southern Ontario. Check out the Brinkman
Restoration website brinkmanrestoration.ca for more
information and contacts.

For Urban Restoration work, contact John Grindon at:

[email protected].

Positions for work after the main season are limited, and are awarded by seniority, work ethic, and
availability. Some years we may have work for most of our planters who request it, and other years
we can only accommodate our most experienced planters and staff.

For an update on extra available work, please contact Sam at [email protected]

Next Year

We highly value our planters and like to provide work for them in the future when available
positions permit. We email returning planters in December and January, with information about
the coming spring. If you do not hear from us, please reach out via email or through our website
with the returning planters form. We endeavor to accommodate requests and return planters to
their camp of choice or move them to other camps in other locations when possible.

Hiring

Our hiring season begins in early January. While we

primarily hire new recruits through our website, the
most important hiring technique we have is word of
mouth. We encourage you to recommend Brinkman
Reforestation Ltd. to your friends, and to both
experienced and inexperienced planters. Your
referrals often make the best planters--as long as you
know that these people would make great planters and
are people you would enjoy having in camp.

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 A Career with Brinkman

A career in planting?! It may sound strange for those who look at the business as a quick way to
pay for university or save for traveling, but for many (of us!) it has developed into a more or less
full time job. For a start, a full season of planting – coast spring, BC interior/ Alberta/ Ontario
spring & summer, coast fall – is 6 to 8 months on the shovel and can be extremely lucrative.
Viewing, bidding, and preparing for next seasons’ work occupy our Project Managers and senior
Crew Leads for much of the fall and pre-season, leaving little ‘down time.’

Brinkman provides training at all levels, and the management experience gained by those hardy
and quick thinking souls who choose to take a leadership role is invaluable. We provide a steady
stream of on the job training, as well as off-season courses and upgrades to our Managers.

Every year there are a few openings for new Crew Leads,
Logistics Managers, and Quality Assessors on many of
our crews. These entry level management positions can
often lead to Project Management opportunities for
persons with the right attributes. It’s not for everyone,
but those that do always value the experience whether
they continue in the industry or utilize their skills
elsewhere.

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 Appendix One: Safe Work Practice Tree Planting

SAFE WORK PRACTICE

TREE PLANTING

Hazard Rating: Moderate

Dangers:

• Slips and falls – from height and from same level

• Weather related illness – hypothermia and/or heat stroke
• General illness
• Wildlife encounter
• Muscle strain (repetitive and general)
• Becoming lost
• Exposure to toxic substances (Sour gas, fertilizer, pesticides etc.)

Contributing Factors:

• Failure to use PPE (including appropriate clothing)

• Use of inappropriate tools, such as poor shovel length
• Inadequately trained workers
• Not knowing how to properly “walk” in uneven, steep, rocky or swampy terrain with
weighted bags
• Fatigue
• Dehydration
• Working too fast for your skill level
• Impaired hearing due to listening to music too loud
• Inadequate intake of food
• Failure to seek first aid/medical attention
• Poor lifting techniques
• Lack of supervision
• Working alone
• Poor personal hygiene

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Safe Work Practices:
• Attend each project orientation for information on hazards specific to that worksite.
• Understand and know your safety responsibilities, relevant company policies,
reporting procedures and camp rules.
• Review specific SWPs for various activities as outlined in the manual.
• Ensure you are properly trained for the job at hand.
• When planting in steep areas keep a full 2 metres from the edge of cut banks and/or
where land drops off abruptly
• Report to work with adequate food and water for the day.
• Know what PPE you are required to wear and do so.
• Always wear proper footwear.
• Always wear caulk boots when walking on logs and keep your caulks sharp.
• Arrive in good physical shape. Tree planting is an athletic job.
• Stretch often throughout the day as well as Pre and Post work.
• Always carry dry clothes, raingear, and sunscreen to use as needed.
• Dress appropriately for the weather. Keep clothing and hair contained so as to not
get caught or snagged on branches, equipment etc.
• It is not recommended to wear jewelry at the worksite – it may become caught on
branches, cause irritation (rubbing), blisters etc .
• Only listen to music at a level whereby you can hear Emergency signals and/or
people or wildlife behind you. Be aware of your surroundings. The Headphone
Policy states to wear only one ear bud so 1 ear is free.
• Know your limits and report to your Project Manager if you are feeling overly tired,
ill, injured or otherwise unqualified to perform your job safely.
• Do not overload your bags or carry weight beyond your capability.
• Do not twist your back when putting loaded tree bags on or moving tree boxes; bend
with your legs.
• Do not jump off the back of a truck. Back down; maintain 3 points of contact.
• Avoid jumping off logs while on the block to prevent injuries.
• Avoid walking on logs which appear to have been burnt, rotten loose barked,
suspended, or covered with snow or frost. Slips,Trips,Falls will be prevented.
• Use caution when moving across uneven, slashy or steep terrain. Do not assume the
ground is stable. Test hand and foot holds before putting your whole weight down.
• Use caution when walking on rock surfaces with caulks; try to go around rocks if
possible.
• Do not carry your shovel over your shoulder. If you stumble you will clock yourself
in the head with the blade.
• Keep the weight of your bags as balanced as possible to avoid injury.
• Keep your whistle with you at all times. Make sure you are given a radio and/or clear
check in procedures if working alone.
• Hi-viz clothing is mandatory while on the block, while working around traffic, and
any other situations required by our clients.
• Know the emergency evacuation signals and plan for every block and where to find
information you need, like physical location-see ECP and Crew Locator kept in truck.
• Keep your bags and shovel in good working order. Ensure your shovel is the proper
length for your height.
• Work with gloves on; remove them when eating or smoking/vaping. Wash hands or
use wet-nap type wipes as often as possible when eating or going to the washroom
• Know what to do in the event of an encounter with wildlife

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Appendix Two: Tree Planter – Job Description

BRINKMAN REFORESTATION LTD.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Tree Planter

Reporting To: Crew Lead

Job Summary: Under the direction of the Crew Lead, ensures that trees are properly
planted according to contract specifications. Takes responsibility for proper coverage of
the assigned area, stock handling, and tracking of personal tree numbers planted.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Report for work ready and fit at the assigned times, or inform Crew Lead of inability
to do so.
2. Ensure that stock for planting is correctly cached, following loading of tree bags.
3. Inform Crew Lead of area coverage and requirements, as well as any anomalies
observed in the field related to planting or stock allocation.
4. Ensure that high quality standards are maintained.
5. Keep accurate records of trees planted.
6. Remain informed as to the standards of quality and performance which are
expected by the company and the client.
7. Inform the Crew Lead of any client concerns communicated to the planter, and to
assist the Crew Lead in effective client liaison.
8. Participate in camp set up, maintenance, and take down, in order to facilitate camp
moves.
9. Perform your job in a safe manner, and to inform others of unsafe situation.

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Appendix Three: Letter for Your Parents / Loved Ones

Hello,

We have hired your loved one to plant for Brinkman Reforestation Ltd. this summer. We want to
let you know a few things about Brinkman Reforestation Ltd., planting, and getting in touch with
the planter you know and love.

Brinkman Reforestation Ltd. is one of the oldest and most respected silviculture companies in
Canada. We have led Canada's silviculture industry and set operational, innovation, safety, and
employee earnings standards for the past 35 years. If you would like more information about
Brinkman, please visit brinkmanreforestation.ca

Traditionally, there are ~ 1,000 Brinkman employees in the summers, ranging across BC, Alberta,
Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. We have ~18 bush camps, and about the same number of
projects working out of motels, boats, lodges, or other accommodations. We place planters in
camps according to each contract’s particular needs and – whenever possible – a planter’s
request and geographic proximity.

Contracts typically start in late April/early May, and tend to finish in the first week of July in
Ontario, and the last week of July in Alberta and BC. Generally, we see about 40-60 workdays for
these contracts. Dates change quite frequently, as our business is dependent on the snow melt,
and finish dates are dependent upon start dates as well as how quickly we plant the trees. Most
planters will only work in May, June, and part of July. For our best planters, there are also
opportunities to plant into August in Ontario, Alberta, and Northern BC - your planter may get
work on these contracts. Hopefully they will let you know if they do! The extra work offers
excellent earning potential.

If you need to get in touch with your planter during the season and cannot wait until the day off,
please email your planter’s Project Manager and copy it to their Regional Manager. We have email
access in most of our camps and our Project Managers are able to check in regularly. If the camp
does not have email access, the Regional Manager will contact the Project Manager through one
of their daily check-ins. If it is an emergency, please call the appropriate Regional Manager. They
will be able to get in touch with your planter. There are radio or satellite phones in every camp,
which we reserve for emergency uses such as the above.

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If your planter is working in:

Alberta or Saskatchewan: Contact Judi Tetro at 780-237-1301 (cell), or

[email protected].

Ontario or Manitoba: Contact Mike Priestap at 780-515-0428 (cell), or

[email protected].

British Columbia Interior: Contact Matt Robertson at 250-709-7070 (cell),

250-642-1716 (office), or [email protected].

British Columbia Coast: Contact Brian Beaudry at 250-331-3196 (cell), or

[email protected].

We will forward the Project Manager’s email addresses and cell phone numbers to your planter
in late April. If you can only call, please note that you will most likely only be able to leave a
message, as the camps are often outside of cell range.

Although we often work 3 or 4 days on and 1 day off, occasionally we have to vary this schedule.
If you expected to hear from your planter on a day off and did not: please do not worry. The most
likely reason is a variation in schedule, or that they forgot to call. We do keep track of our planters
and if anything did happen, we would let you know immediately.

Mail is very important to your planter. Whenever possible, we send the camp address out pre-
season so that people like yourselves can send care packages and letters. Remember however, if
your mail does not get to the post office before the end of the season, you may never see it again.
We leave the area within a few days of project completion.

A few other notes:

Safety: We are very conscious of the fact that many of our planters are working away from home
for the first time. Many of us are also parents ourselves (and we have had our children in camp
with us). We have an extensive Occupational Health and Safety Program, as well as a thorough
Training Program. Your planter will be made aware of our safety precautions and any dangers
they may face working in the bush. They will also be made aware that they can refuse to do ANY
work they feel unsafe doing.
We have various communications devices (radio phones, cell phones, satellite phones and Spot
Trackers or In Reach devices) in every camp. We also have an Emergency Response Plan, as well
as First Aid Attendants in all our camps. We follow all applicable Ministry of Labour and
WSIB/WCB regulations, and make every effort to take good care of our planters.

Pay: We provide payments to our planters using direct deposit twice a month. Pay stubs are
emailed to each planter at the end of each pay period. Calculation of pay periods and direct
deposit dates differs by province.

It takes two weeks to process the payroll sent from the field to Head Office. The first payment
(for example, for the period May 1st through 15th) will be deposited in the first week of June.
Planters will continue to receive a bi-weekly payment thereafter. Sometimes there are delays, as
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 we are working in remote situations and relying on computers and email to send in the payroll.
We always endeavour to pay your planter as soon as we can.

Please Note: If the planter does not upload a voided cheque/direct deposit form on HR Cloud to
establish direct deposit into their bank account, we cannot direct deposit their pay. If this is the
case, we send a cheque to the project location during the season, and to their home address after
the season. We are able to provide one cheque advance per pay period, which planters can
deposit into their accounts on their day off. These are advances for spending money only, and
we will not be able to cut large cheques for rent or similar expenses. Planters must make their
own arrangements to cover costs while they are working with us.

Leaving the Contract: If your planter is injured or you have a family emergency, we will drive
him or her to the nearest bus or train station as soon as we can. If a planter is “quitting,” we will
drive them to town at a time that is convenient for us. We will ask them to contact people at home
if this is the case, but we cannot guarantee this will happen.

Planting is not for everyone. Although we endeavor to hire the right people for the job, planting
is very difficult work, and sometimes people have to go home early. We strongly recommend that
your planter gets into great physical shape for the job – please refer to Dr. Delia Roberts’ Fit to
Plant program, found here: http://selkirk.ca/treeplanting/pre-season-training-program

We expect our planters to go to work every day, and we expect them to work hard when they
are out there. We spend a lot of time training planters and giving them continuous feedback –
but the rest is up to them to make it work. It’s not easy! We have an exceptionally high success
rate with our planters – one of the highest in the industry – and we try to create an atmosphere
in our camps that is fun, safe, and profitable.

If you have any questions, please contact your planter’s Regional Manager at the number above.
Although we are busy at this time of year, it is important to us to take the time to answer your
questions.

Thanks,

Senior Managers of

Brinkman Reforestation Ltd.

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