Hiring
Ontario
Providing a safe, professional, rewarding workplace…
Thank you for your interest in working with Brinkman & Associates. We have finished our hiring for inexperienced planters for the 2010 season. Please apply in early January of 2011 for your best chance at securing a position for the 2011 season.
We are still accepting applications from experienced planters and returning planters. Please apply below.
Overview
Brinkman & Associates began working in Ontario in 1982 and has spearheaded the growth and the diversification of the Ontario silviculture industry. Today, Brinkman operates an office out of North Bay and Kingston and maintain equipment warehouses in both North Bay and Thunder Bay. The Ontario division is a well-established and diversified silviculture service provider. In addition to planting, we carry out a variety of brushing, thinning, surveying, slash pile burning, fire camp and restoration projects that continue into late November.
Traditionally, Ontario has hired more inexperienced planters than Alberta and BC. Although tree prices in Ontario are sometimes marginally lower than Alberta and BC, the quality specifications and the terrain are often more manageable in Ontario – especially for the first year planter. Basically, it is easier to plant a tree so you can get up to speed faster and make every day count – which is important in seasonal work. We have also created a program which efficiently and effectively trains our first year planters and gets them up to speed by the second shift.
It is important to remember that because Brinkman works across Canada and not just in Ontario, we are able to provide work mobility for our experienced planters. The vast majority of planters who start in Ontario, stay in Ontario to plant year after year and make great money and have a great time doing it. We think you will to!
The main planting season in Ontario runs from May 1st until July 1st. If you are only available to work for these two months – Ontario is the province for you! For those of you who prefer to plant in Ontario but want to work beyond May and June, we do send many of our planters out to plant in Alberta for July and offer you work on our summer contracts in mid-August. Brinkman plants between 13 and 20 million trees in Ontario every year.
- We hire or rehire 300+ planters each year
- Of those over 60% have planted for us before
- Over 40% of our workforce and almost 50% of our management is female
- Our Spring Planting Season is about 40 work days ( ~8 weeks including days off).
- The August Plant is another 10-15 work days
- ~20 days of Extra Silviculture Work: Surveying, Burning, Cone picking, Thinning
- Our average tree price is 9.6 cents this year
- We work 4 days on and 1 day off
- DPA is $24/work day
What Makes B&A Stand out in Ontario?
Safety Highlights
- Reasonable Working Hours – Brinkman works 4 days on and one day off – a work schedule that has proved to be the most productive, as well as the one least likely to result in planter injury. This means you will have the energy reserves to work a longer season and make more money.
- Award-Winning Safety Program – Brinkman’s OH&S program has been recognized by the WSIB. We take your safety seriously: our staff are required to have a Standard First Aid Certificate, our camps have a First Aid Representative and a Safety Representative, our emergency response program is updated regularly, our Driver’s are required to complete our designated Driver Program.
Quality Field Leadership
- Our forepersons are exclusively non-commission. This creates a fair and equitable working environment in terms of allocating land, quality control and ensures time for training.
- Our crewbosses average 6 years' experience, and all of our Ontario supervisors have been in the business for 15 years. More experience means less downtime for you. And as we all know, less downtime means more money
- Comprehensive Training Program – Our training program is second to none. We want to get you up to speed as soon as possible – generally within 10 days of your arrival in camp. And we succeed at that, every year.
Earnings Potential
- Excellent prices, appropriate for ground conditions. Our average pay out in 2007 will be 9.6 cents/tree.
- Our full time payroll team makes sure you are paid every two weeks by direct deposit and are always available to answer questions.
- B&A’s accounting structure can help you maximize your take home pay.
- Due to our size and our Cross Canada services, our planting seasons are some of the longest in the industry which gives you the opportunity to get as much income, hours and the flexibility you require.
Quality projects, a quality experience
- All of our contracts are long term direct award or preferred bid projects which mean this is not the first time we have managed these contracts. Our staff knows the roads, the land and the clients - we know what we are doing
- Our camps are organized, fun and social.
- We provide satellite internet in most of our camps
- Brinkman’s cooks are exceptional providing you with delicious, nourishing food that powers you up for the planting day.
- Established Infrastructure – Our size means we have the resources to establish comfortable, fully functional bush camps (hot showers are a necessity, not a luxury!), and to provide safe, reliable transportation. Again, this means less downtime for you.
Brinkman Ontario’s Regional Management
Samantha Mussells is the Ontario Regional Manager - albeit presently on maternity leave. She has worked in our Ontario operations for the past 18 years, most recently as the plant supervisor for Abitibi in Thunder Bay. In the off-season, Samantha also was our Human Resources Coordinator and spearheaded our Ontario Health and Safety Program. Sam can be contacted at Samantha_mussells@brinkman.ca