Integrated Management
Sharing Resources
The Art of Lumber
The Milling Process
Lumbering has a long and proud history in the Big River area of
North-Central Saskatchewan. It was here, in 1911, that the largest
sawmill in the entire British Empire was built . . . capable of
producing one million board feet of lumber each day. Fire destroyed
this grand facility in 1913 but the lumbering tradition has continued
through smaller mills operating in the region ever since. The
latest and most successful of these was established about 10 kilometres
south of the town of Big River in 1976.
Weyerhaeuser Canada acquired the Big River lumber operations in 1986 and launched a multi-million dollar upgrade program that has continued to the present day. Incorporating advanced technologies, we are meeting our customer's demands for increased production and superior quality lumber products. But our resourcefulness goes much further. It starts with a commitment to Responsible Forest Management and continues through every aspect of our operations.
A full range of construction quality, kiln-dried dimensional lumber is manufactured at Weyerhaeuser Canada's sawmill near Big River, Saskatchewan . . . for markets across Canada and throughout North America.
Big River Lumber depends on a consistent supply of quality sawlogs, but we also recognize the value of our forest resources for a wide range of other industrial, recreational, wildlife and environmental applications. We fully support the efforts of Saskatchewan Timberlands' foresters to design balanced and integrated management plans that work for the benefit of all forest users.
Within Weyerhaeuser Canada's Saskatchewan Division, both Big River Lumber and Prince Albert Pulp and Paper rely on Saskatchewan Timberlands to manage forest growth and deliver the logs required to maintain operations.
Preliminary sizing and sorting of logs in the forest -- and coordinating deliveries to both processing facilities -- improve operating efficiencies and reduce transportation costs.
The smaller pulpwood logs are trucked directly to Prince Albert, while Big River lumber takes the larger spruce, pine and fir (SPF) harvested in the company's Forest Management License Agreement (FMLA) area.
Any waste wood that must be trimmed from sawlogs at Big River is chipped and shipped to the pulpmill maximizing the use and value of our forest resources.
Raw Materials: About 30% of Weyerhaeuser's annual harvest in Saskatchewan is made up of spruce, pine and fir sawlogs destined for Big River lumber. The balance is pulpwood -- both softwood and hardwood varieties -- trucked to Prince Albert Pulp and Paper.
Sorting Logs in the forest: Weyerhaeuser minimizes waste and transportation costs by cutting and sorting logs according to their suitability for either lumber or pulp production. Truckers can often haul sawlogs to Big River and then backhaul pulpwood to Prince Albert -- or vice versa.
The Woodyard: Sawlogs are weighed and stockpiled in the woodyard, ready to feed the sawmill on demand. Approximately 400 - 500 thousand cubic metres of sawlogs are required annually. Private purchases from farmers account for roughly 15%, with by far the largest volume -- 85% of the total sawlog supply -- coming from Weyerhaeuser's FMLA area.
Converting logs to lumber may not be your area of artistic endeavor, but it is for a lot of people in the Big River area of North-Central Saskatchewan. Here, sawmilling is both art and craft . . . and a tradition that has continued since the turn of the century. Proud to be part of this heritage, Big River Lumber has run up to three shifts a day, or seven days a week, to meet production demands. More than just mill workers, these are professional crafts people -- absolutely committed to produce the best lumber products possible . . . products that deserve to carry the Weyerhaeuser stamp of approval.
Market Driven
It is hard to imagine what our lives would be like without forest products. Throughout North America and much of the world, lumber is the most common, the most versatile, the most economical, and the most environmentally responsible building material available for our homes, offices, institutions and commercial structures. It's not a luxury item -- it's a necessity. And we do our best to deliver.
A full range of kiln-dried western spruce, pine and fir (SPF) dimensional lumber is produced at Big River for markets across Canada and throughout North America. Meeting or exceeding Canadian Lumber Standards, each finished piece proudly displays the Weyerhaeuser identification . . . and our assurance of customer satisfaction.
Sales Network
Sales of Big River Lumber products are negotiated by Weyerhaeuser Canada's lumber marketing division in Kamloops and at the company's regional service centres in Winnipeg, Edmonton and other cities. These offices are constantly updated with computerized production statistics and descriptions of available on-site inventories.
Top Grades
Big River Lumber graders get high marks for speed and accuracy. They have to. Just seconds are allowed to examine each board and assign the grade that ultimately determines its price. Regular monitoring by the Central Forest Products Association, and periodic checks by Canadian and American Lumber Standards officials keep graders on their toes. An error of just + or -- 5% in grading accuracy could affect the status of grading stamps -- our license to value our product.
Big River Lumber products are shipped by truck and rail to markets across Canada and the United States. Distribution varies from year to year depending on current market conditions. Lumber produced at Big River helps to build thousands of family homes and commercial buildings each year.
As members of the Weyerhaeuser Canada family, everyone who works
at Big River Lumber is committed to achieving the highest quality
standards in a safe and healthy environment. Toward that goal,
we are constantly finding exciting new ways to improve our operations
for the benefit of our customers as well as our company . . .
and for all who share the beauty and bounty of our forest environment.
We think it is because of this shared commitment that we have made so many positive strides in the last few years. Productivity is up. Product quality is steadily improving. And our safety record is better than ever. Both resourceful and responsible, we are building on our proud heritage and opening new doors for forest products made right here in Saskatchewan.
1. The Process Begins in the Forest
Spruce, Pine and Fir sawlogs are harvested and loaded on trucks for shipment to the sawmill workyard.
2. Feeding the Log Deck
With several weeks supply of logs in the woodyard, the sawmill can operate on a continual basis.
3. Scan, Slash and Debark
As tree-length logs enter the system, the cut-off saw operator evaluates the size and shape of each log and decides the optimum length to be cut (ranging from 8 to 20 feet). The trimmed logs are moved along conveyor belts and through the debunkers.
4. Chipping Away at the Edges
Once cut to length and stripped of bark, the roundwood passes through a scanner directing smaller logs to the CHIP-N-SAW and the larger ones to the CHIP-N-CANTER. In both cases the rounded edges that cannot be used, producing a cant (squared log) that will deliver the maximum volume of usable lumber.
5. Rough Cut
Chipping heads and saws are automatically positioned to produce the best selection of rough boards from each cant. At this stage, all boards are 2 inches thick but some still have to be trimmed to standard widths and lengths.
6. Trimmer Optimizer
Next, the rough boards pass beneath a sophisticated trimmer optimizer. Using laser technology, this scanner produces a three-dimensional diagram of each board.
Computer analysis then determines the exact edges and trim requirements to achieve desired recovery and quality standards. Trim saws are automatically set to make the appropriate cuts.
7. Edger
Boards that are not squared on the sides (flitches) are directed back to an edger for processing into four-sided rough lumber.
8. An Important By-Product
Woodchips produced in the milling and planing processes are collected as raw material for our pulp and paper manufacturing options.
9. Sort and Stack
At this stage, the rough green lumber is automatically sorted by size into one of 32 bins. When the bins are full, the lumber is transferred to a rough lumber stacker. Here, they are piled into bundles with spacers between each tier to allow for even air circulation in the drying process.
10. The Dry Cycle
The stacks are transferred to the green lumber storage area to wait their turn in the kilns. At this point, water accounts for approximately 50% of the weight of each board.
The drying cycle lasts up to 33 hours. The temperature inside the drying kilns is maintained at almost 100 degrees C -- reducing the moisture content to roughly 15%. Conditions are carefully controlled to minimize moisture content (MC) without reducing the strength or quality of the lumber.
11. Smooth Shave
All 2x4 inch and 2x6 inch boards pass through a continuous lumber tester (CLT) which measures strength and elasticity. Those pieces meeting standards established for high-stress construction applications receive a machine stress rating (MSR) which demands a premium price.
12. A Closer Look
Every piece of lumber is inspected by experienced graders who are trained to recognize imperfections and faults. Grading stamps (supplied under license by the Central Forest Products Association) are used to mark each board that meets required quality standards. This is very important because the grade influences both price and market acceptance.
13. The Finishing touch
The finished lumber is sorted by grade, width and length and stacked in bundles approximately 4 feet wide by 3 feet high. These bundles are then strapped with metal banding and wrapped with a protective weather-proof cover. Each bundle is identified by grade, width, length and total number of pieces . . . and then moved to the yard for shipment by truck or train.
