Quesnel has many old timers, some recent arrivals and many who lived an interesting life while working in the province and especially here in the Cariboo.
Roy Reierson qualifies by virtue of his age alone. He’s 78 and amazingly is still hand falling (the oldest person certified by WorkSafe BC.)
To meet WorkSafe BC conditions, Roy calls his wife Sharon by cell phone every two hours to say, “all is OK here,” from the worksite. The common practice is to have two people on site.
Roy, the first son of his parents, was born in Canyon Creek, Alberta in 1935 (180 miles north of Edmonton.) He wanted to start an auto wrecker’s business, but at 16 years, in 1957, his dad said it was time to go to work and he boarded a train for Salmon Arm, B.C. He saw apples for the first time there.
His first job was at a Tie Mill (cutting railway ties) at a time when a crosscut saw was the common tool. Horse logging was also the common method of skidding logs to the mill.
In the early 1960s, he started falling, self-taught with little help from others then. There were no lessons for the most dangerous job in the woods. He moved around a lot, simply following job openings. At Horsefly, he worked with Quesnel contractor, John Travers, for 40 cents a tree, falling 100 trees a day. John was an early pioneer in using ex-army trucks with arches on the back for skidding.
In 1965, young brother Ed encouraged him to come to Quesnel as there was lots of good timber here. Western Plywood started their mill in 1951 – 52, the first large scale woods mill in the area. Large fir trees were plentiful then. He fell big fir trees called “old vets” at Bluestone Road off the Nazko Road. The old mill site sawdust pile is slowly decaying while a new forest grows around it.
In 1977, he was falling a pine tree that had two poplar trees leaning against it. The plan was, once the pine started to fall, he would run out of the way, but he slipped and the poplars broke three vertebrae.
He passed out and on coming to, found all his finger tips were bleeding from trying to dig the earth away. He did get out.
He was able to move so he headed for his truck, but couldn’t find it as he was confused, but he finally did. He had some tea, then set off for town while the pain was increasing. He drove all over the road till he got home in a dazed state. He sat on his steps but couldn’t reach the phone and he passed out.
On waking he found his head faced one way and his legs the other. Then his wife took him to G.R. Baker Hospital.
In a short while, he was surprisingly mobile (after a fashion.) He didn’t like the bedpan routine so “held it” until late at night when he shuffled his way to the usual toilet.
A nurse saw him and, knowing he was determined to go, watched him as it took one and half hours for the round trip.
Later, the doctor mentioned to his wife about an operation. He heard and getting his wife to bring clothes, went home. He actually had three broken vertebrae, cracked ribs and several cuts and bruises.
Miraculously, he healed and now, while his back tires, he still works at selective falling and skidding at 78 years of age, with a 1974 Deere cable skidder on small holdings.
As a hobby, Roy has a collection of more than 100 power saws, including a battery starter on a McCullock, at his Red Bluff home.
It’s interesting to note that grapples on skidders replaced chokers such that new chokers can only be found in Prince George.
An amazing career.
Andy Motherwell is an amateur historian and regular Observer columnist.
