Generous donations from the forest sector are building dreams for a fast growing sport in Nanaimo—archery.
Four forestry companies based in Nanaimo—Aggressive Timber Falling, Coastland Wood Industries, Dorman Timber and TimberWest—have donated five loads of second growth Douglas fir logs to build a new indoor archery facility over the winter for the Nanaimo Fish And Game Protective Association (NFGPA). Three of these four companies are Truck Logger Association (TLA) members—local small-to-medium sized forestry businesses providing jobs in Nanaimo.
Ted Beutler, President of Aggressive Timber Falling and Chair of the TLA’s Safety, Training and Industrial Relations (STIR) committee, coordinated the donation. “I made this a STIR committee initiative to promote the TLA’s belief that the people who work in our forests should share in the resource’s prosperity,” said Beutler. “Each log load is worth about $5,000. So we’re making a real contribution to sport and recreation in Nanaimo.”
John Noble, a director of NFGPA, explained the design, “The building will consist of fourteen indoor lanes, bathrooms, work space and common room totaling 5600 sq. ft. of floor space plus an outdoor covered area.” He’s particularly proud of the versatility of the building. “This new indoor facility will be used for many functions and sporting events the Nanaimo Fish and Game puts on each year for our members and the community,” said Noble.
Clint Parcher, Vice President of Fibre Supply at Coastland and a TLA Director, organized Coastland’s two donated log loads. “As a small company, we’re happy to support a volunteer run organization that many of our employees belong to and enjoy,” said Parcher.
TimberWest has a long history with Nanaimo Fish & Game Protective Association. “We have worked with the NFGPA for many years to promote the responsible and sustainable use of our timberland for recreational purposes,” said Domenico Iannidinardo, Vice-President of Sustainability & Chief Forester at TimberWest. “We are pleased to support this new archery facility.”
Norse Log Homes’ donation is critical to achieving the Nanaimo Fish and Game’s goal of constructing a new indoor archery facility. “We’re donating the use of our construction facilities in Lantzville this winter for approximately four months,” John Dahle, owner of Norse Log Homes. “The archery facility—at 5,600 sq. ft.—is one of the largest footprint buildings ever prefabricated at our site and we’ve been here since 1984! Everyone at Norse Log Homes is proud to be part of this substantial upgrade at the Nanaimo Fish and Games Club.”