Jagdev Dhaliwal of Williams Lake has emerged B.C.’s top lumber grader for 2016 in the 48th annual B.C. lumber grading championship held in Kelowna on May 28.
Dhaliwal works at Tolko’s Lakeview division.
Coming in a close second was Kamaldip Sandhu of Tolko’s Soda Cr. Division, also in Williams Lake.
Each year top lumber graders from around the province gather to demonstrate their skills, said the Council of Forest Industries as it announced the results of this year’s competition.
Brian Marsh of Comact, Prince George, scored the highest practical mark in the entire event and won the Champion of Champions Division, the toughest competition which is open only to past winners.
The first year division with lumber graders attending the competition for the first time, was won by Lily Zhou of West Fraser – Quesnel Division, with Raymond Wium of Canfor – PG Sawmill in second place.
The 2016 corporate team winners were the Canfor – Forty Niners from PG Sawmill Division in Prince George, with Surjit Parmar, Naresh Parmar and Raymond Wium winning with the top combined score.
“This annual lumber grading competition is an opportunity for lumber graders to showcase their skills and the quality of their work,” said Gary Desrosier, quality control manager for COFI.
Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau will host next year’s event in Kamloops.