Company | WestFor Management Inc.

OUR COMPANY. OUR OBJECTIVES. OUR VALUES.

Welcome to WestFor Management Inc.

WestFor was created in 2016 when 12 mills came together to create a partnership to effectively manage crown lands in western Nova Scotia. WestFor manages crown lands holistically to ensure the highest value is attained for the province. This partnership has led to the implementation of better forestry practices and the highest environmental and safety standards. Through this process our 12 local mills, many of them family owned, have been able to invest in their businesses providing local employment and give back to their local communities where trees are grown and harvested.

At WestFor we strive to find the midway point of economy and environment. Forestry generates 2 billion dollars into Nova Scotia’s economy each year and on crown land we only harvest 0.6% of the forest annually!

We support rural communities that rely heavily on forestry. The forestry industry in the province of Nova Scotia directly employs 6,100 people and indirectly employees 5,400 people which in total helps those 11,500 individuals and their loved ones.

Whether it’s the paper you send your office memos out on, the toilet paper you stock your bathrooms with, or the building you are in, your business needs forestry!

Multiple Values

When managing land, it is up to the land owner to decide how that area will be treated. For a private woodlot owner, it is normally one individual whose objectives need to be met. As a group that manages land for the government, the people, and the trees, there are multiple values that need to be met. We do our best to meet the social, environmental, and economic values of Crown land. We do this by partnering with many different organizations and having a wide variety of key stakeholders and board members.

We try to meet our SOCIAL VALUES by maintaining logging roads for ATVs, fishing and hunting access, and for the enjoyment of the general public. We also try to help others benefit from the land, for example, by helping clear portage routes from the 1910’s or by building an outdoor classroom to help further children’s education.

We try to meet the ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES by practicing sustainable forestry and changing treatments over time to better the land for healthy water quality and wildlife. We also have teamed up with other groups and individuals on different projects to help better our understanding and evolve our forest practices.

We try to meet our ECONOMIC VALUES by harvesting Crown land to produce revenue into the province as well as supporting many communities with direct employment and products every Nova Scotian uses on a daily basis.

Sustainability

Practicing sustainable forestry is one of our main management objectives. As stewards of the land, it is important to us that the forests we manage continue to be a renewable resource for future generations to come.

See our harvesting areas.

Species at Risk and Wildlife

The species at risk (SAR) list is continuously growing due to global warming, industrialization, and development. At WestFor we try to manage the crown lands in ways that benefit, not only species at risk, but all wildlife more than the forestry industry used too.

Some ways we are doing this are through treatment changes for better connectivity, informed staff & contractors, and proper pre-planning.

Lastly, we follow all the governments Special Management Practices (SMP) to make sure that wildlife and their habitat are being cared for.

We are always trying to better our forest practices for species at risk and the best way to do that is to look at things from many different perspectives! So, if you have any ideas or projects that you think may help benefit a species at risk please feel free to contact communications@2706n.hosts.cx.

“No one cares more about the forests than the people who take care of it.”

–FOREST NS

Breck Stuart

General Manager

Many studies have proven that spending time in nature can lower blood pressure, reduce stress, improve mood and enhance immune system function. I must have somehow known this even as kid because I’ve always felt my best in the woods.

Through education and experience I’ve also learned, that with a little creativity and ingenuity, the forest can provide humans with everything we need in life; renewably, sustainably and ecologically. Structures, plastics, medicines, papers, heat, fuels, and food can all be renewably derived from the forest. For these incredibly diverse reasons I choose to also depend on the forest for an income to support the livelihoods of my amazing wife and two young sons. Having lived almost my entire life in Nova Scotia I want to be close to the trees, the ocean, and great people and WestFor provides all three!

Education:
University of New Brunswick, BSc Forest Engineering.

Makyle McLellan

Management Forester

Coming from New Brunswick, I was
surrounded by forestry from a young age.
I’ve always had a passion for the outdoors,
and this was only further fostered by my
participation in Scouts, which still is very
dear to my heart. With my heart set on
working in the forest industry, I attended
the Maritime College of Forest Technology.
This launched me into my career at WestFor. I am immensely proud to be apart of a company that takes sustainable forestry to heart. In my free time, I love mountain biking, photography, and being outdoors. Forestry is my passion, and I strive to manage the forest, so generations to come can enjoy it.

Education:
Maritime College of Forest Technology,
Diploma in Forest Technology

Keenan Sutherland

Geographic Information Systems

As a GIS professional working with a small forestry company like WestFor provides me with a lot of variety in what I’m working on; that includes everything from sizing a culvert to creating harvest plan maps for half the province.

Education:
- St. Mary’s University Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology (honours in Archaeological Predictive Modeling)
- Centre of Geographic Sciences Advanced diploma in GIS for business

Maureen McKellar

Accounts & Payroll Administrator

Prior to moving to Nova Scotia, I held a variety of progressive I.T. Management positions in the Education, Entertainment and Retail industries, in Boston and Toronto. Although I am new to Forestry, I have thoroughly enjoyed working in one of Nova Scotia’s mainstay industries, learning new skills and meeting an array of conscientious and hard working people. I consider myself fortunate to be working for such a responsible and sustainability-minded Forestry leader like WestFor.

Education:
- Liberal Arts Degree, Harvard University
- Extension School, Cambridge, MA. Masters
Certificate
- Project Management, York University
Schulich School of Business, Toronto, ON

Spencer Coulstring

Community Engagement Coordinator

After working on the West Coast as an environmental technician in natural resources I can say that I am very happy to be back on the East Coast where forestry is done right! Working for WestFor allows me to exercise my passion for sustainable and ecological forestry in so many different ways. I am lucky to work and partner with, as well as learn from, so many amazing people in Natural Resources.

Education:
Mount Saint Vincent University (major in Biology, minor in Public Relations & Communications)

Ian Currie

Operations Supervisor

Growing up in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, I have had a great love and respect for the forest and outdoors my whole life hunting, fishing and hiking many remote areas of this beautiful province. This has made it important to me to build a sustainable forest for many generations to come. This core value took me to MCFT in Fredericton, New Brunswick to study as a Forest Technician. After graduation I took a job as a forest engineer in British Columbia for five years, where I was able to refine my skills as a forest technician. Moving home to the East Coast I was blessed to work in the Nova Scotia forestry industry as a operations supervisor where I was able to implement my knowledge of sustainable, and responsible forestry practices throughout the sector. Once again, I consider myself fortunate to be working for such a responsible and sustainably-minded forestry leader like Westfor that shares my same core values and keeps me working in Nova Scotia.

Education:
Maritime College of Forest Technology, Diploma in Forest Technology

Kyle Mosher

Road Operations Supervisor

Being born and raised in Nova Scotia, I grew up with a love of the forest and outdoors. Following my passion for the forest led me to attend the Maritime College of Forest Technology and join the industry. After working in British Columbia for almost two years as a Forest Engineer, I was ready to come home and join the Nova Scotia forestry industry. Working for WestFor allows me to exercise my passion of working in the woods with a company that truly cares about the forest and sustainable forest practices. I am thrilled to be working in my home province, with a great company.

Education:
Maritime College of Forest Technology,
Diploma in Forest Technology

Haley Smith

Administrative & Payroll Clerk

With a background in office administration and customer service I am excited to join the WestFor family. Although new to working in the forestry industry, I have a deep respect for our beautiful forests and the bounty they provide us, not to mention the joy it brings my dog as she runs through the woods. I am excited to be taking on this new challenge with such a dedicated group of people.

Education:
-Acadia University, Bachelor of Arts
-University of Toronto, Masters of Museum Studies

Logan MacCulloch

Forest Operations Planner & Layout

Growing up in Northern Nova Scotia my love for the outdoors and forest began at a young age. I have always enjoyed spending my free time fishing, hunting, dirt biking, and exploring the woods and trails at the family camp and cottage. This love of the outdoors led me to pursue a career in forestry. I have had many summer jobs from farms, to factories, to the Department of Lands and Forestry. All have taught me valuable lessons. I am excited to work for a company like WestFor which sustainably manages the forest within my home province. As a recent graduate from UNB, I am grateful to be working in Nova Scotia while I hone in my forestry skills. I look forward to meeting the many great people within our industry.

Education:
University of New Brunswick, BSc Forestry

Kaitlyn Enders

Silviculture Forester

After many years of exploring our beautiful province with my family, I realized my deep connection with the natural world. I started my journey into this profession at NSCC where I took their Nature Resources program in Lunenburg, NS. While working closely with the dedicated professors, I realized that forestry is my greatest passion in life. So, I went onto to further my education where I received my Forestry Technician diploma and a Bachelor of Science in Forestry. Through my educational journey my passion and love for forestry only grew deeper. I feel so incredibly fortunate to be apart of a company that is sustainability minded because my greatest reason for being apart of this sector is to ensure my grand children get to experience the infinite beauty the natural worlds provides us. I look forward to going to work everyday because it’s a new adventure!

It feels so fitting to start my career where I first fell in love with this profession in beautiful Nova Scotia.

Education:
- Nova Scotia Community College, Diploma in Natural Resources Environmental Technology
- Sir Sanford Fleming College, Diploma in Forestry Technician
- University of New Brunswick, Degree in Bachelor of Science in Forestry