Hello fellow blog readers,
I’m going to use this first blog to tell you guys a bit about myself and what I hope to accomplish by doing these blogs. I hope you all enjoy this series of blogs and hopefully I can learn about them too since this is my first time ever doing something like this.
My name is Carter Wilde, I’m 20 years old and I was born and raised in Whitecourt, Alberta. It’s a small forestry and oil driven town about 2 hours northwest of Edmonton. A large number of people living here are employed at either Millar Western or Alberta Newsprint Company. Millar Western is a saw mill and pulp plant, whereas Alberta Newsprint Company creates pulp and (I’ll let you guess) newsprint. I work at Alberta Newsprint Company as an Engineering intern where I work alongside a few other engineers completing small projects, assisting them in larger projects, and producing drawings with cad software.
Currently, I am attending the University of Alberta for my Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, where I will be in my third year this fall (fingers crossed for in-person learning). Essentially what I’ve been learning about is the construction aspect of engineering. We take a look at a variety of factors when considering a project including structural, environmental, cost, and sustainability factors. They all play a key role in developing an organized plan and implementing it in a safe, sustainable manner. The job I am doing right now would technically be considered a Mechanical engineering job, but as all engineering disciplines overlap to an extent, this job is an excellent experience for me and I would be happy to pursue something similar as a career.
Here are just a few of my hobbies:
I enjoy playing golf. It’s a great way to get some fresh air and go relax after a day of work or on the weekend. It’s become a staple of my time and I’m hoping I’ll be able to enter a few tournaments this summer.
Whenever I find some spare time I like to downhill mountain bike. We have a new bike park here in town and they have expanded it every year. I enjoy finding new trails and exploring the area.
Growing up I played hockey and it’s been very difficult to get on the ice ever since Covid started. Nowadays hockey is a lot less competitive for me but I still enjoy seeing some old friends on the outdoor rink or playing some rec hockey at school.
With these blogs I am hoping to be able to learn a bit more about the forestry industry and also help you guys learn about what Alberta Newsprint company does. I think it’s important that others can see the industry that drives so many of these northern communities. Society would be different if the forest industry did not exist and the environment would not be the same if the industry didn’t preserve it. It’s important to realize how much planning goes into the process to make the industry sustainable for the environment and the future of the communities they are in.
Although it has only been just two months since I began this job, it has really opened some new avenues that I haven’t explored yet. I haven’t had a lot of exposure to industry but it is awesome to have this experience for my Civil Engineering degree.
In future blogs I plan to show you all some of the day to day experiences of my job and give a basic overview of the process of the mill. Our facility takes raw wood chips and turns them into newsprint, which I feel would be pretty sweet to show you. I’d also like to show you around my hometown and give you an idea of what it is like living in Northern Alberta.
I’m excited to start this blog journey with you all!
Until next time,
Carter
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