2023 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REPORT
Wright Canada Holdings Ltd. and all of its affiliated companies respectfully acknowledge the Indigenous peoples’ ancestral and traditional territories and lands that we live, work and thrive in.
LETTER FROM THE CEO
Wright Canada Holdings Ltd. (WCH) provides environmental services with several sustainability initiatives throughout Canada. As a company, we recognize the immense responsibility we have to our communities, the planet and future generations. Like any other organization, we continue to learn from our past and make improvements for the betterment of our employees, clients and the communities we serve. Our commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) is not just a part of our business strategy; rather, it is a core value that guides the decisions we make every day.
am overjoyed to share the launch of our 2023 CSR report. We are dedicated to supporting the well-being of our employees, our environment, and our community while reflecting the passion of environmental stewardship in the services we provide. We worked diligently to continue progressing towards our sustainability goals, celebrating successes, and learning lessons through obstacles endured. As a company, we will continue to implement additional environmental, social and governance initiatives, make changes to our processes, and improve our systems until we are a leader in these practices within our industry.
As a 100% employee-owned company, we recognize that our greatest asset is our people. We are committed to fostering a culture of safety and wellbeing. We have been able to attract, retain and reward the highest quality talent in the industry because we value safety. We train and develop our employees to ensure safe practices on the job and at home.
This report showcases how we are delivering the highest level of professional, safe, and environmentally conscious services and solutions to the industry, public and the communities we work and live in. We are committed to our employees and enabling our divisions to provide new and innovative services while adding mutual value to our stakeholders and clients. This report will highlight the progress we have made and will continue to make regarding:
‒ Safety
‒ Employee Well-being
‒ Environmental Sustainability
‒ Community Engagement
I ask you to take the time to read all the things we have achieved this year and what we plan to work on in the years to come. Together, we can build a more sustainable, equitable and prosperous world for generations to come.
Austin Kennedy Chief Executive Officer
COMPANY OVERVIEW
A brief look into the history of Wright Canada Holdings Ltd., and our company mission, vision and values.
HISTORY IN CANADA
Known as a prominent leader in several environmental industries, Wright Service Corp. (WSC), an employee-owned company, expanded its footprint into Canada in 2017, with the formation of Wright Canada Holdings, and the acquisition of Spectrum Resource Group. Our service offerings expanded into the utility vegetation management industry with Wright Tree Service of Canada in 2019 when ArborCare, a commercial and residential tree service company, was acquired. CNUC of Canada was formed in 2020 to provide additional service offerings.
All brands operated independently until 2023 when they joined together as one company under the Wright Canada Holdings umbrella, but continue to operate as separate divisions, maintaining their unique brand identities.
Our operations and clientele stretch across Canada from British Columbia to New Brunswick. Together, we provide integrated vegetation management, consulting and operations, and other outdoor services.
Spectrum Resource Group // Founded in 1986
A reforestation, forest management and vegetation management solutions provider in Canada providing services to federal, provincial, regional, local and Indigenous governments, to the forestry, energy, mines, petroleum, transportation and utility sectors, and to numerous regional invasive species organizations.
CNUC of Canada // Formed in 2020
Assisting utilities in improving their utility vegetation management programs through inspection and auditing services, emergency response, consulting, and research, often combined with software and LiDAR solutions in Canada.
ArborCare // Founded in 1983
ArborCare provides tree, plant, lawn, and landscape services to commercial and residential customers in western Canada.
Wright Tree Service of Canada // Formed in 2019
Offering the entire package of vegetation management services, including integrated vegetation management, storm restoration, and work planning services to utility companies and their communities across Canada.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Austin Kennedy
Internal Director
Austin Kennedy joined Wright Service Corp. as General Counsel in April 2013. Prior to joining Wright Service Corp.,
Austin was an attorney in private practice for seven years in Des Moines, Iowa, practicing in many areas involving employment law, immigration law and litigation. In 2019, Austin was promoted to General Counsel, Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President. In 2022, Austin was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer of Wright Service Corp.
Austin graduated from Macalester College in 2000, where he received the Livingston-Patnode Award for his special contributions to the English Department. He then earned his law degree from Drake Law School in 2005. In 2015, Austin earned his Credential of Readiness from Harvard Business School’s HBX CORe program, which establishes competencies in business analytics, economics and accounting. In October of 2023, Austin stepped into the role of CEO of Wright Service Corp.
Jonathan Hicks
Internal Director
Jon Hicks joined Wright Service Corp. in 2008 as the Controller for Wright Outdoor Solutions. In 2010, he was promoted to Controller of Wright Tree Service and in 2020, he was promoted again to Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Wright Service Corp.
Jon graduated from Iowa State as a Certified Public Accountant with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Accounting degree in 2002. After graduating, Jon worked in various auditing and financial reporting roles within both public accounting and the private sector. Jon is a member of the Iowa Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs. Jon is also a member of the Risk and Insurance Management Society and the Tree Research and Education Endowment (TREE) Fund Audit & Finance Committee.
Jon is a large advocate of Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) structured companies. He enjoys the culture created with it that allows employees the freedom to implement change and to leave their personal mark on the company. Jon enjoys problem-solving and having the opportunity to help guide the company at a strategic level.
R Neil
External Director
Neil Thiessen is a long-term associate in the utility vegetation management industry. Since his graduation from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Chemistry, his career began in the Agricultural and IVM business. As a young man he worked in management teams in the industry prior to starting his own UVM contracting business in the 1980s. With rapid growth came the opportunity to sell the business and was offered an opportunity to join the local utility.
The utility committed to a professionally developed 12-year UVM program. Neil and his team delivered the program that received much attention in the 1980s and early 1990s. With the program successfully delivered, Neil retired, and years later, started a small business consulting firm.
Neil is a founding member and past President of the Professional Vegetation Managers Association and Utility Vegetation Management Association in Western Canada. He is the past president of the Utility Arborist Association (UAA) and was active on many UAA and International Society of Arboriculture committees over the years. He was on the founding committee that initiated the utility vegetation management certificate program now offered at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. He also sits on the IVM Partners board of directors.
Thiessen
MISSION, VISION, VALUES
Wright Canada Holdings has adopted WSC’s mission, vision and values to share a common purpose. These tenets guide our decisions, increase productivity and help us allocate resources effectively. Working toward our mission and vision – the organization is built on a solid foundation of our beliefs and core values.
ABOUT THIS REPORT
Wright Canada Holdings Sustainability Report / CSR Mission Statement
As an employee-owned company, Wright Canada Holdings (WCH) knows that our greatest strengths come from our employees. With a people-focused culture, we are committed to being an equal opportunity employer, creating an inclusive work environment where our employees are heard, respected and valued, and empower our employees to achieve their personal and professional goals. The result will be sustainable success and satisfaction for our employees and customers.
KPI Overview
WCH’s core Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are used to track the progress in key target areas and will be used to gauge progress. These will help shape goals to drive continuous improvement.
OVERVIEW OF COMPANY INITIATIVES
Safety
Safety is our number one value. Our employees receive safety training throughout the year to ensure best safe practices are in place and to identify and mitigate any potential risks or jobsite hazards. Internal protocols are routinely reviewed and updated by our risk and safety departments with the latest trainings and procedures to ensure our employees arrive home safely each and every night. Our support services staff is highly trained to assist those in the field as it relates to our safety protocols.
Employee Well-being
Our employees create a rich work environment. Our family culture is one of the things that makes WCH unique and attractive to the next generation of the workforce. This includes a safe, enjoyable, diverse environment that offers opportunities for personal and professional growth. As competition for talent grows, WCH is committed to offering an attractive workplace to retain and foster talent at all levels. Continued training, education and development, and our employees’ well-being are top of mind.
Environmental Sustainability
As an environmental services company, we strive to protect and preserve the ecosystems where we live and work. In 2022, we began the process of cataloguing and quantifying key impact areas to support the development of greenhouse gas accounting. This includes an overview of electricity, fuel, waste and water. We are also committed to pursuing efficiency within our fleet. Geotab and Lytx software provide data on driver safety and fuel and maintenance metrics, supporting improved resource use. Our work also allows us to support the sustainability strategies of our clients, providing top of line management while remaining cognizant of environmental impact.
Community Engagement
We actively sponsor activities that benefit our employees and add value to the communities where we live and work. Through monetary and in-kind donations such as labour and education, we’re able to support various causes and organizations that align with our values. Over the years, as our company has grown, so has our community outreach. We take pride in building and developing relationships with our employees, clients and communities.
SAFETY
Safety is our number one value. Our employees receive safety training throughout the year to ensure best safe practices are in place and to identify and mitigate any potential risks or jobsite hazards. Internal protocols are routinely reviewed and updated by our risk and safety departments with the latest trainings and procedures to ensure our employees arrive home safely each and every night. Our support services staff is highly trained to assist those in the field as it relates to our safety protocols.
SAFETY
Our operations in Canada are spread out over multiple business lines, crossing many provincial jurisdictions that regulate workplace safety. There are challenges with finding and tracking consistent measurements for our performance when the jurisdiction or the activity classifies our risk and our outcomes by variable means. Within these challenges we are faced with:
- Large distances between our work crews
- Vast terrain differences, from muskeg, prairie, mountains and coast
- Seasonal variations that take temperatures from the -40°c to +50°c (-40°F to +122°F)
- Seasonality in our business opportunities
- The physical demands of access and work types
- Ensuring consistent and thorough training for a large cohort of young and new workers
Our footprint in Canada has attained and maintained high levels of safety credentials, industry involvement and representation within regulatory consultation processes.
INCIDENT RATE
Wright Canada Holdings’ (WCH) incidents are tracked by division with goals and milestones established for reduction. These incidents and near misses are reviewed during training sessions to raise awareness and identify preventative actions to continually improve health and safety initiatives.
ACCREDITATION
WCH maintains several Certificates of Recognition through partnerships with industry safety groups. These include the Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA) and the British Columbia Forest Safety Council (BCFSC). We are externally audited through ISNetworld, Complyworks and Avetta.
We were the first Canadian company to be dual-accredited, for utility and residential tree work, by the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA).
The TCIA is a third-party compliance auditor.
TRAINING
Tree Care Training
WCH is continually increasing the number of trained and qualified tree care workers on our crews. We assist employees with training and certification through:
‒ Professional Vegetation Managers Association (PVMA) for the Utility Tree Worker (UTW) and Utility Tree Trimmer (UTT) Certifications
‒ Industrial Training Authority Certified Utility Arborist (CUA) Program
‒ International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Credential Programs
‒ TCIA Certified Tree Safety Professional (CTSP)
Vehicle and Equipment Use Training
Certain roles and business lines may require an employee to have additional training or certifications to operate different fleet for use on projects. Employees have the opportunity to earn certifications during their time with the company or attend trainings. For seasonal services, it may require employees to utilize equipment they may not be familiar with, so trainings are conducted by our experienced and certified personnel prior to starting those projects.
We provide in-house training for smaller vehicles including ATVs/ UTVs (side-by-sides) and snowmobiles. Our forestry workers are dependent on forest service roads for access, so they are required to take part in resource road driver training. Our in-house trainers are trained through BCFSC.
TRAINING continued CERTIFICATIONS
Reforestation Training
Our reforestation team undergoes extensive training to support safety and well-being across camps and job sites. In 2023, the following trainings were conducted:
‒ Level 1 Occupational First Aid
‒ Transportation Endorsement
‒ Mock Bush First Aid
‒ Physiotherapy Taping
‒ Resource Road Driver
‒ Off-road Vehicle Operator
‒ S100 Wildfire
‒ Wildlife Danger Tree Assessor
‒ Support Staff
‒ Field Training
‒ Crew Leader
Twenty-nine staff members were trained, reflecting over 1,700 classroom and field hours prior to the start and during the tree planting season.
First Aid
We plan and train for safe work, but we also need to be prepared to react to unplanned events.
Crews always have a certified first aid attendant with them. The training for first aid attendants varies between jurisdictions and crew sizes and ranges from emergency first aid to advanced.
In addition to formal training, crews conduct periodic emergency drills to test resources and reactions in controlled settings. This helps prepare all crew members to respond effectively when unplanned events occur.
We encourage staff to become certified or earn credentials in their respective areas of specialization. We have employees with the following certifications:-
- Accredited Silviculture Surveyor
- American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA) Tree and Plant Appraisal Qualification
- ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist
- British Columbia Water & Wastewater Association
Environmental Operator
- Canadian Association of Geophysical Contractors Tree Faller Certification
- Certified Applicators (Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario)
- Certified Utility Arborist
- Environmental Professional
- ISA Board Certified Master Arborist
- ISA Certified Arborist
- ISA Certified Utility Specialist
- ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification
- Occupational First Aid Level 3
- Professional Agrologist
- PVMA Utility Tree Trimmer
- PVMA Utility Tree Worker
- Registered Forestry Technologist
- Registered Professional Biologist
- Registered Professional Forester
- Wildlife Danger Tree Assessor (Forestry and Wildfire)
SECURITY
Cyber Security
The Information Technology department is dedicated to cyber security and business continuity. Over the past five years, the Information Security team has been tasked with improving our security posture and executing yearly strategic security roadmaps, updated annually; by doing so, this maintains and strengthens our company’s ability to protect company and client data. The team conducts an annual comprehensive security assessment in tandem with monthly Rapid7 vulnerability scans and remediates identified issues. Our security information and event management (SIEM) platform, AlienVault, monitored 24/7/365 by ProCircular, is utilized to help improve our detection and prevention of attacks on our company’s equipment year-round.
On a monthly cadence, employees undergo training to spot ‘phishing’ scams and other malicious emails or attacks through our security awareness program. These fraudulent requests are sophisticated and can use known company contacts to lure others into sending funds to illegitimate recipients or compromise confidential data and information. After completing these trainings, employees are tested internally and if the employee fails, they are required to go through additional training and, in some cases meet, with human resources and IT for performance improvement. As scams are ever-changing, training and tips are provided to arm our employees with the knowledge to be a digital Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper and ensure we protect our family of companies and their employees.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Conducted a Tabletop Exercise to Prepare for Any Security Emergency
- Conducted Annual Full Environment Penetration Testing to Ensure Continued Improvement
- Rolled Out BitWarden Password Manager
- Weekly Trivia During Cyber Security Awareness Month in October
- Brought Our Vulnerability Scans on All Systems and Endpoints In-house with Our Rapid7 Tool
- Made Improvements to Our Security Posture with Our vCISO Project and Extended Through 2025
In 2024, we will continue to implement tools and training for increased company preparedness and due diligence against increasing cyber security risk.
Cyber Security by the Numbers
Total Hours Executed on All Monthly Trainings 207
Completion Across All Training 40%
Hours of Required Annual Cyber Security Training 41
SAFETY GOALS
Safety: Continued use of remote-based platforms to narrow the geographical gap between our crews and the knowledge and training they need to maintain healthy and safe workplaces.
Training: Provide company-wide wildfire and equipment fire education and training.
Safety: Demonstrate improvement within our incident rate metrics and injury management outcomes in 2024.
Security: Ensure company participation and improvement by 5% or 200 hours of additional security awareness training.
Safety: Publish quarterly safety materials updates to ensure active and consistent safety communication.
EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING
Our employees create a rich work environment. Our family culture is one of the things that makes Wright Canada Holdings (WCH) unique and attractive to the next generation of the workforce. This includes a safe, enjoyable diverse environment that offers opportunities for personal and professional growth. As competition for talent grows, WCH is committed to offering an attractive workplace to retain and foster talent at all levels. Continued training, education and development, and our employees’ well-being are top of mind.
OUR EMPLOYEES
At the end of our fiscal year, September 30, 2023, we had 355 employees from six provinces. This number does not include those hired as seasonal workers during the year.
GENERATIONAL DISTRIBUTION
REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION
CULTURE
Veterans
WCH’s parent company, Wright Service Corp. (WSC) and its affiliates are honored to support our veterans through employment, volunteerism, and in-kind donations.
Events
Throughout the year, WCH strives to build a positive and engaging work environment for our employees across our offices and in the field. Our Prince George office hosted four employee appreciation barbecues to encourage field and office staff interaction and say thank you for the great work being done.
In the wintertime, several of our teams hosted holiday parties, with activities like trivia and gift exchanges. To ensure everyone made it home safely from the Prince George holiday party, we utilized Operation Red Nose, a nonprofit organization that provides a volunteer chauffeur service, the benefits of which are redistributed to help finance projects for youth and amateur sports.
Translation Committee
The Translation Committee is dedicated to minimizing language barriers to promote effective communication within our organization. By procuring professional translations via our trusted vendor, our core mission is to ensure that language serves as a bridge rather than a barrier by facilitating knowledge sharing, collaboration and mutual understanding among individuals with diverse linguistic backgrounds.
We can provide Spanish and French-Canadian translations, and many more. Employees are able to request translations through our shared services department liaison for items such as and not limited to internal communications recruitment advertisements, procedures/training materials, human resources materials, publicfacing or external use documents, e-learning content, video and closed captioning/subtitles, and websites.
In 2023, our Translation Committee achieved a significant milestone by successfully processing over 100,000 words across various departments and initiatives.
Ethical Standards
WCH’s employee handbook outlines several employment policies, procedures and practices. This contains equal opportunity employment policies, a code of conduct policy, business ethics statement, a harassment policy and a protection against retaliation policy. Management and human resources staff have an open-door policy as well as programming that allows employees to report incidents and provide suggestions to improve the workplace.
EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT
Learning Management System
Wright Service Corp. University (WSCU) is a learning platform that documents and tracks our employees’ online training. WSCU creates the ability to reach every employee in the company who has a company email for training and continued education. More than 25,000 LinkedIn Learning courses are available to eligible employees via WSCU. Courses are available in over 10 languages. Some sample elective training topics include management, leadership, customer service, productivity, Microsoft training and much more. In addition, new employees are assigned training in WSCU that includes:
- Harassment and Discrimination
- Deferred Share Unit
- True Colors®
- Customer Service
- System Training
- Retirement Savings
- Accessing the Company Clothing and Apparel Store
Lunch and Learns
Lunch and learns are offered bi-monthly through the Training and Development department. The topics provide employees with business knowledge such as finance and strategic planning, and interpersonal skills that improve operational performance.
Individual Development
The Training and Development department offers numerous individual development options. These can include team workshops, individual coaching and mentoring, depending on the need.
True Colors
True Colors® is a personality assessment used to boost interdepartmental and team dynamics/ understanding. Each employee completes a survey with new employee onboarding and is given a portfolio with potential strengths, weaknesses, and strategies for communicating with people of different personalities. This improves employee self-awareness and conflict resolution. Three employees are certified True Colors practitioners and are able to provide department workshops to teams who request it.
LEAD Program
20,648
The Leadership, Education and Development (LEAD) Program provides opportunities that enable leaders to develop high-performing teams and grow themselves toward the next level of leadership.
The LEAD Program content focuses on increasing leadership competency in the following areas:
- Leading Self
- Leading Others
- Leading Change
- Business Knowledge
- Business Results
The program is held at the WSC office in West Des Moines, Iowa. A few of the highlights include:
- Participating in a Professional Association
- Shadowing a Person in a Different Role in the WSC Family of Companies
- Participating in the LEAD Mentor Program
- Participating in Online Learning Opportunities
- Presenting a Capstone Project
In November of 2023, 25 participants graduated from the LEAD Program. Of the participants, two were from WCH.
EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT
General Foreperson School
General Foreperson (GF) School is a four-and-a-half-day program held at a 14,000 square foot indoor facility in West Des Moines, Iowa, where Wright Tree Service (WTS) employees participate in a variety of trainings and hands-on exercises to build a solid foundation to be more effective at their position. The goal of GF School is to educate and train our GFs to build a strong and productive workforce.
In 2023, six classes were held and 103 employees attended. This included three employees from the WTS of Canada division. 612.50 International Society of Arboriculture continuing education credits (CEU) and 180 Tree Care Industry Association Certified Treecare Safety Professional CEUs were earned through these sessions.
Leadership Academy
Each year, a week-long Leadership Academy is hosted for a group of employees. The employees selected are nominated as potential future leaders in our organization. During Leadership Academy, attendees are provided leadership training by management, opportunities to network with teammates from across North America, visit the WSC office in Iowa, meet support staff as well as gain skills to enhance their careers.
Our 2023 Leadership Academy cohort included 22 employees who traveled from across the United States and Canada. One participant represented CNUC of Canada. The 2023 cohort brings the Leadership Academy alumni count to 147 since the program’s inception in 2014.
Women of Wright
The Women of Wright program began in 2021 to increase hiring and retaining a diverse workforce by empowering, developing and supporting employees at all levels to reach their fullest potential and equip them with the tools to excel as leaders in our industry.
The program consists of a two-day workshop at the WSC office in West Des Moines, Iowa. Women in our family of companies are nominated by leaders or colleagues to participate. The committee selects participants after thoroughly reviewing nominations based on criteria including training opportunities, overall family of company
participation (by assigning a percentage of attendees per company) and strength of nomination. Those who were not selected for the workshop in a previous year can be nominated in the future.
The workshop focuses around three main themes: connect, educate and empower. Each theme incorporates learning opportunities, exchange of ideas and application of new skills. Women leave the workshop with tools to continue developing themselves personally and professionally.
Across the family of companies, 22 women participated in the program in 2023, two were WCH employees.
WELLNESS BENEFITS LONGEVITY
Employees are encouraged to utilize the resources that are made available to them. This includes e-learnings such as stress management, conflict resolution and daily workflow prioritization techniques.
Our reforestation division has partnered with the Northern Society for Domestic Peace (NSDP) CAMP Program and continue to broaden training topics and resources. Our reforestation department is comprised of a young demographic and works in close-knit communities. The CAMP Program educates our employees about bullying and harassment, reporting, and creating a safe working and living environment.
We have several jobs that are labour intensive and repetitive. Because of this, the company takes a proactive approach to physical health and well-being. These programs include training in taping techniques to reduce stress on musculoskeletal strain injuries, virtual physio sessions and a robust injury management program that helps an employee remain engaged in the workforce if injured at work. The injury management and return to work program has seen great success in the past few years. It has kept employees working productively, expanding their skill sets and in certain cases, has provided new and exciting careers.
Employees who have three months of continuous employment and work a minimum of 30 hours per week can enroll in optional health and dental plan coverage.
The group benefit program provides cost effective extended health care coverage for employees and their family’s needs. Coverage is available on a cost share basis for just the employee or for the employee and their family. Health care coverage extends beyond governmental mandated coverage to include eligible expenses for prescriptions, paramedical services, authorized medical services and supplies, private hospitalization, emergency travel assistance and vision care.
Though health plan enrollment, employees and their immediate families have access to confidential counseling and comprehensive services to assist with life problems and concerns. The Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) services provider offers 24/7 counseling, a network of community resources, referrals and extensive resources across a wide range of topics. The program is designed to help employees manage and prevent challenges, so they stay healthy at work and home through a preventative and proactive approach.
All eligible employees must be enrolled in WCH’s benefits program as part of the contract of employment. All benefits including Life, Dependent Life (if enrolled with Family coverage), Accidental Death and Dismemberment, Long-Term Disability, Extended Health, and Dental Care are mandatory benefits. Employees may opt out of Health and Dental coverage if they have this coverage through a spousal plan and are able to provide GroupSource with the insurer name and policy number.
Years of Service
Each spring, we celebrate our employees who reached milestones in their years of service within our family of companies. In 2023, 11 employees reached milestones.
Employee Ownership
A Deferred Shared Unit (DSU) plan was established for WCH employees. Through shared ownership, employee ownership helps promote a positive, unique organizational culture and supports company success. This assists our employees with their retirement and provides them with a financial stake in the company.
For our customers and partners, we are empowered to provide exceptional service and innovative solutions. At all levels of the company, you will be working with an employee owner – individuals who are invested in the success of the company and the quality of service we deliver.
The DSU enables employees to directly affect profitability and value and see the results. Employees take pride in the company and a vested interest in making sure the value of their account grows. In addition, the plan has also allowed the company to protect jobs and support the communities we work in.
LONGEVITY
Employees become eligible to participate when they have completed at least 1,500 hours of service in the plan year and are at least 18 years old. They enter the plan as a participant on October 1 after they meet eligibility requirements.
Eight employees make up the DSU subcommittee, part of our Employee Ownership Committee, established to educate employees about the DSU plan and its benefits.
EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION
Employee Spotlight
Employees are nominated or asked to participate in an employee spotlight that is published on the business line’s website along with social media. Highlights can include their career path, project highlight, compliment from a client, or their favorite hobbies, music, podcasts or activities.
Millionth Tree
One employee, Sam Menardi, planted their one millionth tree this past summer, a huge milestone to accomplish in the tree planting community.
ACTIVE EMPLOYEES IN THE DSU PLAN IN FY2023
Rewarding Success
The Rewarding Success Program recognizes employees who exhibit our values in an exemplary manner. Twenty employees were nominated by their manager and recognized in 2023. Nominees receive an award and certificate.
EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING GOALS
Education & Development: Begin work on the One Source project, which involves an ERP transformation to the Workday platform.
Benefits: Continue to provide our employees with more benefits education through regular newsletters, plan enrollment resources and new hire summaries.
Employee Recognition: Expand the employee recognition program to include all employees.
Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
As an environmental services company, we strive to protect and preserve the ecosystems where we live and work. In 2022, we began the process of cataloguing and quantifying key impact areas to support the development of greenhouse gas accounting. This includes an overview of electricity, fuel, waste and water. We are also committed to pursuing efficiency within our fleet. Geotab and Lytx software provide data on driver safety and fuel and maintenance metrics, supporting improved resource use. Our work also allows us to support the sustainability strategies of our clients, providing top of line management while remaining cognizant of environmental impact.
WILDFIRE FIGHTING
Our wildfire fighting crews worked diligently to mitigate wildfires in British Columbia. Our crews had 12 total deployments in 2023, accounting for 840 person/fire days this summer. As safety is our number one value, our crews go through intensive training to prepare them for this work. Minimum certifications for a Wildland Firefighter are S100 and S185 courses. Our Crew Leaders also need S212, S230, S235 and ICS 100 courses. Our Strike Team Leaders go a step further, adding S213, S241 and ICS 200 courses, and are required to serve as a crew leader on at least five incidents.
SILVICULTURE LIABILITY MANAGEMENT
In 2023, we identified an opportunity for growth and made the move into silviculture liability management. We are now managing basic silviculture as transferred from major licensees as well as liability activities for other clients.
When a stand of trees is cut down on government-owned land in British Columbia, the licensee is bound by law to replace it and ensure that it reaches a point where it can continue to grow unencumbered to maturity. The responsibility to replace the trees cut is the licensee’s silviculture liability.
First Nations often either directly hold licenses to harvest timber or are in partnerships with the sawmills to do so. As a licensee, First Nations hold silviculture liability for harvesting and is a natural pathway to further collaborations and stronger partnerships with First Nations groups.
REFORESTATION
Based on the total amount of trees planted in 2023, our reforestation division planted over 35,000,000 linear meters of trees. The trees are planted at 2.5 meters spacing.
TREES PLANTED IN FY2023
AERIAL SAW PROGRAM RESOURCE USE
Our team had the opportunity for international work for an Aerial Saw Program that spanned across South Carolina and North Carolina. The crew worked on hazard marking and directing aerial saw pilots.
Wright Canada Holdings (WCH) operates with two office locations: a corporate office located in Calgary, Alberta, and an operational hub in Prince George, British Columbia. Electricity and natural gas consumption for all WCH offices and applicable storage facilities are tracked for inclusion in the company’s greenhouse gas assessment. These metrics help encourage efficiencies and inform our emissions reduction strategy.
Fleet & Equipment
WCH’s parent company, Wright Service Corp. (WSC), has had the opportunity to be front and center to several exciting things with Geotab. With the support and guidance of our Geotab reseller, Gridline, WSC was the first company in the world to see and experience, pilot and deploy a Geotab/Lytx integration that allows the Lytx user interface to be visible and interactive within Geotab.
WSC was recommended and was selected as a participant for the Geotab Signature Advisory Group. This group meets quarterly to “take a peek under the hood” of Geotab roadmap initiatives and strategies, with opportunities to contribute and collaborate with their product and service developers, other business partners, Geotab leadership as well as other Geotab clients around the world.
The Mobility Program team is responsible for these relationships. As a team they collaborate with users to conceptualize capabilities, gather report requests, and complete troubleshooting. They quarterback conversations with subject matter experts for system enhancements, product and service recommendations, along with ensuring daily tasks and usual business within those systems can be completed unimpeded.
We are often the primary or direct link to WSC for our vendor partners and provide feedback and guidance on how the Wright family of companies utilize their products and services and collaborate to provide considerations for them on any potential development needs that may exist or present themselves,” stated Mobility Delivery Lead Lucas Loftin.
The WCH fleet is comprised of pickup trucks, bucket trucks, chip trucks and chippers as well as specialized equipment including all-terrain tree trimmers, brush-cutter tractors, Sennebogen machines and more for high-impact mechanical line clearance.
RESOURCE USE
Fuel Usage
Geotab, together with fuel cards, allows for the tracking of fuel efficiency. Some fuel is provided via bulk fueling or is client fueled, which is not included in annual reporting at this time. Bulk fuel, when available, is an efficient way to prepare the fleet without spending excess labor time and resources to travel to the nearest fueling station.
The 153 vehicles equipped with Geotab technology utilized by WCH’s fleet traveled 1,711,908 miles in 2023. Unproductive idle time is currently being tracked along with miles per litre efficiency.
WASTE
WCH generates vegetative waste through the maintenance and new infrastructure development efforts daily in support of our clients. This organic waste product is often left onsite in environments where it is appropriate to naturally breakdown and provide benefits such as nutrients and habitat to the local ecosystem. The waste may be chipped and added to the local landscape. In urban settings, wood may be left onsite at the request of the homeowner or removed and stored at a WCH property. WCH may further process wood waste into mulch and provide it free of charge to local communities.
A significant effort is made to provide a second life to that vegetative waste product not to be disposed of in a landfill setting. Woodchips are often sold to feedlots to be used in bedding and compost. Other times, woodchips or logs are donated to local causes.
Wood waste from fuel risk reduction operations gets sold as logs to local mills or as hog fuel to local energy plants.
Each job site and business line provide a variety of alternative uses of wood waste generated. An evaluation effort is underway to estimate the amount of vegetation co-product generated by division and the end-use category respectively.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY GOALS
Resource Use: Evaluate Geotab and Gridline reporting to improve efficiency through reduction of unproductive idle time.
Waste: Track usage of single-use plastic taping in-field to evaluate opportunities for waste reduction and alternatives.
Reforestation: Increase the number of trees planted in 2024.
Waste: Establish a tracking program for wood waste streams.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
We actively sponsor activities that benefit our employees and add value to the communities where we live and work. Through monetary and in-kind donations such as labour and education, we’re able to support various causes and organizations that align with our values. Over the years, as our company has grown, so has our community outreach. We take pride in building and developing relationships with our employees, clients and communities.
CONTRIBUTIONS & SPONSORSHIPS
Cynthia (Tia) Bauer Award Fund
A fund was started to honour a late employee, Cynthia (Tia) Bauer, at Vancouver Island University that awards women studying in their forestry program, up to $1,000 per year. This fund will run for at least three years.
For the first year of the fund, we contributed $500 to the fund to support aspiring women in forestry and as meaningful tribute to Tia’s legacy.
Cache Creek Chaos Softball Team
We were proud to sponsor the Cache Creek Chaos softball team with girls from Ashcroft, Cache Creek, 100 Mile House, and Spences Bridge. The team played at the 2023 Softball Provincials in Kelowna, British Columbia, and finished 3rd in the round-robin portion. They ended up 6th overall out of 17 teams.
Beaver Hill Biosphere Learning Day
In partnership with Strathcona County and Strathcona County Recreations, Parks and Culture, we sponsored the Beaver Hills Biosphere Learning Day, a free family-friendly event. Families were invited to learn, play and appreciate the trees in the forests of the Beaver Hills Biosphere. Stations were spread out around a loop trail at the Strathcona Wilderness Center for attendees to walk at their own pace and interact with stations they were interested in. Stations included evergreen and deciduous trees, obstacles courses, tree craft, seed bombs and more.
Invasive Species Council of British Columbia
The annual Invasive Species Council of British Columbia (ISCBC) INVASIVES Forum is an event where experts gather together to share the latest best practices, research and initiatives.
As ISCBC’s chair at the time, Operations Director Eric Nijboer had the opportunity to serve as host and emcee of the forum.
Our in-kind support with the organization is valued at approximately $10,000. In addition, we’ve contributed $250 to the non-profit
to further their mission to connect stakeholders, knowledge and technology to prevent and reduce the spread of invasive species that harm Canada’s environment, economy and society.
ISA Prairie Chapter TREE CLIMBING COMPETITION
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Prairie Chapter Tree Climbing Championship is an annual competition where some of the best climbers take part in various competitions. As one of the event sponsors, we sponsored the work climb competition where contestants climb to five stations in a tree, performing a different task at each station, and the masters challenge which took place on the final day of competition.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
We were proud to be a silver sponsor the 2023 ISA Prairie Chapter Fall Conference. The conference’s themed focused on ‘Future Growth, Rooted in History.’
REPUTATION CONTRIBUTIONS & SPONSORSHIPS
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WOMEN IN TREES
The Women in Trees event at Olds College brings together the best professional tree service providers in private practice and the utility sector, as well as municipal arborists, for educational and technical workshops. Our sponsorship supported the banquet, t-shirts for participants and prizes for technical competitions.
Professional Vegetation Managers Association
Two of our divisions were sponsors and exhibited at the Professional Vegetation Managers Association (PVMA) 2023 Spring Conference. Safety Supervisor Philip Ruiz delivered a mechanical advantage presentation and Director of Business Development - Forestry & Utility Jay Manganaro, who is PVMA’s Membership Committee Chair, emceed the conference.
ArborCare 40th Anniversary
In 2023, the ArborCare division celebrated its 40th year in business. The division provides commercial and residential tree and lawn care services focusing on the health of trees as we plant and maintain them, and seasonally provides commercial snow removal and summer lawn care.
“As a company, we have defied all odds and grown strong to achieve great things together,” said Division Manager Chris Gamache. “All our employees deserve a big round of applause for their hard work. We would not be here if it was not for their dedication.”
“Along with having great employees, ArborCare would not be the company it is today without all our loyal customers that have supported us over the last 40 years,” said Project Manager Terry Richard. “We look forward to continuing to serve them for many more years to come.”
Community Involvement
PARADE OF LIGHTS
In Calgary, we joined the Auburn Bay Community Association to kick off the holiday season. The community gathered to see festive floats and vehicles decorated by businesses and organizations during their annual parade. Our employees decorated a bucket truck and took part in the parade of lights in the spirit of the holidays.
Conference & Event Presence
In addition to our contributions and sponsorships of industry events, our employees travel across Canada to speak at and participate in industry conferences as part of their involvement to bring awareness to our industries to the communities we serve.
NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA HOME & GARDEN SHOW
We supported the Northwest Invasive Plant Council in delivering invasive plant public awareness and education at the Northern British Columbia Home & Garden Show over three days in the spring.
REPUTATION
BC NORTHERN EXHIBITION
Our team volunteered to help promote invasive plant awareness and education at the BC Northern Exhibition in Prince George, British Columbia.
WESTERN FORESTRY CONTRACTORS’ ASSOCIATION
Three employees had the opportunity to attend the Western Forestry Contractors’ Association Annual Conference in Victoria, British Columbia. A wide range of topics were covered including risk assessments, creating better and safer workplaces, reconciliation with Indigenous people, current and future state of the industry, and more.
INDUSTRY MEMBERSHIPS & ASSOCIATIONS
Employees are encouraged to join industry-related organizations and participate as members or on their boards. Our companies are proud supporters of and/or have employees who are board members in the:
- Alberta Construction Association
- Alberta Society of Professional Biologists
- American Society of Consulting Arborists
- Association of BC Forest Professionals
- BC Forest Safety Council
- BC Institute of Agrologists
- Canadian Nursery Landscape Association
- Collect of Applied Biology
- ISA
- ISA Prairie Chapter
- Integrated Vegetation Management Association of Manitoba/Saskatchewan
- ISCBC
- Landscape Alberta
- Ontario Vegetation Management Association
- PVMA
- Tree Care Industry Association
- Utility Arborist Association
- Western Forestry Contractors’ Association
CUSTOMER SERVICE
In 2023, our commercial and residential tree care division received more than 5,545 calls averaging 2 minutes and 47 seconds per call. Our team has several in-house trainings on items such as phone etiquette, best practices and reviewing calls to continuously improve our processes and conversations with our clients.
PARTNERSHIPS
First Nations & Indigenous Groups
At WCH, we are proud to work alongside our many indigenous partners. We have developed our Indigenous Engagement policies by listening to indigenous stakeholders in the traditional territories we work in. We have been guided by the principles embodied within the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Our objective is to assist our Nation Partners in strengthening economic reconciliation through robust and resilient partnerships. WCH has established several successful, indigenous-led partnership opportunities in Canada.
ANISHNAWBE BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
The Anishnawbe Business Professional Association (ABPA) is a nonprofit, member-based organization primarily serving the First Nation business community. ABPA provides a forum for the First Nation business community to develop policies and programming which contribute to the socio-economic well-being and quality of life of First Nations peoples in Northern Ontario. They also serve non-First Nation businesses such as WCH by providing information, guidance, and access to a wide-ranging network through events and sponsorship.
PARTNERSHIPS
We were proud to sponsor and exhibit at the 2023 Prosperity Northwest Tradeshow and Conference. The event was presented by the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce and in partnership with the ABPA.
KWADACHA NATION
The partnership provides internship opportunities for students in the Kwadacha First Nation community. Through this learning experience, the students have an opportunity to learn and experience what it would be like to work in forestry.
In addition, the communities’ businesses are supported through subcontracting opportunities with the Kwadacha Natural Resource Limited Partnership.
LAC LA RONGE INDIAN BAND
We partner with Canada North Environmental Service (CanNorth), a private environmental consulting company 100% owned by Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership. Kitsaki is the business arm of Lac La Ronge Indian Band. We are providing right-of-way widening and consenting work in western Canada through this partnership.
MCLEOD LAKE INDIAN BAND
We work closely with McLeod Lake Indian Band’s leadership who have entrusted us with the very important task of resource stewardship and management of their forest services, both on Treaty 8 Adhesion Lands and Managed Forest Licenses in the Mackenzie and Prince George timber supply areas.
TSUUT’INA NATION
We teamed up with the Tsuut’ina Nation reserve members to provide utility line clearance on the reservation. Through this partnership, we worked to employ qualified candidates for various positions across Canada.
WET’SUWET’EN FIRST NATION
Wet’suwet’en First Nation’s economic development company, Yinka Dene Economic Development Limited Partnership, partnered with WCH to assist in carrying out a variety of vegetation management projects.
Colleges & Communities
We are a proud sponsor of future leaders in vegetation management and environmental services. Through internship programs, career fair attendance, and speaking engagements, we provide education and development opportunities to young adults across Canada who may be interesting and starting a career in our industry.
AIMHI
AiMHi is an organization in Prince George, British Columbia. Their mission is to provide opportunities and support to people who have special needs and their families. Since 2016, we have partnered with AiMHi to provide different opportunities of work including life skills training alongside our invasive plant management technicians operating around Prince George and Mackenzie, British Columbia. We believe in a culture that empowers all people to live their best lives and building a strong community who recognize and celebrate the value of all citizens.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GOALS
Reputation: Prioritize supply chain diversity and environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.
Contribution: Continue to evaluate and promote new volunteer opportunities for employees to engage communities across Canada.
Partnerships: Increase partnerships with indigenous communities.
Partnerships: Track and increase opportunities to discuss the forestry and vegetation management industry at high school, college and university career fairs.
CLOSING
Wright Canada Holdings Ltd. and our employees strive to live out our values and will continue to improve our sustainable practices to ensure a safe and bright future for our employee owners. We are committed to a better world for all by investing in the communities we serve through innovation, integrity and teamwork. We want to ensure that the decisions we make today make a positive impact on our employees, clients, community and the environment.
APPENDIX
An evaluation by EcoPractices®, a sustainability risk management tool from Eocene Environmental Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Wright Service Corp. (WSC), in partnership with WSC. This report is intended to showcase the sustainability journey of Wright Canada Holdings Ltd., dedicated to recognizing their responsibility toward their mission, vision and values for their employee owners, partners, clients, and the public.
