Algonquin Forestry Grad Comes Full Circle  

Erroll Downey was raised on a small farm in the Ottawa Valley.  As a summer job during high school, he worked four seasons as a guide at a fishing lodge in Quebec.  It was this strong interest in the outdoors that eventually led him to begin the Forest Technician diploma program at Algonquin College in Pembroke in the fall of 1982.

At that time, the program was two-years rather than the current one-year compressed format.  After the first year, Erroll ventured to Kapuskasing in northern Ontario to join a forest fire crew.  “I really enjoyed my summer job as a crew member.  I was able to work with some great people and there was always something to do and somewhere to go.  I never thought I would spend so much time flying around in a helicopter.”

Erroll graduated as a Forest Technician in the spring of 1984.  “I made some great friends while in the forestry program and still keep in touch with many of them to this day.”  In April of 1984, Erroll moved to Timmins, Ontario, where he accepted a position as a Fire Crew Boss.  “Another fun summer working fire.  After that position, I worked as a trapper’s helper on a Crown trapline near the junction of the Ivanhoe and Groundhog Rivers.”  In December, Erroll worked on a contract at Achray Station in Algonquin Park.  “I, and two other people from my technician class, spent the winter cutting hiking trails from Achray Campground to High Falls.  It was a fun winter.”

Earns Forestry Degree at Lakehead University

In the spring of 1985, Erroll returned to Timmins as a Fire Crew Boss and following that season, he decided to return to school to continue his forestry studies.  That fall, Errol began his degree in Forestry at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.  Since Algonquin College has a long-standing articulation agreement with Lakehead, Errol was able to apply the credits obtained in Algonquin’s Forest Technician program towards his forestry degree, allowing him to complete his degree in three, rather than four years.   

During university, Erroll decided to give fire fighting a break and try something new.  “I was able to obtain a summer position on a road location crew for Kimberly Clarke in Longlac, Ontario.  We would fly north by helicopter from Longlac, camp out for the week and locate several miles of primary road.  Another great job!”

For the next two summers, Erroll worked as a tree planting supervisor with E.B. Eddy Forest Products.  “I worked from one of their bush camps, called Camp 12, which was located between Espanola and Chapleau in northern Ontario”.  After graduating from Lakehead in the spring of 1988 with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Forestry degree, Erroll returned to Camp 12 to work as the Assistant Operations Forester.  In this position, he was responsible for the planning and implementation of the regeneration program for the area.  The fall was spent timber cruising and the winter was spent on snowshoes, locating harvest boundaries and roads.

New Position with Ministry of Natural Resources

In 1990, Erroll returned to the Ottawa Valley and accepted a position as a forester with the Ministry of Natural Resources in Pembroke.  “In this position I became very familiar with the partial harvesting systems used in central Ontario.  We were managing white pine and tolerant hardwoods, so tree marking and pre-harvest site inspections were a major emphasis.”

In 2000, Erroll accepted a position as professor in the Forest Technician Program at Algonquin College in the Ottawa Valley.  “I guess that brings me full circle back to where I started.  I have fun working with the students and I enjoy seeing their interests grow and their understanding of forestry develop during the year.  I hope they have as much fun in a forestry career as I did.” 

Erroll still enjoys going out into the bush with his forestry students during numerous field trips held throughout the year.  The students get some first-hand experience, can observe working forestry operations, and develop a better understanding of the practical applications of their theory classes.  He also teaches a variety of courses including: Wildlife, Forest Health, Silviculture, Fire Management, Field Placement, Advanced Techniques, and Tree Marking.  Erroll currently holds the following certifications, some of which can be earned by Forestry students during their program:

• Forest Operations Compliance Inspection Certificate
• S300 Initial Attack Incident Commander (Forest Fire Crew Leader)
• Licensed Ontario Tree Marker
• Cutter – Skidder Operator Certified
• S200 Fire Control Crew Boss
• S100 Fire Crewmember
• Fur Management, Harvesting and Conservation (Ontario Fur Trapper’s Course)
  
  

When not doing College work, Erroll is likely “slinging” a chainsaw, doing improvement work on his 380-acre woodlot.  He also enjoys playing hockey, camping, skiing and canoeing.

Erroll’s Message to Prospective Students:

“I hope you decide to join the Forestry Technician Program at Algonquin College in Pembroke--I look forward to working with you.” —Erroll Downey

For more information on Algonquin College's

47-week Forestry Technician Diploma Program, click here.