At a time when newcomers to the workforce seek more security and assurance than ever, 22-year-old Gage Tindall could be described as a throwback—in a good way. 

Like his father, Klay, Gage is a classic forester in that he has bounced around from one job to another, eager to gain a broad range of skills and see where life will take him. Working hard is second nature, and his friendliness is underscored by a rock-solid conviction to become a self-sufficient professional. 

Being exposed to forestry as a child inspired many of Gage’s values. “My mom, dad and brother are athletic outdoors types, and whenever my dad finished one job and was offered another one somewhere else, my mom always supported him,” he says. “So, although it’s difficult today to feel secure in an industry that faces so many challenges, for me the security of being part of such a family more than compensates.” 

A snowboarding enthusiast from the prairies, Klay moved to BC initially for its recreational opportunities—and some of Gage’s earliest memories are of being on the slopes. “At two years old I was skiing alone,” he says. “I was always outside, to the extent I even loved being in the pouring rain.” 

These elements worked in Gage’s favour, as did a part-time restaurant job when he decided to experience life as a forester. “I hated the sound of banging plates and staff shouting at one another,” he recalls. “By contrast, as kids my brother and I would watch dad operate a shovel, and we appreciated that his colleagues all worked together as a skilled team.” 

So, at 18 and upon graduating high school, Gage landed a job at a log sort. This was followed by a stint as a logging road flagger, at a pay rate of $25 per hour, which demonstrated to the impressionable teenager that with a little effort, a good living in logging could be had. 

Gage also spent several months driving a rock truck and gained enough skill to realize that operating heavy machinery wasn’t for him. “I was sitting all the time, and I wanted to be active,” he explains. 

In the Tindall spirit of bouncing around, Gage worked for a year as a hook tender and chokerman, as well as yarding. “I was guided by great people,” he says. “I strung a lot of chokers and cut up my hands frequently, and loved every moment.” But he admits, “Hook tending was the scariest task for me because of the importance of finding the right stump. It was so obvious that every job in logging required enormous skill and dedication.” 

Then, in 2022, Gage found his niche by performing block and boundary layout and gaining insights into road building design and construction, on behalf of Chartwell Resource Group Ltd. “I was fascinated by the engineering aspect of forestry, and one man, Jeff Mass, was particularly hard on me in the hope I would get everything right from the outset,” he says. “I’ll always be grateful to him.”  

To advance his knowledge, Gage enrolled in BCIT’s Forest and Natural Areas Management program and has immersed himself in the world of GIS mapping, data gathering, and associated disciplines. “Chartwell asked me back during summer break this year because of the good work I had done the previous year, laying out block boundaries, designing roads, and being an all-around good team member,” he says. 

Even though he only recently turned 22, Gage keenly appreciates the importance of showing up for work on time and spending extra hours to get a job done. His sense of responsibility has also extended to renting a house with friends near BCIT rather than staying at home and letting his parents foot the bills. “It’s obliged me to abide by budgets and constantly search for the cheapest groceries and other deals,” he laughs. 

Gage, who graduates BCIT next year, admits he has no long-term goals other than to work hard and stay outdoors (he is also a ski instructor during the winter season), and while this might unnerve security-focused people of his generation, he is confident that a steady accumulation of knowledge will help ensure his future prosperity. “I absolutely love engineering and am very interested in getting the most out of our forests,” he says. “I don’t know where this will take me, but the journey is a lot of fun.”