2 per team
Brush saw operators
Cut brush and small trees safely, consistently and to the required finish height across the assigned width.
Powerline brushing · Northwestern Ontario
Come as a team.
Earn as a team.
Haveman Brothers is hiring four or five person work teams to clear powerlines near Sioux Lookout and Ignace. Apply alone, or come with people you already know you can work with.
$2,500per accepted hectare
3 monthsexpected contract
$0camp and food cost
5 + 2regular schedule
01 · The work team
Four or five person work teams.
Clear the span. Prepare it for chipping.
Your team is responsible for clearing the assigned powerline width and leaving the cut material ready for the chipping crew. Cutters operate brush saws. Pickers pile what is cut so the next stage can keep moving.
You can come on your own. If you come with a full team, you can stay together and work together to maximise your earnings.
2 or 3 per team
Pickers
Keep cut material moving, build neat chipper-ready piles and help the team finish each span cleanly.
02 · Before you start
The standard is agreed first.
We’ll go through exactly what counts before you do any work.
Each span has a set clearing width and quality standard. Your team is responsible for meeting both before the work is accepted.
- Clear the full assigned width—no skipped strips or islands.
- Cut stems and stumps no higher than 7.5 cm (3 in.).
- Place brush in neat, accessible piles for the chipping crew.
- Make a second pass and correct anything missed.
Every span is a premeasured polygon, so your team knows its area before starting. Haveman provides supervision and quality checks. A separate crew handles the chipping.
03 · What the ground looks like
The actual powerlines
Dense brush, exposed rock, wet ground, slopes and open spans. These photos show the real project terrain.
04 · How the pay works
Two options
Choose steady hourly pay or production pay with a floor.
Everyone is paid every two weeks by direct deposit. Vacation pay and public holiday pay are added on top.
per hectare of completed and accepted span area
Each span is premeasured before it is assigned. Once the full span is completed and accepted, its area is paid at the production rate and shared by the four or five person work team. If production earnings fall below the applicable hourly-rate floor, the floor applies.
Brush saw operatorFrom $275/day$25/hour
PickerFrom $225/day$21/hour
Day rates are rounded up from the hourly calculation below.
50-hour week example
44 regular hours + 6 overtime hours
Cutter: (44 × $25) + (6 × $25 × 1.5) = $1,325/week or $265/day, rounded up to $275/day
Picker: (44 × $21) + (6 × $21 × 1.5) = $1,113/week or $222.60/day, rounded up to $225/day
Expected crew production
What a four or five person team can work toward
Rookie crew0.5–0.75 ha/day
Second-year crew0.75–1 ha/day
Highballer crew1–2 ha/day
05 · What is provided
Camp and food cost you nothing.
Treeplant-style camp.
The camp has showers, a kitchen and shared common space. Meals are provided. You bring your own home—a trailer or tent—along with the bedding, clothing and personal gear you need for the contract.
Camp + mealsNo camp charge or food deduction
Line transportationVehicle from camp to the assigned section
Remote accessUTV, Sherp or other all-terrain support when needed
Field supportSupervision, quality checks and chipping crew
06 · Contract and schedule
Expected contract3 months
Approximately 350 hectares to complete.
Five days on. Two days off.
A sixth workday may be available and is optional. No one, including production-pay teams, works more than six consecutive days. Thanksgiving is a four-day break.
Suitable sections will be cleared mechanically. Progress will be tracked by completed spans and shared throughout the job, similar to a tree-planting contract, so teams can see what is complete and what remains.
Ongoing work is available for people and teams who perform well.
07 · What is required
You do not need every ticket before applying.
Training is arranged. Training time is paid.
Everyone must finish the required training and be approved before starting on the powerline.
Electrical safety
Complete the online certification required for work near energized powerlines. Haveman purchases the course directly or reimburses the full cost.
Project training
Complete the required job, safety, wildfire and project training, including Indigenous awareness training.
Role competency
Brush saw operators must demonstrate safe and competent equipment use before working in production.
A qualified driver
Each team needs at least one person with a valid Ontario G licence, or an equivalent out-of-province licence with a current driver's abstract, a clean record and Safe Travel on Logging Roads training.
08 · Camp rules
Relax after work. Be ready in the morning.
This is a mature work-camp setting. Having a drink or your legal substance of choice after work is fine. Illegal substances are not. Show up clear-eyed, fit for duty and ready to pull your weight the next morning.
Violence, harassment, unwanted advances, threatening behaviour and other unruly conduct are not tolerated. Everyone must be able to live in camp without being made uncomfortable or feeling unsafe.
“Mature” describes the conduct expected in camp. Age is not a basis for selection.
09 · FAQ
Questions worth answering before you apply.
No polished recruitment pitch. This is the actual arrangement.
Can I apply by myself?+
Yes. You can apply alone and be placed with a team. If you already have four or five people who work well together, apply as a team and tell us who is included.
How is the production rate paid?+
$2,500 per hectare is paid for the premeasured area of each completed and accepted span. It is the rate for the four or five person work team, not $2,500 per person. The hourly-rate floor still applies.
How do we maximise our earnings?+
It is all about the pickers. They make or break the team's earnings. Cutting is only part of the job—the brush still has to be piled and prepared for the chipping crew. Strong pickers who stay close to the cutters and work hard through the entire span are what keep the team moving and turn cut brush into completed spans.
What counts as a completed span?+
A span is a predetermined section of the powerline. Its boundaries and area are known before your team starts. The full assigned width must be cleared to the project standard, cut material must be left in neat chipper-ready piles, and any misses or deficiencies must be corrected before the span is accepted. Haveman carries out the quality check.
Do I need all of the required certifications before I apply?+
No. Haveman will arrange the required training and certifications before you start work. Haveman pays the course costs, and your training time is paid.
Do I have to pay for camp or food?+
No. Camp, meals and the basic camp facilities are provided at no cost to you.
What is the camp actually like?+
It is a treeplant-style camp with showers, a kitchen and shared common areas. You bring your own home—a trailer or tent—along with your bedding, clothing and personal camp gear.
Where is the work?+
The project is in remote Northwestern Ontario. The nearest towns are Sioux Lookout and Ignace.
How many days can I work?+
The regular schedule is five days on and two days off. A sixth day may be available and is optional. No one works more than six consecutive days, including production-pay teams.
Is there work after this contract?+
This should be treated as a standalone contract. However, we are always looking to keep our best people and funnel them into our more permanent divisions.
What behaviour is expected in camp?+
Relax after work, but arrive clear-eyed and ready the next morning. Illegal substances, violence, harassment, unwanted advances, threats and conduct that makes other people feel unsafe are not tolerated.
Haveman Brothers · Powerline brushing
Come ready to work.
Bring a crew you already know, join someone's team, or apply on your own. The application sorts out the right path.
Apply now