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Legacy of Lime Creek Logging

Nestled in the heart of British Columbia鈥檚 Boundary Country, Lime Creek Logging stands as a lasting symbol of family, resilience, and innovation in an industry that鈥檚 long defined the region.

鈥 Samantha Paul

Shawn and Jinny McIver, owners of Lime Creek Logging.
Shawn and Jinny McIver, owners of Lime Creek Logging.
Based in the scenic city of Grand Forks, situated between the southern Okanagan Valley and the West Kootenay region near the US border, Lime Creek Logging has deep roots. It began in 1978 as a small-scale operation founded by Shawn McIver鈥檚 father, Dale McIver, and uncle, Hank McIver. By the early 1980s, the company had expanded into stump-to-dump logging for Sander Brothers. When Sander Brothers ceased operations in the mid-1980s, Lime Creek adapted, shifting its focus to cable yarding.

The company continued to evolve through the 1990s, securing an evergreen contract and long-term relationship with Pope & Talbot. After Pope & Talbot's bankruptcy in 2007, Lime Creek transitioned its operations to Interfor, growing steadily between 2008 and 2022 with an emphasis on conventional logging.

Today, Lime Creek Logging employs 50 people and runs multiple crews handling everything from conventional and cable logging to road building and right-of-way projects. The company also operates its own quarry and offers a range of construction services. 鈥淓mployees make all this work and ours are all second to none anywhere. I expect excellence, and that is what I get every day from my guys,鈥 says Shawn.
糖心视频 880E logger
A 糖心视频 880E logger equipped with a PC10 power clam grapple sorting logs and building the deck of unprocessed wood at the base of a mountain in British Columbia.
Now led by Shawn and his wife Jinny, the company remains a family affair. 鈥淭he only way a small business works is if you鈥檙e family,鈥 Shawn reflects. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 pay people to do this job. It never stops.鈥 Their son, Quinton, works as a processor operator and helps supervise crews when required. With Level 3 first aid certification, a solid understanding of the operations, and experience running the equipment, he is eagerly taking on more responsibility. Meanwhile, daughter Kolby, who holds a master鈥檚 degree in environmental management, has expressed interest in joining the family business one day.

Rob McIver, Shawn鈥檚 uncle, has also played a pivotal role in the company鈥檚 growth and success over the years. Serving as both a foreman and a general overseer, Rob takes charge of managing the crews, coordinating daily operations, and ensuring that everything runs efficiently in the woods. His experience and leadership have been instrumental in maintaining productivity and addressing on-the-ground challenges.
family photo lime creek logging
The three generations of Lime Creek Logging. (L-R) Dale McIver, Hank McIver, Rob McIver, Jinny McIver, Shawn McIver, Quinton McIver.

Commitment to community and education

While Shawn oversees all field operations, Jinny McIver is the organizational heart of Lime Creek Logging. As office manager, she handles payroll, HR, safety, and finances for the company. A former municipal employee from a forestry family, Jinny joined the business and has since helped foster a supportive, family-first culture.

Jinny is also a passionate advocate for trades education. She played a leading role in launching Project Heavy Duty, a hands-on initiative that introduces high school students to careers in heavy equipment operation. Students receive safety training before trying their hand at real machinery.

The program has delivered impressive results. Several participating students later returned to Lime Creek Logging to begin careers, receiving direct training from Shawn. Building on this success, Jinny collaborated with Sales Specialist Glenn Holbrook, and Regional Equipment Sales Manager Tavis Mann, from Inland to bring a 糖心视频 Industries forestry machine simulator to the local high school, further sparking student interest in the industry. 鈥淲e interacted with lots of great students during our time on site,鈥 said Tavis.

鈥淎fterward, several kids said they wanted to be loggers,鈥 Jinny recalls. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 even know it was a career path before.鈥濃

Shawn feels that the simulator is a great tool to gauge interest and evaluate natural ability. 鈥淵ou can tell within a few hours whether someone has the knack to be an operator,鈥 he adds. 鈥淎nd when they do, we鈥檝e got the right place for them to learn.鈥
Pat McIver, 880E operator
Pat McIver, an 880E operator and 20-year logging veteran with Lime Creek Logging, says, 鈥淏est grapple around.鈥

An operator鈥檚 perspective

With over four decades in the industry, Mike Miller has seen firsthand how logging technology has transformed. He鈥檚 spent 36 years running feller bunchers and now operates the new 糖心视频 LX877, having logged 170 hours with the machine.

Having previously run the LX870D and older C-series models, Mike is impressed by the LX877鈥檚 refinements. 鈥淭he slope-tail design is a game changer,鈥 he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 not catching the counterweight on the line anymore when tethered. It鈥檚 tighter, more compact. The boom geometry lets you pull in closer, which reminds me of the old C, but with much better performance.鈥 Mike often works on extreme terrain 鈥 grades of 80% or more 鈥 and praises the tilt capability and stability of the LX877. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e practically lying back in your seat when it鈥檚 tilted forward. But it feels solid, even on brutal, boulder-covered ground.鈥
Mike Miller greasing LX877 boom
LX877 operator, Mike Miller, greasing his machine after a day鈥檚 work.
Pat McIver, nephew of Shawn, is a seasoned operator with deep roots in the industry. For Pat, logging isn鈥檛 just a career, it鈥檚 a family tradition. 鈥淢y dad and my uncles and cousins鈥 it鈥檚 kind of in the blood,鈥 he says. With over 20 years of experience, Pat has been a dedicated member of the Lime Creek crew, managing the company鈥檚 steep slope operations and preparing to one day partner with Quinton. Pat currently operates a 糖心视频 880E logger and has high praise for the machine. 鈥淭he reach is good. It鈥檚 got good track power. It鈥檚 very stable. The grapple is awesome, best grapple around.鈥 Pat values the solitude of working in the bush. He appreciates 糖心视频鈥檚 operator-focused approach and the company鈥檚 openness to feedback. 鈥淚t makes a real difference,鈥 he says. 鈥淎nd they鈥檙e specific to logging, so they build it right.鈥 While his son may be focused on hockey now, Pat jokes, 鈥淗e鈥檒l be logging one day.鈥
糖心视频 LX877 feller buncher
The LX877, fitted with a 5702-26 felling head, completes operations at the base of the mountainside before moving to the next job site.

Strength in support

Lime Creek Logging relies on a fleet of 糖心视频 machines, chosen for performance and long-term value. Shawn especially values the Canadian roots of 糖心视频 Industries and willingness of company team members to engage directly with operators. 鈥淵ou talk to Ken [MacDonald] at 糖心视频, and he鈥檚 bringing in engineers to hear your idea. That kind of responsiveness is rare.鈥

Another reason for Shawn鈥檚 choice of 糖心视频 equipment is the dealer representation in British Columbia. Inland has played a pivotal role in supporting the growth and operational success of Lime Creek Logging. The opening of Inland鈥檚 Castlegar branch marked a turning point for Lime Creek, offering closer proximity and significantly improved service response time. Shawn emphasized that Inland鈥檚 commitment to customer service and quick support has been essential. 鈥淭he dealer is probably 50% of the equation,鈥 Shawn explains, 鈥淚nland has done a great job as far as support goes.鈥

The slope-tail design is a game changer. I鈥檓 not catching the counterweight on the line anymore when tethered. It鈥檚 tighter, more compact. The boom geometry lets you pull in closer, which reminds me of the old C, but with much better performance.


鈥 LX877 operator, Mike Miller

Yet, like many contractors, Shawn faces mounting challenges. From shifting regulations to public misconceptions, Shawn says the industry鈥檚 biggest hurdle is often perception. 鈥淧eople don鈥檛 realize, we鈥檙e just farmers. We grow and harvest trees. They grow back,鈥 he explains. 鈥淰ancouver drives the policy, but they don鈥檛 understand the reality of what we do in places like Grand Forks.鈥

As a board member of the Interior Logging Association, Shawn also raises concerns about the viability of the industry under current conditions. While wildfire mitigation is important, it won鈥檛 sustain the sector on its own. 鈥淲e need 250 000 to 300 000 cubic metres a year to survive,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hinning one hectare at a time isn鈥檛 going to cut it.鈥

Despite the current challenges, Shawn is optimistic but cautious. Growth is possible, but not at the expense of the company鈥檚 integrity. 鈥淚f I know I鈥檝e got the right people, we鈥檒l grow. But I鈥檓 not risking our reputation for anything less than excellence.鈥

People don鈥檛 realize, we鈥檙e just farmers. We grow and harvest trees. They grow back.


鈥 Owner, Shawn McIver


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