Líl̓wat Forestry Ventures Ltd. (LFV) is a leading forestry management corporation within the Líl̓wat Nation in Mount Currie, British Columbia. As we continue to grow, we are excited to introduce our dedicated team members who help us manage one of the Nation’s most precious resources while upholding our commitment to community safety.

Troy Reuben Bikadi, a Senior Certified Utility Arborist and General Forman for LFV is a key member of our team who helps ensure trees are properly maintained for our community’s safety and overall forest health.

Interesting Facts

• Troy first became involved with LFV in 2011 when it was named Creekside Resources Incorporated.
• Throughout his career, he had the opportunity to move to Nanaimo and travel all over British Columbia.
• Troy has a passion for climbing, which led him to explore a career as an Arborist.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started in the forest industry?

Definitely! I grew up right here in Mount Currie and graduated from Xitolacw Community School. In 2011, I got into forestry with Creekside Resources, which is now Líl̓wat Forestry Ventures (LFV). To be honest, I didn’t really have a plan at that point but one year later, I got introduced to arborist work and I had so much fun doing it – even to this day I still enjoy it. After this, I began my climbing career to become a Certified Utility Arborist (CUA) and completed the first-year apprenticeship.

Very interesting! How long did it take you to be fully certified?

About three years. After doing my first year in 2014, I needed to move away to proceed with this career and become a CUA, but I had every intention to return to LFV in the future. I moved to Nanaimo to work with HD Tree Service and that same year, I completed my second-year apprenticeship. After that, my climbing experience escalated very quickly, and I got fully certified in December 2015.

Can you tell me more about what being a CUA involves?

A CUA is basically a tree doctor; we do it all from pruning trees, setting up cables for stability, and topping trees to removing live or dead vegetation, which is the arborist part of the job. The utility part involves power lines and electricity. CUA’s do arborist work along the the power lines, transmission, and distribution for BC Hydro, which are mostly live lines, meaning the power is on when we work near them. Due to this, there is a lot of different rigging involved with ropes, pulleys, friction devices, slingshots, winches and the fun stuff, which is climbing the trees.

That’s impressive! Once you got certified, did you go back to LFV right away?

Not right away, I felt I was not ready to come back yet, as I was still learning a lot every day. I stayed for 4 more years and got to travel all over B.C. as this job took me and my family wherever the work was. At one point in 2019, I noticed I had become a teacher and already had some apprentices learning from me. That is when I knew it was time to go back to LFV, as there was no CUA in Mount Currie at the time.

What is your current role at LFV and how long have you been working here for?

I started five years ago as a Lead CUA and now became the Senior CUA and General Forman for LFV with seven apprentices.

That’s great to hear! What do you enjoy the most about this role?

I love teaching these guys as they all have the same passion for climbing as I do, and the biggest bonus is that I am home now.

Outside of work, what are some of hobbies that you enjoy?

I love any outdoor activities such as biking, hiking, snowboarding, camping, off-road racing, and playing outside.

Thank you, Troy, for your great work in managing the Nation’s forests, keeping our trees healthy and ensuring wildlife habitats are being preserved.