Hall of Fame > Kevin McLaurin

Nominated by : Jordan Tesluk
Date Added : April 2009

Kevin was the founder and owner of Mountain Reforestation, based in Mission. His most recent activity was in the Lillooet region.

Kevin was a guy who held nothing back, and told other people in the industry exactly how he saw it. As such, it was always a pleasure to talk with him about forestry because he was candid and pointed.

Kevin also was a contributor. He supported development of programs in the silviculture industry even when the return to himself was limited. This may escape a lot of planters, but the ability of the silviculture industry to support half-decent jobs for the thousands that fill the sector has depended heavily upon the actions and foresight of a group of company owners that have wrestled with government and the forestry companies to maintain a reasonable level of silvicultural activity.

Keeping this process going has demanded not only time, but a lot of money. Kevin paid his dues in both these regards, big time.

He should be recognized as one of the key builders of the silviculture industry, given his long history 30+ years in the industry.

He ran an elite company that provided above average jobs to a lot of vets for many years. This only speaks to the “silviculture” side of Kevin, and I am sad for those that knew his personal side better than I did, and I can only say that when attending conferences, I always looked for him in the morning to drink coffee with. He will be missed.

Nominated by : Nesa7 White

Kevin McLaurin–April 26, 1955 to April 21, 2009

Too soon to lose such a wonderful person.

Kevin was a great friend, and definitely the best contractor I ever worked for. He will be dearly missed by his loving family and by the many silviculture workers who came back to work for him, some for 25+ years. We were never let down with Kevin, he always got work and was fair with prices, living conditions, and even weed. Kevin was very outgoing in his personal life, he was always going somewhere in the off season and had visited many countries and continents. He was very giving and had a HUGE heart.

It was a very sad loss for the many of us for whom Kevin was such a large part of our lives. Especially at loss, is Kevin’s partner whom he loved very dearly. I noticed how happy he was after he met Janita, a lovely lady from Newfoundland. Kevin’s funeral service was held in Maple Ridge, BC with family and friends in attendance. The service was very touching and relaxed, much how Kev would have liked it.

Kevin, you will be missed by many. Thank you for all of your hard work and all of your kind acts.

Rest In Peace.