The forest industry in Canada has all but died. I'm in my early 50's and looking at operating other heavy equipment. Operating an excavator is something I'm considering but I want to hear from others if getting the training (and it's not cheap) to run an excavator is worth it in terms of the chances of finding decent work in Canada. thanks.
I can't answer for guys in your area, but my impression is that the schools are an upfront cost without necessarily a job when you've completed the course. What about driving a truck? I think that it's a better investment if you have to pay to get your license. It could be what gets you into a job with an excavating company where you could eventually pick up operating an excavator. If earth moving companies aren't hiring, there are other industries where a CDL could be what gets you hired. A good complement to a CDL is a crane operator's license. This isn't an exhaustive list of options, but it's what came to mind. Good luck with your job search.
for what its worth,the forest industry is very much alive and well out west. anything from yarder to forwarded wood is still steady as can be.