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It’s approaching a year since returning from Northern Alberta, reflecting back to what impressed me the most about the province was the sheer vast amount of open space and land. There are no shortages of socio-economic challenges in the region but that is the case anywhere cities are not immune to homelessness, drug abuse and people living in shelters. I can’t help but smile reflecting on how great the experience was to be around so many honest and hardworking people, raising families, living life and doing whatever it takes to survive and thrive specially in what can be at times an unforgiving landscape. I had an old Truck, affectionately named “Old Red”, my dog, love a goal and purpose. This July 2016 will be the anniversary date and I’ll be eligible to complete my Red Seal had I gone the same route in Ontario it wouldn’t be possible until maybe July 2019.
Photo: Taken outside Reed Energy work shop,working as a safety watch because it was a confined space, the welder was fixing a flange inside the tank, pictured in the back and Old Red, 96 Single Cab Ford F-150 in the front.
It wasn’t until his passing that I learned why my grandfathers nickname as a young man was “Hank”, his friends called him that because of his secret love of Country Music, Hank Williams was a legend for many I don’t know his music but he’s in the Hall of Fame for a reason I suppose. Now don’t get my wrong, my grandfather loved good Soul, R&B, Blues and Jazz grew up with it, he also ran a night club that played it all the time however he did have a soft spot for country tunes. As a kid sitting in the passenger side of his car I can recall when News Talk Radio wasn’t playing he would be humming the melody to a country song., maybe it was at that time my affection and soft spot for the slow country lifestyle began. Although camping and cottaging was something I enjoyed, this type of country living of the north was blue collar hardworking and resonated with me and many others across Canada, and really throughout the world.
Photo: Taken on a Pembina Oil & Gas project, bordering (BC/AB) this company was one of the best managed I worked for, together with a crew of 6 we sodded the lease which was about 7 football fields large protecting the well against flooding. They were very professional and a great company to contract for.
Photo: This picture has come to embody everything I felt in the field, my heart was on fire, passion burning, constantly learning and building, doing whatever it took to get the job done. I’ll never forget this job site.
Photo: This was big inch pipe, and our company built an extension, I was impressed with the mass and bulk, this was another Pembina project everything about them was always first class.
Photo: One of my first days working in Grande Prairie, this was what I saw riding to Reed Energy shop. Instantly changed my life never saw such incredible beauty and simplicity upfront before.
Photo: Minus 40, didn’t phase me didn’t need a jacket the only thing about working in extreme cold conditions for me personally was protecting my hands the tools on cold steel can make your hands numb almost instantly. Keeping my hands warm was always a top priority. In this picture I’m finishing a torque.
Photo: Crane operators next to truckers are the lifeblood of working in the field they move the things we can’t and make the job run smoothly. Before pipefitters, electricians or instrumentation guys can get in to do there work we rely on the Cranes to get buildings and structures in place first.
Photo: Some morning’s Ted enjoyed sleeping in you know you’r up early when your dog can sleep in, all the running and fresh air of the North did him good. Having his presence made things easier he was such a joker.
Everyone wants to debate or find differences, urban vs. rural (lifestyle/living), black vs. white (interracial-relationships), man vs. woman (fighting corporate misogynistic culture) , gays vs. straight, Public Sector vs Private Sector…. ect, ect oh yeah and Dirty vs. Clean Energy, White collar vs. Blue collar….. You get the point. I’ve pushed myself hard and will need to push myself even harder the next few months, preparing to return East to make some announcements public. It’s possible I’m wrong and self-righteous just another naive millennial but I don’t think that’s the case.
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Delayed gratification has been preached to me, I agree in principle with the approach however justice never sleeps, and therefore neither will I until things are brought into balance and problems start to get resolved that started East before I went West. First you work within working on self-mastery and developing leadership then from without, a clear message and goal collectively a majority can agree with and work towards. I believe millennials will change the world and I’m confident it wont be doom and gloom in the future, long as there are still wide open spaces and we aren’t afraid of the words in a good old fashion country tune will be alright. If Hank Williams was one of my grandfathers favorite country artist, then without a doubt my favorite is George Strait because without Love, Blood & Oil means nothing.
Photo: Every morning I made an effort to get the paper to keep up on things even though working in the field, in my bag you can see many working gloves, and my helmet with various safety stickers. The Oil & Gas industry will not die but evolve, the hardworking attitude of Alberta will remain and set the pace for the rest of Canada in the energy sector in the decades to come. As manufacturing and Clean Energy projects pick up. The Led Zeppelin song below was played many of mornings on the way to the shop kind of a fitting way to end this chapter of the adventure North. To all the hard working men and women in the field, this ones for you!
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