Shaun Newman Podcast - Ep. 42 - Vic Juba

Episode Date: November 6, 2019

Born in 1931, Vic grew up on a farm near Lavoy, Alberta. He graduated from U of A with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and would move to Lloydminster in 1953 where he began his 40 year career with Husky Energy. We discuss the Oil Industry, his endless volunteering where he has been awarded countless medals for his service to the City, Province & Country. Oh and did I mention it was his 64th wedding anniversary... yeah that too. He's quite the guy.

This is a Vick Juba, and welcome to the Sean Newman podcast. Hey, folks, welcome to the podcast. Some news over the weekend, T-Bor-Wan Transport had a fire at their shop, a truck lit on fire Sunday night, and by the time they got there and fire trucks and everything, it had done a lot of damage to a lot of their units. But here we sit Wednesday, a few days after it, and the boys are back up and running.

They've found a way to make it work as they always do. So a huge shout out to my two brothers and my father. They just find a way to keep going. They're a hearty group. So give them a call if you got any heavy haul, any work. They got all their units or a bunch of their units back on the road. 780, 205, 1709. Tell them Sean sent you at the podcast here.

Big news coming out of Hillman. They just announced on Tuesday that Hillman is hosting Hockey Day in Saskatchewan for all of Saskatchewan. That's January 16th to 19th. And here's what the schedule looks like. Thursday night, you're going to have a Wade Redden and Friends game. Friday, you're going to have a banquet at the exhibition grounds in town featuring guest speakers Brian Trache and Tom Rennie, Brian Trache, won six cups with the Islanders. Tom Rennie, coach the Emmington.

There's a few years back. And then followed on Saturday, they're going to have a midget, AAA, men's and women's, both teams out of North Battleford, playing a game each, and then Saturday night they got an SGHL game. Get this, North Battleford versus Notre Dame. And North Battleford last year, A won the SJHL, but currently they're ranked number two in all of Canada behind only one team, obviously,

the Brooks Bandits who have won something ridiculous now, like 52 straight regular season games dating back from last year. So the North Battleford, North Stars are that good. They're a very good team, Number two in all of Canada, they will be playing in Little Hillmont, Saturday, January 18th. And so I'll keep you post on how to get tickets for that as soon as I know. If you're looking to donate or anything like that, sponsor the event, just hit me up on social media and I can get you to the right people. Next, factory sports hockey season in full swing.

Head on into factory sports. They got all your hockey needs. right now they got great selection of sticks the skate sharpening if your team needs apparel they do all the apparel um and they just got a little bit of everything there for you and especially you know gear gloves helmets everything's there they're open uh monday through saturday 9 to 6 p m p m and now that it's winter season they're open sundays as well 10 to 3 p.m they're located at 4903 49th ab downtown lloyd minster finally fountain tire the Kent and staff have been gracious enough to advertise with us on here

go down see the boys it's already winter out there the snow's flying and if you're still driving around in your summer slicks be smart here go down get a new set of tires on the boys at fountain tire treat you right they're down they're open Monday to Friday 7.30 to 6 p.m. Saturday's 9 to 1 p.m. and they're closed Sundays give me a call 780 875 6267. All right. So today on the podcast has been a little bit of a mystery. I mean, obviously you're seeing the name as you clicked on here,

but I haven't really talked about it much. I've reduced the buffer zone of how many podcasts I've been putting out or doing and then leaving space and time for them to come out over a month's time. Now I recorded with Vic only a couple nights ago. So it's a nice little short window. So I sat down with Vic Juba. And if you're going, who is Vic Juba? Well, he moved to Lloyd Minster in 1953.

You're going to hear all about this. But he was a Husky employee for too much shy of 40 years. He started in 1953, just six years after Husky moved to Lloyd Minster. But one of the main reasons I wanted him in here was his volunteering. He has been a giant volunteer in the Lloyd Minster community. and he worked with the Lions Club, and you're going to hear all about that. And it is just impressive,

some of the stuff he talks about, and some of the history he knows. And I enjoyed it. I'm sure you're going to enjoy it. So without further ado. Anyway, actually, I'll back up to 1903 when my grandparents, my fraternal grandparents came from Ukraine,

and they homesteaded seven and a half miles north of LaVoy. And the grandpa came with eight kids, believe it or not. But his father was worked, they had slavery in Ukraine, and grandfather worked for a landlord. And one day, a horse was stolen, and the landlord accused my great-grandfather of being slackened his duty and he severely lashed him to a point he almost died and my grandfather saw this and he said you know i don't think it's the life for me and he heard about this 160 acres you

get in canada for 10 bucks so he packed up his eight kids and came to Canada and when they landed in peer 21, infamous Pier 21, Halifax. Halifax? You know, no English, of course. Trying to explain his name. And it was DZUBA,

but the guy heard Juba, so he put down J.UBA, and we've been that since. And anyway, my uncle, Sam, decided he didn't want to farm. And so my grandpa said, My dad was next in line and so my grandpa asked my dad, John, do you want to take over that farmstead, homestead?

And he did. So the result was that I grew up across the road from my grandpa, there on one side, and my dad was on the other side of the road. And then went to school in CAYO and Zappros, one-room school, you know, grades in 1 to 8, one teacher. and then when grade 9 came, I went to LaVoy and then... Do you remember going to school? Do you remember how you got there? Oh, yeah, we had four and a half miles to school. And summer walked and, well, first two years,

I stayed with my aunt in Varyville because it was the oldest in the family. And stayed in Vigua with my aunt. And then when grade three, my uncle took up. a job in Durant. You're just north. I do know where Durant is. It has famous pizza there now. That's that right.

Anyway, they moved there and so I moved in with my maternal grandparents and Halloween night we were trick-or-treating and anyway, I guess I showed

some kids that there was wine jugs there, but used to buy a gallon, you know, Australian port. That was everybody was drinking that it made you healthy anyway and my grandpa had a number of these and they got stolen

and you know my grandpa blamed me because I had showed my friends this bunch of jugs that were just beside the fence and I don't know to this day whether that was but it really upset him

and it wasn't until I don't know two or three or I'm not sure long after that he suffered a heart attack and passed away So then at that time my sister was starting school as well So we moved back to the farm And my dad got a neighbor

Who was an older boy he would come with his cutter And pick us up and take us to school And bring us back His cutter? Yeah, snow slid Yeah, cutter Open cutter And in the winter

In the summertime we walked and there's quite a slope, and this is fact, some people never believe it, but can get a close. Anyway, there's a field that sloped down to a lake, and the water used to rush across the road, and we used to actually get on the barbed wire fence to a walk across where this water was streamed across the road, and we, of course, we little guys,

we'd walk and grab the top one and feet on the bottom, and we'd walk across hanging on the barbed wire fence to get at the other side of the stream. It was worn down the road and across the road down. So we did that and did that for quite a few years. And then grade 9, I went to LaVoy and grade 10. The war was still on and we didn't have a teacher. So I went to Edmonton and took my grade 10

in Strascona High School. and then the war ended and then I come back and we got a teacher, high school teacher in LaVoy brand new school and we were in our glory because it now had an indoor biff you know just a big

tank I can tell you this we used to wait for the splash anyway it was quite the thing and Ray Elhill remember that and he was actually got caught in the war in France

and he didn't get out until after the war. And he was our teacher. And, of course, he knew French, but English, or Canadian French, and French French are quite different. I was quite amazed because my uncle, my marriage, was French. And he was telling me, he says, okay, now you learn all this French. Well, the words were quite different. So anyway, so I got my 11 and 12 in LaVoy,

and then U.S.A.A. went to it and Hey pardon the interruption folks. Here's your IHD innovative question of the week. Glennie Nielsen sells this type of fuel to the Navy. All you

need to do is give me the answer for that via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, shoot me an email at Sean Newman podcast at gmail.com give me that answer. You'll be entered 10 times. Yeah, we're going to do the 10 time thing again for a bottle of Pink Whitney. Obviously, you must be 18 to claim.

All right, back to the show. Could we just back you up for a second here? When you're talking about you didn't have a teacher, so you went to Emmington. How, like, what was the transition like for that? Like, just all set in. Well, for one thing, I was very short. I was only 4 foot 11. I had skipped grade 5, so I was younger than the general crowd.

and I'll never forget these group of girls and you're talking about bullying surrounded me and wanted to know what I was doing there. And I said, well, I come here for grade 10. No, you don't, you don't belong here. Because I was shorter than they were. And of course, they were a year older as well.

And so I insisted on that, no, I was legitimately here a student at Skona. So I had that trouble. And, of course, the other thing I did, and of course, Farmerboy, I didn't know any difference. I got off, I got to know the buses, I got a transit bus, and I went downtown,

got off, and it was on Jasper Avenue, and the bus stopped, and I just head right across the middle of the street to the other side, and bingo, a motorcycle cop comes in, and they said, you know, what's those crossworks back there for? And I said, I don't, and I really didn't. He says, you're not supposed to cross over there. I said, well, I'm sorry, I didn't know that.

You know, I guess he must have realized, dummy or something, but anyway, you just... It must have been a big adjustment going from small town farm to... It was. How big Emmington would have been at that point in time? Oh, heavens, I don't know. I can't recall. It was...

It was big. Very big compared to LaVoyer-Veyville, for that matter. It was very big, yeah. It, yeah, and... You know, the thing that I will never forget is... the principal and I used to know his name I can't remember it anymore but anyway

you could buy the saving stamps, more saving stamps at that time two bits and each week the students whatever and they would get collectively and then the principal at faith of me and I would go to the post office on 105th Street and White Avenue

and buy these stamps and bring them and a member of secretary questioning whether I should be doing or they should have somebody else, you know, resident Nedenton. Here's this farm kid. But I'll never forget that. And, you know, to me, I felt very honored because the guy believed in me. And I don't know why, but to me this on Friday,

to go to the post office with this cash to buy these staffs to take back to school. You know, and then, of course, the day on in, is it June the 5th? whatever it used to know of it. Anyway, the war ended. I remember all the celebration, and it was something else that the war was done. And then, of course, we got this teacher,

and so I went back home. And then in the meantime... Was life, like, as the war is going on, and you're sitting in Emmington instead of at the farm, I assume life was very different at that time? Well, it was very different. Even, you know, the war was on when I was still in the country school, you know. And all we could, you know, the radio.

Yeah, no, no, no, no, TV back then. No, no, no TV. Radio, and we'd be listening to the broadcast, you know, and they'd be killing here and shooting, and it was terrible, and there were these planes, they always used to say how many planes the Allies lost on a particular day. and we used to have current affairs. We had to report current affairs to a teacher, and, of course, we'd say, well, we heard that we lost five airplanes, and, of course, the next one would say,

well, when I was listening, I heard it was seven things, you know. And a teacher could never question us on that. But we used to talk about the war and what we heard on radio. Yeah. And one we always used to hear, Matthew Hall, not if that's familiar name or not, but he was a war worker. correspondent and he actually did a lot of broadcasting and he became pretty famous and then his son

also became broadcaster as well itself so yeah it um i'll tell you it was it was scary because you know there's some view boats off the east coast and we didn't know like how you know are they going to attack us next we we didn't know what's going on so it was it was scary and and you know and the other thing is is we're just getting you know i was what uh 14 Yeah, 14. 14, 15, depending. You know, getting close to that age of conscription, how long is this war going to last,

and are you going to be going to war next, you know? Farmers were exempt because they had, and, you know, they had a farm, and then six kids also had how much kids made a difference too. But, you know, you start thinking that if this doesn't end pretty soon, you know, you might be next. And that was a worry, you know,

even though we're still young kids. Pretty young kids, but it wasn't worried because it didn't sound good because here we're fighting the Japanese and we're fighting the Germans. You know, and you know, and you want to say, well, they've ganged up on us and what's next, you know. So, yeah, it was, it was scary, no question at all. Think about that. And it was a big relief when all of a sudden things changed and the mood was different. And, yeah, and then, of course, you'd hear the stories about these. You know, he's been killed in action.

It was killed in action. That's what you hear, killed in action. And, you know, one of the fellas that did come back, and he, Charlie Ratrie, never forget the name. He, and this was in Italy and the Germans that occupied, and they were sweeping to this town, and he walked into a house, and there was five Germans in there,

and he was by himself. and he had his gun and he yelled at him whatever else and they all dropped their guns on the floor and he by himself captured the prisoner these five guys and then got some help and they took him away but he was feeded for that you know but at the same time it so rattled him up and you talk about post-traumatic stress disorder

PTSD and those he didn't know We used to call Shell Shock or someone to refer to that, but this guy was an absolute wreck after that. He come home and he was just, you know, a young fellow, but it was sad, you know, so what the war did to him. And you see this, you know, and, you know, my cousin was quite a bit older and he was in the Air Force, but he went, came back on skays.

So, you know, so there was some good sides, but there was some also, you remember the bad ones. Yeah. You know, so tough. and then you have a and then you of A and then I decided that maybe chemistry wasn't enough so went back and started chem engineering so I took it year and I had a year and two months to go to get a second degree and I saw this ad in the paper they're adjutizing for a chemist and I just said replied a box number so I got this box number I wrote a letter and bingo I get

I had a letter back and it's Husky Oil Company in Lloyd Minster. Never heard of the company. You'd never been to Lloyd Minster. And they wanted me to come for an interview. And it was January of 1953, and it was a terrible day. It was storming, and, of course, gravel roads in those days. I came. I remember the Royal Cafe.

I was interviewed by Pete Campbell and Russ Spagians, and they offered me a job. as soon as I can start to now. So after I wrote my exams, which is, of course, in April, and May 1st I started with Husky and stayed in the rest of my... So you packed up and moved to Lloyd. Moved to Lloyd, came to Lloyd, didn't know a soul. Nobody.

Do you remember what early... Well, I'm sure you can recall what early Lloyd was. Oh, 4,800 people. I was staying in Alberta Hotel, which is... Now, I don't know what's called. They keep changing its name. It's the one on 55. Prince Charles?

No, no, no, no, 51st. Oh, uh, oh, yes, okay. It used to be, uh, not travel lodge, um, um, long branch. Yes. Yeah, and, uh, Eco, Lodge? Yeah, Eco Lodge, yeah, isn't that what it is? Yeah, yeah, and, uh, that's, that's where I stayed till I found a place to stay. And I found a place, uh, did they cover your, uh, hotel room?

No, no, no, I had to pay for myself. Do you remember what a room there cost? No, I don't, but I'll tell you this. On May 1st, I headed to work, and it was pouring rain. So I walked down 51st to the railway crossing, and sometimes you just cut across the railway. Of course, you won't do that today. Anyway, there was a sidewalk for one block,

and then I stepped off the end of the sidewalk into a big mud hole, hole filled my boot and then I put it on step no hole and after that was easy going and I went got there and the my boss said did you bring lunch and I said no and of course I well I didn't know any different I never that was the first industrial job I had in my life you know and anyway six months later The fellow that was supervising lab, lab supervisor, the control lab, he quit. Just didn't show up. They just left a note saying, I'm leaving, and he was gone.

So they approached me to take over. Now, here's all these guys that have been there for years, and I'm the new kid in the block, and now I'm their boss. And they were the ones that I was learning from to start with. I thought, holy smoke, so I got accepted pretty good except one guy who, you know, if he could make my life miserable,

he did every effort, everything he could do to make it miserable for me. But the other guys expected, respected me and were glad to help me if I got, you know, didn't know what to do. I'd talk to them. And anyway, and then I just went up from there and I then moved into the research lab

and then I've... I, not. to jump things too quick. But I was, you know, Husky was founded in 1938. That's right. In Cody, Wyoming. That's right. Glenn Nielsen, I can tell you the whole story about Glenn Nielsen.

Sure. I'd love to hear. Okay. Well, I'll just, actually, Glenn became a good friend of mine, Glenn and all of his wife itself. Okay, I'll come back. Glenn graduated in 1930, I think it is. during the Depression in agriculture economics.

He could not find a job. So he looked around and he ended up in Cody, a refinery, Empire Petroleum or Empire Petroleum or Empire. Anyway, and he went on as a salesman for their asphalt products. And they'd run off a batch. he'd sell it and he'd back and they'd run another batch off so he was up and down up and down but this guy was a super salesman

and pretty soon he was selling fast enough that they didn't shut down him but they just kept going and in 1938 he got thinking he talked to a couple of his buddies and he said you know we should buy this place but of course they had no money

but anyway they went to the bank some of American bank and they borrowed $200,000. Now in 1938, that was a lot of money. They were doing so well, and he was a super salesman, that eventually he decided that he's going to buy his two partners out. And so, this is prior to 38, but in 1938, when he bought out this company

and started Husky Oil Company at that time it was called. and it just grew from there. He, in 1945 or 46, I'm not sure exactly the year, but the Lloydminster Border Trade heard that Glenn Nielsen was running refinery and they had a crude oil that was heavy, not as heavy as Lloyd, but pretty heavy, and asphalt was one of the principal products. So they approached them and said, you know, would you consider coming to Lloyd to see if you'd like to set up a refinery year

because we got all this heavy crude. I got 1946 the Riverton Refinery moved to Lloydminster. That's right. During the war, the Navy needed bunker fuel. And I don't know how they, in bunker fuel,

an asphalt base crude is best for bunker in those days. It was good for asphalt, but it was also good as a bunker fuel. And local moon, and you know ships were all burning bunker fuel it's a heavy black crude there's some other other terms used for it anyway they approached Glenn Nielsen and and I it was it was an unbelievable amount of time he he went around the

states and bought tower here and a condenser here or whatever else and in a very short period time and I it was I I didn't know but it It's an unbelievably short that he was actually honored by a Navy for putting this together. And boy, he was in business, and he was making lots of money. And then, like Glenn said, then the war ended. And the next day he got a telegram saying, thanks very much, but we don't need you anymore. So he shut down refinery because the only thing it was making was bunker fuel.

The Board of Trade and Lloyd said, are you interested? And the guy said, yeah, I got a refinery sitting in Riverton, Wyoming. It's doing nothing. So he loaded up on a bunch of flat cars and brought to Lloyd and Harold Holt, who passed away years ago. And Pat Holt was part of the same family. And he had trucks, so they were offloading off the rail cars. And Glenn Nielsen, in the meantime, we're going to set up shop.

So he said, I want access to both railways, CPR, C. CNR. And where the final way is, CNR goes that way, CPR that way. And he said, this is an ideal location. Who opens land? CPR. So he goes to CPR and said, you know, would you sell it to me? And here's what I propose. And of course, they jumped a chance because they were going to sell land to him, but also they were going to have a bunch of rail cars because bunker fuel was still in great demand and I remember those days you know we'd load 150 cars a week of bunker fuel which is a lot of a lot of bunker in those days and then he went in the asphalt business as well but he had CPR on board but CNR was not on board so he went to Montreal flew to Montreal

talked to the big boys with CVR and said you know I've got this bunker fuel at sell you guys and they who are you never heard of husky and but like say he was a super salesman and he did sign a contract to supply them with bunker fuel for all the locomotives because those days that's prior to diesels and then he said but I have a bit of a problem I have no place to store the bunker fuel I need some tankage and he convinced them to foot the bill for two 40,000 barrel tanks to hold bunker fuel for the railway, for him, for C&R. You know, phenomenal man, absolutely phenomenal man. And it just grew from there, and then they bought our finery in Fort William, which is now Thunder Bay.

Which is Thunder Bay. Yeah, and then he moose jaw and Prince George. And then also in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Salt Lake City. So we had all these refineries. and Lennon was doing very well and then some companies were taking notice and I will never forget

Jimmy Nielsen, this is Glenn's son I went to the airport to pick him up and he was flying in with somebody and I didn't know who it was by this time I'm now the refinery manager I've been moved up the ranks and so he used to this guy

and what I didn't know is he was from Conoco Philips, the president's CEO, like he was a big boy, but I thought he was some joy. He brought along and didn't realize until we had a public meeting where Jim Neil Wilson or Jimmy Nielsen spoke about what they were doing and who this guy was. Oh my God, helped me, did I say something stupid? I didn't know he's such a big boy. And then this guy got up and speak and talked to us. And all of us shook our heads and I said, my God, they can buy us with petty cash.

They were so huge compared to us. And then PetroCann also got interested, PetroCanada, and they were making pitches. And I'll never forget the cartoon. And Husky was not, they didn't want to do anything with Petro Canada. But I'll never forget a cartoon. And it was out of the Edmonton and Calgary paper, but it showed, the headline was Husky Assessus,

Petrican bid. And it shows a husky dog, leg up in the air, and a gas can and says Petricaneda on it. I'll never forget that. I laughed and laugh. That was pretty funny. But anyway, in the meantime, Bob Blair, Alberta Gas Trunk, which is, oh boy.

Nova Corp. He was buying stock on the New York Exchange. In Canada, when you buy 10% of a company, you must disclose your intentions. But he was buying it in the U.S. And when some of the others were getting pretty serious, Bob Blair announced that he now has controlling, he had more shares than Glenn Nielsen had. And he announced he was taken over.

And I'll never forget that. Like it really finished. Poor Glenn. You know, by this time I got... I flew on his plane once. I was in Cody, in training, and they told me, you're going to head back to Lloyd, and I said, yeah. I said, we'll get a ride for you if you want to Calgary from Cody and be at the airport at 6 o'clock, 6 a.m.

And I thought, oh, my God, 6. And I didn't, I had no idea. And I thought, 6 a.m. there's only one guy that knows it works that hard. And that's the first time I've met him. And I get at the airport at 5.30. And it's Glenn Nielsen. And Hazel Burge was a secretary.

And they arrived. When I got the airport, the plane was already out. The two pilots were there. And that's when I found out who's flying. Oh, my God, help me. So we get 10 minutes to, I'll never forget. 10 minutes to 6, we were in the air. So if I have six, I have missed out.

You know, so anyway, and we tell when we, oh man, we made Calgary an hour in 15 minutes or something. I think they said, this is a prop job, and we were doing like 500 ground speed. And anyway, I sat at the back of the plane and Glenn come. And, of course, he was a very good Mormon, very strong Mormon. He come from Carston, it's where he was born, raised, Carston. And he'd come and come join us up front. And can I serve you something? And he says, I've got coffee.

And, of course, they don't drink coffee. They don't drink coffee. So I accepted a coffee very graciously, and I stayed there. But come join us. And I said, me, this little peasant boy, I'm going to go up there. And anyway, eventually he said, look, I'm here. Come join us. So I went up there.

And then I found out he's so easy to talk to. and Hazel, his secretary, was just as well, you know, so we get to Calgary, we get land, and a custom officer comes on board and says, oh, good morning, Mr. Nielsen, how was the flight? Oh, good. Anything declared, he says, well, she said, I got a guy back there,

and says, we bring me back to Canada. Oh, that's it, yeah, okay, have a good day. And we went outside gate and we're gone. And we get to the Husky office. It's still locked. He said, I like to get here to kind of lock the doors. This guy, you know, phenomenal. So, you know, I got to meet him so much after that, you know, so.

But I'm digressing and going back to the south. It's really interesting. You don't. Well, some people said I should write it at the story, but Husty in the beginnings and Glenn Nielsen because I got him to know so well, you know. How old are you now, Vic? I'm 88. 88.

Yeah, August. So you got 55 years on it. Right. 55 years, you know, like to me, well, I'm for a lot of people in the Lloyd community right now, like Husky feels like it's been here forever. But you were here on year seven. Yeah. Well, no, in 1953. They started, they started July 10th, 1947 is when they went out of stream. In Lloyd. In Lloyd. So year six then. Yeah. So that's, yeah. So that's when they started up. Right. And I know people that have been there since the 80s and they talked. with the age. I'm like, oh, that's a long time. Yeah. But 53, I mean,

you've seen what it's grown to today. Like, it must almost blow your brain. Well, the highway 16 on the corner was Nelson Lumber at the... Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Down was the

Bluebird Cafe. And then next to it was Costa Rica and... Oh boy. His partner. They had a grocery store. That was it. That was the business on this side of the highway. Nothing else. What do you think of it now?

Oh, God. You know, when I finally found a place to stay, they were on 40th Street, which was the last street in Lloyd. And the people I stayed with, they owned 11 acres across the road. And they had a, he was farming it, and I was a little farm boy and I liked to go to a garden

so mom, of course, would, you know, convinced me. So I had a little garden, which is now somewhere between 40th Street and 39th Street. Now we got, what, 12th Street over here. That's right.

Yeah. So that of his extent of Lloyd Minsterer, so I was on 47th Avenue and 40th Street. It's where the house was. And I go by there every so often and say, hey, I had a room upstairs for 30 bucks a month.

I remember that. You know, and the lady downstairs was tremendous. So often she'd come with some of this and some of that. It says, you know, maybe you'd like you. So it was like home. And honestly, they became like almost a second mother to me. You know, how long have you been in Lloyd?

Well, I've been in Hillmont. Oh, Hillmont. Okay, you remember Bill's stationery? Yes, absolutely. Okay, well, Bill's mom and dad is where I stayed at their place. Oh, okay. Yeah. And at that time, there was no water in Seward at 40th.

So we had the biffy out back and used to get, I think it was seven pails of water for 25 cents because the waterman would come by and you'd get your water. And they had a cistern downstairs rainwater that ran in. And that's what we used for washing. You need a little pump by the kitchen thing, like a little regular with a pump panel. And you'd get your wash water for theirs. And then, of course, we had a barrel that you bought the water from the waterman when he came by. You know, that was, yeah, that was, and of course, to me it was in glory because it was, you know, I had water, didn't have to go to the well somewhere.

Do you remember when you first got power then? We got power in, at our home on a farm in 1947. 47? Yeah. No, no, pardon me. 49, 47, we built a house. My uncle was electrician. He wired a house.

and then rural federations can come in and you had to pay based on how far you were off the main grid and I remember we had my dad paid $2,300 to get the power to our place and before we got the power when we built this new house

and 47 was terrible we had five hailstorms that year we were milking cows in the barn and it started to hail and never this is a mined image that I will never ever forget. My mom went outside. As kids, there was three of us were now, milk and cows, and my mom, and it started to hail, and it was like, it was terrible. It was a terrible storm. Brook the windows in our new house we're building. And my mom was

crying her eyes out. It was just, you know, I see that image right even today. And my dad afterwards went out and he said, well, we got good news. It went cornerways and got half the farm, the other half hadn't been touched. And would you believe the next night, we had another hail storm and it took the rest of the crop. And that was the year we were building the house. And at that time, we had a well,

and it was punched. It didn't drill wells in those days. He had a big cable tool and you pounded and pounded, hole. It was a 400 pound. Are you familiar with cable tools? Big, big long piece of steel. Okay. With a bit point on it. And it would rotate and you'd punch this hole about seven inch diameter. And you'd pound and you pound and you pound. It would go up and pound and pound and and you'd pound. And so we went through fifth water stream. It's when the driller was not

drillers. I don't know what they called them at that time. Cable tool operate. It's soft water and that's what he decided. So he put casing in and we installed a pump with a gasoline motor and when we built the house we put a little side room on the foundation so and that's where the well was. So it was inside the house and then we don't water pressure would go down so you'd go down and start the engine and of course it was exhausted outside and you pressure the system up and and we put out a field so we had indoor plumbing indoor water and the only thing we didn't have was power and then I think it was two years later that park came through and then we were in our glory because we had all these lights and you know because

reading studying by coal oil lamp is pretty tough you have to be right beside it and then we got Aladdin lamp. I remember that and oh gee what a difference light and then of course eventually we got the gas lamp which was really bright. Did you say it? Aladdin lamp? Yeah. It had a round wick. Yeah? And a big tall lamp chimney. Okay. Slender one. Okay. And it gave a lot more light than the old single wick cola lamp. Yeah yeah yeah. Yeah, Aladdin lamp and that was that was boy we moved up in the world and then the gas lamp did you. And then you get power and pull you flick a section. And all of a sudden there's light, you know.

It was such, oh, talk about a difference, you know. So life changed for us, but the, when they had the gasoline motor, I went last night, it's your turn and go down. Us kids would argue, who's going to turn, go and pull the rope and start the engine, get it pressured up. And, of course, you'd have to stay there until it got pressured up, and then you shut it down. and come up.

You know, you laugh about it, but, you know, to me it was a good experience. And us kids knew the value of work, you know. The reason I laugh is I just, I can't even, I can't comprehend it. I haven't come from anything even remotely close to that, right? Yeah, yeah. It's hard to comprehend what you're talking about almost.

My dad, my dad came home from Vagerville. It was 16 miles to Vigerville. So if you went to very well, it was on a Saturday, and it was a full-day trip because we'd go there. And my dad came home and said to my mom, I've got a new, unbreakable lamp chimney. And my mom said, yeah, sure. It does. He said, I'll show you.

And he took the lamp chimney, and he heaved it down the floor and it smashed the gazillion pieces. And I thought of that so many times, and I think, you know, I thought of that so many times. And I think, you know, the guy in town must have, you know, good slope and down low or something and rolled it along the floor because it sure didn't. Didn't last. Oh, my mom was so mad. It's a stupid demonstration. So lamp chimney went kerplunk.

That was it. But, yeah, it was, yeah. And then, because it was such a long ways, we used to heat up rocks. and we had a container and you put the rocks in that for your feet and then big mitts but you could also put your hands on that

so you would hold the heat quite a bit and do that and then my dad eventually built a closed cutter you know doors on each side and doors because they were narrow because the horse trails were narrow the cars wheels were wider than the sleighs

so it was very tippy and we We'd cut out, you know, snow drifted something. Pingo and you're flying at your side. So you have to have doors both sides so you can get out. Otherwise, you had one door, depending which way it's hip. You might be trapped inside. And we used to get the old Model T windshield.

And then we cut a hole for the traces. That must have been something getting your first car. Oh, yes. Yeah. Yeah, actually my uncle across the road, he had, he bought the first car. Well, actually, it was a Model T, he used to cut the back end off and then put a box on it. And he, my grandpa, that was like his dad, going to take him, take him to Vagerville. And, of course, it was two seats, you know, two people could sit inside.

But my grandpa was sitting with, hanging his feet over the back end. Of course, you weren't going very fast. But anyway, and there was always this mud hole at the bottom, and there was always a hole there and a bump when it was dry yet. And my uncle was going a little too fast, which must probably be 20 mile an hour or so. Anyway, hit the bump, and my grandpa went up, and the vehicle kept going, and he came down. And he refused to ride him with the vehicle.

You know, so this is when we got our first introduction because of my uncle the vehicle. And then my dad bought a truck to haul a grain. And in 1939, no, 1940, this is 1939 Dodge Dodge Car. was advertised in the paper and my dad, you know, us kids, you know, needed a car because but 1949 now there was four of us kids, mom and dad said six of us and it was advertised in Edmonton for sale. It was owned by a schoolteacher and he had run out of gasoline rashes stamps. Because farmers, because the farming, we got gasoline, more gasoline than the other's good. So my dad bought the car and it was a 1939 Dodge. We bought that in 1940 from the

school teacher, and that was our first car and talk about luxury. Oh my gosh. Inside, they had heaters but they were, heaters were really poor because you were forever scraping the windshield anyway. And then we used to buy, they eventually, not on the front, but the side windows, a little piece of plastic with a sticky tape. Maybe you've seen them, I don't know, and you'd stick it onto the window. Okay. So now you had a like a thermopane. And so you had a hole that usually was frost-free, so you can look out the side itself.

But as far as the front windshield, you know, it used to steam up and frost over. It was pretty bad. you actually you'd end up with cold feet pretty fast because it was cold air coming through the floorboards and the stink of the car and I used to get very car sick

the smell of the the fumes from the car was terrible and and I just could not ride in a car and quite a few people couldn't it just and I think the of course you know at that time you didn't cut hills off

you just went over the hill and up and down and so you're doing there and then the smell and I used to get pretty sick. I was not a car guy itself. And then my dad bored my uncle's, my uncle now had a Pontiac. I remember that very well. And we're going to visit. My cousin lived three miles north.

And it was Sunday afternoon. And I remember my dad's, they were just dad and I. and my dad said, let's speed up and see what this thing can do. And we're going 35 mile an hour. And holy smokes, you know, and he's up and down. And then that's fast enough. Now we go down city streets faster than that. But anyway, I recall that very well.

There's just new experiences to us kids, you know, if it's someone else, you know. Anyway. Let's hop back to Husky for a little bit. Okay. I'm just, you've seen some giant changes in the oil industry in general. And now we're starting to see a new one altogether. I don't know, what sticks out to you from your time in working with Husky and being a part of the oil industry around Lloydminster?

In those days, we felt that if we were returned, we were. retrieving it was it was hard to get that oil because it's an oil sand it's not like a lot of people think it's a big pool of oil and you just ditch your pump down there and you just pump away we called unconsolidated oil sands it's it's oil saturated in sand and the trick is to get the oil out and leave the sand behind and on primary recovery we would we would get about four to six percent of the oil in place they call it oil in situ S-I-T-U. And then they were looking at all sorts of different things and we started a fire flood in Maidstone and supposedly it was done some work in the States and the idea was to pump air

down, start a fire down there. The fire would generally feed amazingly on the carbon part of the hydrocarbon because asphalt is high. carbon low on hydrogen and that's hydrocarbon so the carbon hydrogen ratio is is really heavy on the carbon side so the idea was it'll burn the heavier stuff and because it's hot the light stuff like the we call it straight-run gasoline kerosene just light gas oil that those things would get hot and would vaporize and it would be driven forward while the fire is building back here And the idea sounds great. You know, we're going to just heat up the formation down there

and we'd drive all this light products out to the producing wheel. The problem was you had no control on which way the fire went. And so often it would finger, instead of a nice uniform front like so, you'd find maybe an easy access and it would head up there. And it would head straight to the well. because that's where the escape route was. It would burn up the well. So in theory it sounded great,

and it did produce a little bit more well, but it did not work. And it was expensive compresses, pushing the air down there. So then, and I went to the States on this one, in California, they decided that maybe in off-peak power times, maybe they could sell this power to a, oil kind of these and you'd have a cathode well and an anode well.

I mean, you'd bury an anode here with a bunch of carbon stuff rods. And then your cathode would be where the heat would be generated. And the idea, and actually I went to Philadelphia, talked to General Electric, another fellow and I caro. And I went there and met with them, and the idea was to power up this cathode cathode well, get it hot, and it would heat up a ball of oil, and then once it's hot, then you pump it up. Yeah, and once again, it sounded great, you know, and it would be only, you wouldn't be have dedicated power, you would only get off-peak power, you know, when they

had a generating capacity, but the people weren't using it so the oil companies could have it. So from that perspective, you know, they could offer a better price for the power. But somebody got the idea, well, you know, if you just crank it up a little bit more, you know, maybe it'll get hotter and faster. And the result was a lot of wells just got fried because I think producers got greedy. And then they found out it wasn't quite like this nice big ball of oil would just get bad. bigger and bigger and get hotter and hotter. It didn't work that way.

And so they gave up on that. And part of the thing they discovered when they were doing the fire floods was lots of salt water. You're going to produce salt water, sand, and oil. I mean, that's where the salt water is there because of the ancient seas. That's where the oil came from.

And they found that maybe steam's a good driver. So then they start this steam injection, which now called the thermal floods. And a member of the fellow, once again, from the states from New Jersey, came, and he looked at Lloyd and he said, you know, I think this has got a really good potential. So he kind of brought, it as expertise to Husky

and to what to do and, you know, it's, it really has proven, and that's why Huskies now, we've got, what, the fourth, they've got four thermal project underway now. In the meantime, the pumps as well have evolved, because the old horsehead pumps, which is just like a water pump, it's just a big sucker rod going all the way down, and the big valve on the bottom, you know, and it just, It goes very slowly because somebody said, why don't you speed the pump up? Well, it doesn't work that way

because the oil has to seep to the precinct well. The big problem with that, a sucker oil drop, is that the oil is very heavy. And the oil is so thick that the rod gets hung up. It doesn't want to go down because the oil is holding onto it. And when you've got 2,000 foot of rod, because the wells are in the 1800 to 2,000 foot depth, it gets hung up.

So then somebody had some idea of maybe they could have a hollow rod and put warm fluids in there and and this would work. It didn't work. So then the progressive cavity pumps come, which is like a green auger. You probably, I don't know. Yeah, yeah, we'll get a big stainless thing. And that works pretty good. but the problem with that is it produces a lot of sand

because it doesn't recognize water from sand from oil. So it just brings everything up. And so the technology at that time said, let's bring it all up and we'll separate. And then the only can still get sand water, salt caverns. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Where they dump the sand, they get rid of sand that.

So, but it's very abrasive and that's, That's one of the problems. Sand is like sandpaper, you know. So there's the problem with that. Steam flood, on the other hand, does heat the formation. It does reduce the viscosity. The oil says it flows a lot easier.

And the less viscous it is, the less chance of the sand to be hung up in the oil. It dropped because of density differences. It'll drop out. so you will not produce the amount of sand that you would with a progressive cavity pump. So it's really paid off, and that's why Husky's going to that, because they just got smarter, and now I have not, I don't know anything about this. The latest I've heard is down.

They have a downhole steam generator, which I just heard about that recently. I don't even know what it looks like at all. I have no idea. But that's what I've just been told, that that's something. that they're working with now. So yeah, over the years it's changed a lot, a lot. You know, we just got smarter. And the thing is that, and that's just the sad part, and there's a lot of abandoned wells in Alberta, I'm sure you know, because they tried to produce them too fast, and they sand it up, and the most expensive thing you can get is sanded up wells. So back in those 50s and 60s,

and I guess I'll say in the 70s. The refinery. Now the bunker fuel was going on up and they were switching to the easels. So our market for bunker fuel dropped off. So what we have left, we got asphalt. When you use asphalt in the summertime, when you're building highways.

On the roads? So we were running, then shutting down, laying off people for the winter. And when you shut up, the well in, it sands up. So then you've got a cost of getting that well back running. And that's very costly. And when crude is a $1.52.5 barrel is what it was back then. You know, it just, it was a very costly thing. And so you'd rather try and run, you know, steady instead of shutting production down. All the oil in those days used to be hauled refinery. And, you know, sand water, salt water,

all came to refinery and we had our treaters there, crude treaters. We'd treat the oil. We had some cleaner oil that'd come in, the sand. We had a clean pit, and then we had pit two, and then pit three and four, where you'd just dumped all this dirty combination into the pit, and then we'd pull that out of there and through treaters, and with, you know, heat, and we'd drop out the sand, at the bottom of the treater, and then water layer, and then, of of the top. So we did that for years. So Husky Road, which us old time we're still talking about Husky Road, which is 55th Avenue, was refined road, and it was the only paved road in Lloyd Misty because it's all the oil drippings. So it was a paved road. And then, you know, pretty soon

people get mad because it's oil with drips here and there. So that's when they brought the drip pans on the bottom of the trucks now they have a where the dump they load that well now they get a drip band that's so that it can't just drip along my way and that was one of the necessities the salt water still contained a lot of oil when we treated it so you had nice clean oil at the top then you had this layer of emulsion that was the emulsion is a, if you can say, a bubble of oil. So it's a bubble of oil, a bottle of water, oil, water. It can be multi-layered and it's very difficult to treat. So the chemical companies come in existence,

and they come on with demulsifiers, try and break down the... Separate the water. Yeah, and the trouble is you'd have something that was, you know, well, water liophobic. You get through the water layer, but then you hit the oil and it would stop. So they were trying to find some kind of a demystifier that would keep going.

It would hit the water and it wouldn't stop and keep going to the oil and bring it down. Well, it, I mean, it's evolved a long ways from it. But in those days, you know, technology was not great. And so we used to pump this crap, we had other words for it, to the north 40. the north end of the refinery and we had these pits and we pump it over there and every

morning we would go over there and throw some gasoline on and set fire to burn the oil off except monday monday's wash day she did not burn our pits on monday that was a just unwritten agreement we knew that that that was you and one day a newly hired well he he's a he's a He was pretty new yet. He noticed his routine of, you know, go over there. And he happened to be up at the North Way, and he thought, gee, I'm here. They always set fire this. I might as well just light her up.

It was Monday morning. And our phone came off the hook. It was wise. We're just furious. Don't you know this is Monday? You do not burn on Monday. We're trying to explain that we had a new guy and he didn't know any. holy crow

well we you know people are complaining about carbon on their clothes and so we paid a few dry clean bills for people I mean it's a no no but at the same time

and I think of this couple from Maidstone that they had the company refinery and they said you know what we were at Maidstone we could see that black smoke and it says it just absolutely looked just beautiful against that blue sky because it was no wind

it was going straight up. Today, we'd be hung from the highest tree if we did that. I was going to ask you, what do you think today? Yeah, you know, and oh boy. Yeah. So, and then, and then we had a, this is the other one, cleaning bill. Oh, my God. There's a, exchangers where you exchange heat, because if it's a product coming off is very hot, so you don't want to just waste it, so then you exchange heat with cold product going in. And this was a gasoline to crude exchanger. So it's a pipe inside a pipe and be one product going inside the pipe, different product, the outside of pipe, and you exchange heat. It's more efficient and energy saving and so on. We had a break in the line,

and this was a water and crude combination. And, of course, water goes to steam, and then it's condensed, it goes back to the boilers because it's treated water. So you recycle it. Well, the oil side was higher pressure than the water side. The oil went into the water. It got to the boiler, and the boiler popped the relief out

because all of a sudden it got this oil and hot. It popped relief of and water and oil went up in the air. Strong northwesterly wind. And we painted the town. Oh my God. We paid for a lot of cars and clothes. It was terrible.

But I remember watching it. It was just a black spout coming in and was going straight up and then just the wind was carrying it. So stuff like that. another time once again gasoline to water exchanger and

we got a leak and Bill Nitis was he was from university industry but he was our resident welder he went to work came to refinery he was going to do some work at the spray pond because that time

we used to have to cool the water it was a big swimming pool and the spray heads would go up in the air and you know now you got water cooling towers but this just went to spray it and

And it cooled off and then come down into the... What we didn't know is we had a leak and the pond was covered in gasoline. Lay of gasoline. Bill had some work to do at the pump house. He fired his torch and boom and we had the whole spray pond on fire. And I remember he was my admin supervisor

and Reg phoned my secretary. want to talk to me and Don said to him, says, well, he's out fighting a fire and Red said to her, what's on fire? And she says it was a spray pond. And Redd said, oh, God, where did they fire these people?

Spray pond is water. How can it be on fire? But she was right. We had this gasoline, all this service, and the whole thing was on fire. So how did you get it out? Oh, it just burned off. It just burned off. It didn't take very long to burn off.

But it was kind of, you know, an instance like that, lots of memories. And I think the occupation of health and safety, asbestos. We used asbestos everywhere. We used it to make roof cements, foundation coatings. We used it to insulate towers,

fire insulation, fireproofing. We had to fireproof the base of all the towers. So you sprayed on asbestos. some of our buildings, insulation, just spray on asbestos. Asbestos came in compressed bales. They looked like the small hay bales, you know the square ones?

That's what it looked like. And you're a farm boy, you know what concaves and a threshing machine do when you're feeding into it, like a combine or a thrashing machine. Absolutely. Okay, well, this is a compressed bale, so they'd put this on a conveyor, and you'd run it through a set of concaves,

and we tear it up and fluff it up so then we could shovel it into our big giant mixtures with asphalt and make these various products. We used to have three different gauge of asbestos. And in those days, only sissies wore little masks.

You know, so unfortunately, many years later, when the Canada Health came out saying that this is carcinogenic. Unfortunately, some people actually will succumb to it actually and I can never pronounce the myotheliumia or something like that is the thing itself and and I I did not work in that environment but but I would go in there because at that time I was a control lab surerizer and you'd go you know for inspections sure you'd go in there and you'd walk in and you thought nothing of it and I

I tell you, I've got some lung damage, but I've done very well compared to some micro-affirs. But at that, we didn't know any different. So on that side of it, the oil industry has come a very long way, on the safety standards of everything. Well, we steel-poed boots, you know, like when we went to steel-toed boots and oh my feet are hurting. They're so heavy to carry it.

My toes are hurting, and we heard every complaint in the world about it. But, you know, I said, hey, this is the law, occupational health, safety. And then Rusty Oliver was one of the guys who got a aluminum helmet, hard hat, you know, a hard hat. Yeah, a hard hat, yeah. And he was the only one wore, you know,

and we started hearing more and more about hard hats. and we try to get people to volunteer to go. And then one day, two things happened. It wasn't the same day. But Rusty was working as a swamp or the truck, and the gin pulls coming back at the truck. The hooks let loose and came down, hit him in the back of the helmet, caved in the helmet,

drove, injured his back, but aside from that, He was okay. He's okay. And would you believe, I know, Keith Pazzy, the other one, Rusty Oliver is the one. And Keith Pazzy were on a turnaround, and they were working on a tower and had the manway off. And they're huge bolts, you know, they got nuts about ye big. Yeah. And one of these fell, and Keith was below, and it.

Hit him on the head again. And he had a hard hat on, the resin hat now, and it broke. Brett and broke through, but aside from a headache, he was okay. He was okay. And that's when we convinced people started wearing hard hats. Some fought it because they had sorenacks and I would get headaches. You know, well today you don't hear it yet. You know, so we've gone through that.

And then we went to the no facial hair, once again, thanks to occupation health safety. And the union, the only part of Husky that's the unionizes the refinery, they, flowers and say, you can't dictate on what we can wear or not wear. And we fought with them, and occupational health start pushing it harder, harder, and we knew we were going to mandate it. There's no doubt. And then one day I'm meeting with those guys, and I said, look, when we're doing tank cleaning, there's a guy on the end of a hose with a mask inside the tank cleaning,

in there and it's a hydrocarbon vapor stuff. There's a guy outside, usually two guys, and they're cranking this compressory one, pushing air to his mask. Right. And I said, if something happens to the fellow outside and you're inside, don't you think you want to make sure,

first of all, that you get a good seal on your mask, that you're not going to be taken in? Overcome by the fumes. Because I said if the guy, something happens to him and he's not crank anymore, and you're not getting air, now you're going to start sucking in tank fumes because you don't have a good seal on your face. You know, when you've got lots of air going, you're okay because it's positive pressure. Positive pressure.

Yeah, but when you don't have this, is it what you want? And fortunately, some of the more senior people said, yeah, we better start doing that. So we gave a very short One week deadline I wrote a memo to herbie saying that effect of so and so

that no facial hair would be allowed And we had this one guy Don disley He had a beard Like so And my routine was In the morning

To do a walk about They're fine You just talk to people You found lots of things out When you talk to people Behind the tank In spite of what the union tells you

each guy worries about their own job and they can tell you lots of things behind the tank where there's nobody else around. Anyway, I was doing my tour and I walked by this guy and he said, morning, Vic. And I said, morning. And I thought, who the hell is that?

And I looked in it and then I think, that voice. And I said, is that you, Dawn? Yep. I said, what the heck? The day I used to mention the next day, and it's the only time I ever seen him like that. And he shaved off the big beard.

Yeah. Yeah, shaved it off. And he said, this makes sense. You know, and talk about a, because he had the biggest beard of anybody in their family. But he said an example. The other, if I can do it, then why don't the other do? So anyway, and Don, he comes from Paradise Hill, Dizzlies. Still a good friend of mine, you know.

But never forget that, you know, where he's. Yeah, so occupation of health and safety changed a lot. We had a leak in a flash tower. and it was a nozzle coming off the tower and it was weeping and I said oh man it's two days to shut down because you got to shut down you got to flush everything purge it then you steam it make sure and then you do you know an explosion meter you test to see that in fact there's no hydrocarbon left and and then you go ahead well and I thought oh man that's a long and so I got thinking I thought I wonder If you maintain positive pressure

and natural gas on the tower, it'll be coming out. But why not do that? And then Bill Nettish again, and I talked to him, I said, what do you think, Bill? You know, there'll be gas coming out, so it's pilot pressure, and then you build up your bead

and then ball peonets shut. She said, I don't see why he can't do that. So anyway, I phoned my confers the finding manager in Cheyenne and the one in Salt Lake, so I phoned Tom and Dr. to him and I said, here's my idea. And he said, I don't see anything wrong with that. So I phone Dean Stevens. And so I said, here's the idea.

You know, it's going to save us a lot of time and fire less costly. And it says, no, I don't see anything because we do a quick shutdown and still everything's hot. You go in there, well, then start her up again. And so that's what we did. Exactly. And here, Judy was my secretary then. And I'm telling Judy we're going to do something. I've talked to Tom and I've talked to Dean, and they agree that it should be that problem.

So here's what we're going to do. We're going to go on a fly. It's going to be real quick. One o'clock. So we go over there, like about five to one. We're all set to go, and Bill's ready to go up the tower, and we get a fire in a blow drum. A fire tube had a leak,

and the assesles was going into the tube, and all this black smoke. And I thought, so we've got to go fight the fire. So we're, running from the crude unit over here, past the office to the north side of it to put out this fire. And we meet Judy coming out the back door and she's running with us. She thought if we're running away for it, she better get the heck out of Dodge. And oh, we laughed about Judy lives in

just out of a task, but we still live, we've seen it until. And she remembers very well because she thought, you know, if they're running, I'd get out of here too. So she met us in the back door. I said, no, no, we'd have fire and blow down. And so it's okay. So anyway, anyway, it worked. But today you wouldn't dare do that if occupational health and safety sight or heard about you doing this, you'd be in real trouble. You know, so then came the...

So do you think that's good or bad then? Oh, it's good. It's good. There's no question because we did lots of... I couldn't begin to tell you a number of fire and explosions that lived through. It was, well, you're looking with hydrocarbons. I mean, that's what you expect. It's kind of a norm. Yeah. It didn't concern you, you know?

Yeah, we blew the tank's lids right off. I remember what, we had explosion. The guy was sitting, helper was sitting over the feet dangling with the tank, and Bill was... using the electric and what we think is there was a, like here there was a hole in a pipe

coming up and we think it's flashed from there to there and we had an explosion and blew the lid right off Dave fell went over and he had it once again hard hat he'd land on his head with a hard hat

and survived? Yeah, oh yeah no problem to all. Fell about 15 feet I think was aside from a sore neck and the lid went flying in the air and it went past some

our gasoline coolers went by it and landed on the road would you guess and this is about what is it I think they were 20 or 22 foot diameter tanks that's lid it was like a flying saucer and I still remember Chuck Strong and Fred Wallace were there

and they saw this coming towards them they ran out of the way and it just landed on the road. It could have landed in the process unit and waited, oh man, it had been a disaster. You know, but you didn't have to report it. It was just another thing that happened, you know. And then they brought the classification where now trucks have a, you'll see the placards on the side of a truck. Yeah. And they came to us and said, what do you think? And so we worked with them. And early when he started instituting this, Our truck got stopped at Verminion. He forgot to change the placards on the truck.

And we got notified and the inspectors come and talk to us. Oh man, we're going to get nailed to the cross and this was fine for sure. And anyway, the guy came and Dale Griffith was my process survives and I said to Dell, you know, I learned a long time ago when the inspector comes, you say yes to everything, you don't say no to an inspector. because then they'll throw your authority at. And I said, Del, when you talk to them, you know, you'd handle it, but make sure you just agree and tell them they were sorry that we missed it.

And, you know, we know, because we've worked with you on that to institute these regulations, and it just got slipped by us. It was telling you. And, you mean, the guy took his report to the supervisor in Edenton, and they just wrote a letter of, you know, what's a letter. They didn't charge us anyway. Just a warning.

A warning, that's the word you're looking for. The warning that, yeah. And we fully agreed that, yeah, we slipped up on this one. And we got off, no charges just because we worked with them. So all these, this is all the safety of stuff that's come up over the years that, you know, today it's secondhand stuff. It's like so big deal. You wear a hard hat.

That's a requirement. You wear safety too, but you go into a, the hazardous area, you got to wear nightmax, you know, fireproof coveralls. That kind of stuff. Well, it's standard in the oil patch now. Steel toes, coveralls, hard hat, safety glasses. Yeah, safety glasses, another one. And gloves.

Yeah. I would say are the big ones. Yeah. And it's something that evolved. And it was, yeah, maybe it's more, you might call it red tape if you want, but it's something that, well, how can you argue when you're? you're talking about lives of people or disablement or whatever. Trying to get everybody home safe to the family.

So it's not even debatable anymore. It's just accepted this is a fact. And hey, it's my life and your life. And if I'm a partner with you, you know, I want to be protecting you just as well as myself. That's right. So, yeah, it's a good thing. You know, people are talking about.

You know, so the safety things come up, the environment. You know, it really, really bothers me about the environment because many years ago, and I don't remember when, but I flew to Toronto and there was a gathering of oil companies, and we talked about the environment. And we formed an association, and you probably know you've heard of it.

It's called PACE, B-A-C-E, Petroleum Association for the Conservation of the Environment. Okay. Did you ever hear that? Can't say I have? No. nobody mandated said you had to do this but we recognize that it's something that we should be looking after

and the burning of the pits was not a good idea you know and the flares were everywhere so instead of flaring you try and capture that gas and either use it to power the engine or inject it back for pressure maintenance it's stuff that we actually instituted, but nobody talks about it. And the biggest player at that time, I remember, was Imperial Oil in Toronto,

who really were pushing hard, and, you know, you think the big boys would, well, they call the shots, but they were in favor of it. And we formed this association. But it really bothers me. Nobody talks about what the oil companies have done over the years. You know, Fort McMurray, you know, the amount of water they used to, used to, to process a barrel of oily sand. One thing, if there's a lesson to be,

there are no such thing is tar sands. Tar comes out of coal and out of wood. And there was a big letter in a journal written by a doctor and he talked about the tar sands. And I was so mad, I said, you know, you idiot, if you don't know what it's about then don't even talk because people like us oil guys, when they talk to tar sands,

there is no such thing as a tar sand, not unless you went and mixed some tar from coal or something and put some sand in it or something. You know, so if there's ever a message that you can pass on to other people, if you hear somebody say to tar sands, just tell them there isn't such thing. You must be somewhat frustrated then in the last couple of years on the dialogue surrounding oil in general.

they absolutely give us no credit for what we've done over the years I'd like somebody to do a monologue dialogue whatever I don't know some A piece, a capture of the history of oil and what... Exactly and what we have done I mean like we're being accused of producing dirty oil

you know like we're doing this purposely and that really irks me just gets me mad because whatever you did a bunch of idiots they ban us that way well sure we live on this earth

like everybody else we want to live a healthy life you know but I just you know and I watch Greta Thunberg

Sweden and you know a little girl yeah it's easy to promote your cause It's easy. It's easy to sell. We could never sell, saying, well, we've got to sneak a little bit of stuff. We don't talk that.

They can get away with them. And what are you going to attack them? You can't. With Greta, I mean, I would be the first. It's hard to attack a young girl, right? You can't, yeah. 16-year-old girl. You know, if you look, the only should be pretty quiet on this one.

Because we know we can't win. Yeah. We won't win. You know? And that's what brings us. because it can be a one-sided story and there isn't much we can do about it. Yeah, well, they take the moral high ground all the time.

Oh, absolutely. Right? Absolutely. You know, so, yeah, that one really cranks. It's my crank going. To the rest of the world, they take a couple pictures. They take a video of one spot, and then they take that and they translate it to all oil.

But only for this area, Vic. Right? It isn't even for the entire world's oil. It's just for Alberta's oil. Yeah, exactly. What about all the other producers? You know, I just... I'm too much talking about. Yeah, that's...

You know, that's why I asked you about the word pace. Have you ever heard of it? And I've not seen it in the papers. No, can't say I have. No? No. And I'm going to hazard to guess it was late 70s, early fit. 80s when this happened.

So it's been quite a while ago. I don't normally strain to politics too much because if I have a young person on, there's no point. But in your time now, you've seen a lot come and go. What do you think of the current state of affairs or maybe some point in time back in your earlier days? Was there something similar to what we're going through? Oh, yeah. Yeah. except now with the worldwide communications and internet,

stories get across the whole world and nothing. Oh, and a stamp of a figure, not less. Yeah, it's just instant messaging, communications, and that's so the dirty stories can get worldwide and nothing flat. Yeah. So that's the big thing, I think, before, an instant could be, local. Maybe have an oil spill or something.

It'd be local, but now somebody has an oil spill up out past Wauscar or something, you know, Grand Prairie out there. Yeah, the whole world knows. Yeah, and of course, invariably, a pipeline leak, it always, always, it reeks into the river and leaks into the marshlands. And do you hear about oil leak on the middle of farmers' field? Did you ever read about that? No.

No. You know, it's, I hate to say it, but so often it's so very one-sided. And I blame us oil industry guys because we should be not arguing with, but let the world know what we've done in the last. Yeah, if you don't tell your story, nobody's going to tell it for you. Yeah. Yeah. They probably won't believe us, but we need more and more.

more people saying, okay, here's what we've done in the past 30 or 40 years or whatever. You know, we, I talked about blow drums. We used to, what you do is you fill a vessel with asphalt and you heat up hot, and then you blow air through it, and it oxidizes the asphalt, and it becomes harder. And like making asphalt shingles, for example. You can't use just regularly road. road asphalt because it's too soft. So you oxidize and it becomes harder

and you could oxidize it to a certain level and we call it a softening point at which time there was a little ring and you'd filled with asphalt and then you'd put a container and then you put a little ball on it and then you'd hit it and then you'd measure when the ball got through and that would be the softening point. Okay. So the longer you blew, we call blue, the asphalt the harder

it would get and depending on unfortunately the word still tarp paper or shingles their tarp paper was much softer because it has to soak into the felt paper and where shingles is a

big difference because you want the granules to hang on so there's a difference so you would blow it we'd call it longer but at that time you blew and the air exited out into the atmosphere And it was terrible. It was high in myrkapt, high in sulfur content. It was really stinky stuff.

And, you know, this is not good. We've got to do something. So then we started experimenting, and that's when we started taking this off gas from the roadrums through a vacuum system to an incinerator. And we found out a high-temperature incinerator. We could burn that up. And now we've got carbon dioxide and water. You know, totally different because the odd time, you know, when it's very quiet and there's no air movement or something, the stuff, because it's more denser in air,

so it would have it would come out and then spill along the ground then. Well, people would complain, like almost like burnt rubber smell. Okay. People would complain about it. And of course, the refinery being in the northwest corner, unfortunately. You know, it was a great piece of land, but unfortunately it was on the northwest corner,

prevailing winds. And we'd get, in fact, I know we used to live on 46th Street and periodic this. So we decided, you know, we've got to do something about us. And that's when we started experimenting, and we brought in incinerators. Nobody told us we had to do it. But we... Proactive? Yeah, decided we had to do it.

Yeah. You know, periodically we'd, and gasoline tanks, you'd get, we had vapor resters, you know, they're like a, like a car radio, and hopefully it would, you know, it would, you know, condense the vapors instead of letting it get out. And then we went to the floating tank roofs. The roof now floats on top of, so there's a two roofs. There's a roof inside the tank that floats and then the roof over top. And because the roof floats on top of the gasoline and it's got a rubber seal around,

like a flap around the outside, so it's like a pump cylinder. You know, it's got a... Yeah, the same thing. And it rides up and down and the vapors don't escape. You know, nobody tells us to do that. We just did it on our own. Yes, it's expensive.

To building fluid roof tank is expensive, but it not only eliminates a water problem, but you also lose gasoline because it's a vaporizing, you're losing it. So it works both ways, you know, besides the environment side, it also is more economical to save it rather than just let it. Let it flood away. Yeah. So that's another environment thing that we just did, but have you heard about people saying, hey, we got floating roof tanks in our tank farm? No. No. So we're doing a very poor job of communicating what you're doing.

Yeah. And I don't know whether somebody is scared to do that or whether you're going to, if you do it, then you can say, oh, yeah, you're just trying to cover your butt. I don't know. It just, I guess in my old age, I feel different or something, but stuff like that that really boughs me. I feel like a lot of us around here talk about how people don't understand how many products now in the world. come from the oil industry. Exactly. And the, everybody's life is built around things that make, are made easier by oil products. Well, all your plastics. I mean, where's it come from?

Petroleum. Yeah. And I, I, the United Church, and I belong to the Greek United Church, they had a conference in Cornerbrook and Newfoundland. Okay. And at that, the National Board had instructed the treasurer to get rid of fossil fuel investments. And the guy said to him, you guys are wrong because we're doing okay. And you get one-sided view, but they said, no, and they said, no, this way to do. So anyway, there's an article about this conference and what they decided.

And so I wrote a letter. I was a perturbed. And about, so how did you get to your conference? I said, there must have been a real bicycle jam. And what did you do with all the horse and buggies? Where did you park them all? You know, and it was kind of tongue-in-cheek, and I guess I said some other things.

But anyway, so I gave it to my minister. And Paul, you might just kind of critiquing this thing because I'm going to send it to the Observer, which is our United Church magazine. And so he, well, I think you may want to change that a little bit. You're a little bit hard. So I changed a little bit, but not very much. And by God, it got published.

Did it really? Yeah, it got published. Another fellow that said he had written earlier, and he said, how come yours got in and mine didn't? Because I don't know what Darrell wrote. But anyway, mine got in there. And basically, you know, it's great. Talk is cheap.

Yeah. You know, some guy went, our salesman, you say, talk is cheap, but it takes money to buy good whiskey. He's what he used to always say. And I thought exactly, how did you get there? And I mentioned, I'm not aware of a solar-powered airplane at this point. Let me ask you a question. Do you think there will be something that replaces petroleum,

the fossil fuel industries or something to stick out to you right now. No, I, I, no, but technology is, it's like, like now you have their solar powered flashlights and stuff. I mean, that's the small potatoes, but maybe down the road. I was, you know, maybe it's strange, but I still am a believer in nuclear. Okay. You know, yes, we've had some disasters and, but we've also learned from the, Yeah, it's, but what is there that we operate? Your car, the only safest place for the car is inside the garage.

But is that what you want to do? Or do you want to go on the highway and get a chance to get killed? You know? Well, I think I speak for most people in this area specifically. We put on more miles than probably any other human beings in the world because, I mean, everywhere we go, you got to drive to get there. Yeah, you don't, I mean. You don't walk around when you're up in your body.

bicycle. No, we don't live in a giant city where you can walk in public transit and there's everything else. And then on top of it, here in the next what? What is it going to be? The next month it's going to go to minus 20. And then the month after that it's going to go to minus 30. And probably the month after that, we're going to go for

a week of minus 40. Hallelujah. Welcome to Lloyd Smith. Burdus Saskatchew. Yeah, you know, they talk about wind generation. Have you been anywhere near wind generator?

Like wind farms you're talking? By near how close you're talking. Look, the words, where you're there when the hum is around your head? Can I say I have. You talk to the farmers, you know, living here. And that is very annoying to them. This hum that's there and it's just constant, you can't shut it off. So that's, and then the birds that are being killed by the thousands.

You know, but is that a way to go? No. You go, we went to Germany, and they got a, in the North Sea, they got a lot of, a lot of these wind-generated farms. They're out in the water. Yeah. But the hum, just, and you talk to people, lives in the area, and it just really gets to them.

It's in your head, just humming all the time, you know. So now they're going to the solar farms, and they're taking up acres and acres of land. And so it's taken up a tremendous amount of area. And in California there's lots of them. The birds are being fried. They fly on over top. And they're being fried because these things are really hot.

Yeah. You'd think, I'm no scientist. I don't know how to harness it. But with the big ball of the sun sitting there, you would think solar would be ideal. if you could build some whatever you want to call it that could harness that you'd think that'd be maybe not the obvious one but a likely choice we just don't have anything that can turn what it's bringing to us in anything that's sustainable for the population and i and that's if you're going

to ask me what is a possible alternative that's that's one i'd pick is solar yeah oh yeah so today we're not you know it's it's like uh traveling the speed of light you know, today it's not feasible, and yet we've got guys spinning around 27,000 mile an hour around the Earth. That's right. So 50 years ago... We're just not there.

No, we're not there. So down the road, possibly. But that's where I think our potential wise. But short of that, I say I'm a nuclear guy. It's not the road I'd like to take, but what other alternatives we got that are better? And they say, well, hydro-hideopower, well, we flood a lot of land, and of course the natives are, you know, they want to do a site C dam in BC,

and the natives are fighting it because takes up their land. A lot of their land is going to be flooded, yeah. So is that a good alternative? Well, I think no matter the alternative, there's always going to be the naysayers, tell you why it won't work. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Right? We don't have the

perfect solution that causes no harm to anything. I was in China and the three gorgeous dam. Have you heard of the three gorgeous dam? Yes, absolutely. Huge, huge project. Yeah.

And they have, I used to have a lot of, I've got some, there's somewhere, the amount of flood water that they're holding back and one of the, of the things that the scientists are worried about is the weight of water is so great that they're

scared that there may be earthquakes or fracturing the grass ground or whatever and god knows what can happen after that and if that and it's it's really a very narrow gorge that this water is confined between mountains you know and uh they're a big scientist and uh that's one of the things where it's a tremendous project for China which really needs generating power because now it's cold fired like the only time you see blue sky is when you up high in an airplane. The smog and Shanghai was absolutely atrocious. Beijing is a little better but Shanghai was it was just brown I would say brown skies really brown that's what it was that bad so Is that an alternative?

I don't, honestly, I don't think so. I mean, I want to say, when I originally reached out to you, I'm laughing at that as we go along here. One of the things I wanted to really get into is your work is a volunteer. Oh. To absolutely switch gears on the conversation. No, that's fine. I get to, okay.

So I know you moved to Lloyd in 1953, and you joined the lines. Club the same time? No. I started May 1st in Husky and in January of 54. 54. I was invited to a in a mine school meeting and and the you know like I said I didn't know so when I came to Lloyd and the people are meeting was people I worked with. Yeah. So it was very small circle of petroleum employees you know people that worked in the oil industry. That's what I was getting to meet. And, and, and, you know, And Murray, Mary Hill, said, would they come to a lines meeting? So went there and, gee, I met all these other people,

you know, they were from all walks of life. And at that time, we were publishing a local telephone directory. And we used to go door to door and get, you know, what's your name and you live your address and what phone number you got? And we put a little, is what, quarter of an inch thick. Of course, in that time there wasn't many phones anyway. And there was three numbers.

That was the telephone numbers only three numbers. Your telephone number is only three numbers? Yeah. So if I wanted to call Vic Juba, you'd be like, oh, my number's three, four, seven? No, no, there was no dial. You had to go to the operator. And the operator would tell them what number you want, and the operator would plug you in. So there was a switchboard, a central switchboard, and they had all these.

Well, I don't know if you've seen the old switchboards. I've seen, I've seen on television. Like video of it. Yeah, we went from the museum. So anyway, that's what they do, is you'd give them the number, and then you'd... Do you remember what your number was? 397. 397.

Well, it wasn't my number. It was where I stayed, and that was what got in trouble with a bird government telephones. And the year, that year, I was made chair of the telephone project. and you know just I can I tell the story quite a bit I get this letter from the Attorney General of Alberta on behalf Alberta government telephones saying that they found out that we're publishing a local telephone directory the telephone numbers are copyright of Alberta government

telephones and we shall desist immediately and not only that we will go around and collect all the phone books. Otherwise we'll see in court. And I thought, oh my God. I never forget this because I was still very young. I was very scared. I'm just a little guy. You know, I'm what, I don't know, 22, 23 years old. I'm still, I'm still a farm kid, remember? And I thought, oh my God. So anyway, the word got out. We're telling people that, you know, we've got this, in the newspapers, Lloydminster Tice, picked. up the story.

It gets to city, well, we're to city. Well, maybe we're 1950. What year do we become city? Five years? 1957, 57, when we came to city with over 5,000 people then. Anyway, they got hold of it, the town council, and they were supportive of the Lions Club, and of course,

pretty soon we had the whole town of Lloyd Nistra up in arms, and we're going to fight those guys, and so I am now the chair and I'm doing the, they're calling me to respond and what we're going to do and everything else. And I never forget the first public meeting and I had to get up and get a report

in front of all these people and I died a thousand times. I was pouring sweat and I had never talked in public. And oh my God helped me. And I honestly thought, now if I hadn't joined the Lions Club, but wouldn't be doing this. I wouldn't be involved. I could have been out of it.

Instead of joining Lions Club, now I'm in trouble. And I thought of that many years ago, you know, many times about this happening. Anyway, the town offered their solicitor that they had on board, which was what's now Striltsich Milne, whatever. Paul Desque, Streltsky.

Yeah, Paul Desque. George Bateson was there, and I forget all the oilers. Anyway, they said that they would work on our behalf. Because we didn't have money for lawyers. The town came to work. So AGT agreed to meet with us. So we met with him and said, look,

Lloyd missed in the back end of the Edenton-Telphid director. The Edmonton-Defthry, he was like an inch and a half-thick or something. And we had a little few pages at the back end. And I said, you want to try and get the number? you have to go to the back and you're trying to hold this monstrous telephone thing to try to find a number. And they said, yeah, but you guys, you're putting names of people that don't subscribe to a telephone. Because my phone number was my landlord's phone number. We used to list everybody that lived in the house under that same number.

And they didn't like that. and so we understood what they were saying but at the same time I said this thing is unwieldy and as you've already heard from a lot of people that we are sick and tired of the big telephone in the telephone directory and in that little space that we occupied just to find a number

not only meetings but anyway they came back and said we have a proposal for you we will we agreed to publish a regional telephone directory. It would be more than Lloyd Minster. It would be an area around Lloyd Minster and it would be a smaller directory and this way would that satisfy you and we said yes. So the little director you got today

you can credit the Lloyd Minter and Lions Club for that one because it's now all over well in fact I think Saskatchewans got that and all the other province but that's what precipitated this change of heart because like I didn't the reaction was instant and like people were ready to go to war

if they took our little prized and I wish I could find somebody it's a little red about this thick about so big a little pocketbook yeah almost that's right so that came about

and and then I in reading about you I'm reading about the early days the Lions Club. One of the things that it talked was in 1956 Dick Bird. Is that name? Big Bird? Yes. Oh, yeah.

Finishing his house? We've built, yeah. He got very ill and we knew it was terminal. And I had started building a house and we said, you know, we've got to help this guy. And so we did, yeah.

You run across that story. Yes, I did. That right. Yeah. Oh, yes. Yeah, I remember very well. And so finishing his house, you guys, what did you have to do? Did you, like, actually build the house? Oh, yeah, labor. Oh, yes.

Why, we had big work bees, and we were building. I don't remember the material. I don't know where it came from, whatever, but I can't remember that. But I remember the work bees very well. And about the same time, we were talking about the Lions Park that's on the highway now. Yeah. And we decided we needed some money. So we're going to raffle off a house.

We're going to have this house built, once again, volunteer labor. And we're going to sell tickets on this house, $5 each. And somebody would get a house. And we raised enough money to start building Lions Park. That was, that was, oh, man. you know, in the 50s itself. And the house, well, West End groceries now closed,

but I don't know you're... Yeah, I know where West, yeah, absolutely. Okay, well, okay, well, second house from the corner is the house that we raffled off. And the tickets were easy to sell. You know what, I think today, like five bucks. Where is the house? Sorry, say that again? So West End...

Across the street. Across the streets on the east side of the road? No, no. The store faced south or whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, well, across the street, So it's on 50th Avenue It's on the

South side of 50th Avenue Faces North I'll have to go take a look at that That's pretty cool Yeah Yeah and in fact the guy The one that worked at the primary Ray

Oh boy Man you're really I'm texting texting my memory And I'm getting pretty old here You know But anyway he won it And it was quite the thing

But we started that And at that time We also had our Lions Club Marching Band and I've got pictures of the lines band and Bob Brassa was the band leader you're not going to believe this but I have Bob Barassah like Minster Lines Band written down here

really that it started in 1953 and there was no band class in school so no there was oh heavens no Bob Barassah Bob Barassah was the instrumental in starting what is now band class in in school and yeah yeah well you know Bob did it for a lot of years and then Bob decided he he wanted out and Bob had a music store downtown um just straight east of cksa okay right there

yeah he has his music store and Bob was a good uh played the organ really played very well and then uh I was chair of the the the Lormitz band association and uh Bob told me he he'd enough years he'd like to quit and so then we try to find a band leader and I didn't know and I got to know Horstman he was the Minister of Culture in Alberta and so I contacted him and I said we've got the situation this fellow wants to retire and any ideas and he he put me through to a oh man Tom he's he's passed away. Anyway, the guy said, you know, if you go to, oh boy, out south here, not Vulcan, near Vulcan, there's a guy that is really good, teaches music, and you may want to contact him,

Jerry Kleskin. So I did contact Jerry, and Jerry and his wife, Mary, came to Lloyd. They stayed at our house overnight, and we had quite a talk. and I said, you know, would you be interested? And he said, well, you know, I can't make a living just on music lessons. I need something else. So I went to Bill McCowski, Bill's stationery, and I said, Bill, we want to bring this guy into Lloyd. He's got a little bit of printing experience, not very much,

but would you be interested in maybe hiring the guy? And Bill said, yeah, I would. So then, okay, that's fine. Now I need a house and across from the Prince Charles on the north side and right, well, okay, the Prince Charles and there was Rudy Mazur and Fort Agency and there's an alley and just the next side of the alley was a house.

And it was owned by a guy named Lansdown in Edenton. And so I called him and I said, you know, it's got a nice big living room that would be good for band lessons. We'd like to be, and the guy said, well, gee, you know, I've already been kind of approached and I sort of promised it to another fellow. and so I asked them, I said, well, how much you rent for the house? How much rent do you want? Well, I said, well, I asked for $30 a month. And I said, well, I'll give you $40. And the guy said, okay, that's mine.

He says, I can go back to this other party and tell them I've been offered more money than they were offering, than they offered to pay it so you can have it. So then I called Jerry, and I said, Jerry, if you come, We have a place for you to go to work. We have a house for you with a place for teaching music lessons. And I've got 10 students ready to go to your classes. So they came to Lloyd and he took over the band, Jerry and Mary Kleskin. And I went from there and then eventually became a citizens band.

And then of course eventually disbanded. But because then the school became more interested in band lessons and best one of the fellows at Hasco teacher and he was one of the early ones that start teaching band music. Did you play in the line? No, I didn't. No, I didn't. I didn't. I didn't. The radio. I actually played the mandolin. That doesn't go into the marching band. But yeah. How about the other one that, well, I guess we all still enjoy today is the free pancake breakfast. Oh, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. We always had. Who came up with that brilliant idea? I don't know, but

it was, yeah, it went well. You know, 1966 is what it says. Is that right? Okay. Yeah, we had that for a number of years. And I will never forget this, you know, and we were set up on 49th Ave, well, across the street from, Kitty Corner from

the Prince Charlotte Hotel and down the street and mid street, and that's where we set up close to the Rio Theater and this young boy came and took some pancakes I mean panties sausages and it was free you know and then well I saw him come the second time and he was heading straight east and I thought what's going on here well lo and behold he comes the third time so then I thought well I'm gonna I asked them, you know, what's going on? I said, you've been here.

This is now your third time. And he just burst out crying. And he says, well, my mom made me do it. I said, oh, my God. And I found out it wasn't they were starving, but don't ask me what motive. And anyway, I said, tell your mom not to send you here again. I'll never forget that.

The poor kid was using by a special. used by his parents, by his mother, he told us. Poor guy just was just shaking his crying so hard. And I thought, you know, getting the poor kid to do your dirty work. Never forget that. You know, it just really, really bothered me. You know, if they were really starving, then why didn't the mother come and we'd have been happy to feed him?

Yeah. But to this day, I don't know what, what drove it or to what purpose were the storing paying? I don't know. I have no idea, I can't fathom what the purpose was, but it was a very popular thing, but you know, it can't get abused. And, you know, eventually we quit doing it, but it was pretty popular for the longest time.

Yeah, you did, you lot of research here, as far as it here, banks us up, you know. Yeah. You know, the, probably the life changer for me, was in 1980. We were asked to bid for the Alberta Winter Games. This is early, well, no, it had to be 1979. And the mayor came as, to this day, and I wish she was, you know, she had asked this question. Unfortunately, passed away the long time. She asked me to chair the games. And I often wondered, like, why I was asked?

I have no idea. I volunteered lots of things because, you know, I was involved with a different organization by this time. And anyway, it was pretty scary because it's the largest volunteer effort thing that we ever had in Lloyd, because we're talking about 2,800 volunteers and about 2,400 athletes. big bucks get some help from the

Borg government of our culture but anyway I was approached and don't ask me why I agreed the challenge and we got on a bus

because in 1980 Lathbridge was hosting the games so we went on a bus to learn from them and do you know Jim McArdle who works at CKSA he's been there forever And Jim was a pretty new rookie, and he was on the bus,

and Jim and I was still a kid about that. He came with us from the broadcast side, and we went to Lethbridge to see how they run the games so we could learn because in two years' time, because the game is summer and winter games alternate. And so we went there to learn from them because now we're hosting the games. And our budget was $466,000, $436,000.

That number very well. So we had to raise a lot of money. We got to say a little bit of government help, and the city had to get money to upgrade facilities. And they were highly successful. And we were done. We had $100,000 sitting in the bank, the period of our bills.

So then what do we do? So we advertised and said that nonprofits can make an application to us. We have this money. we're going to be doling it out and you want to make a pitch to us on why you think you should have some money and we tried to kind of very diplomatically say and don't be greedy because some others would like some money so don't expect that if there's 100,000 that you're going to get 50 for example correct yeah and we got a lot of application and we we doled it out I think pretty fairly and and the word got around it was it was that it was really one of the best things

You people are saying, first of all, oh yeah. In the course of this, the city employees go on strike. And it's getting close to game time. And we're you concerned because we need the city facilities and the employees are on strike and what are we going to do. And I got a message from the business agent for the union. he wanted to meet. Now, what he didn't know,

when I was appointed to finding manager on February 1st, 1976, on December 3rd, the same year, the one and only strike that in the Lord Minister, they walked out at the refinery. And I'm the manager. Pretty new.

And it was a long and bitter strike. It was 13 weeks. and Calgary decided, says, look at it, see if you can't keep it running. Sydney roofing is still operating in the Domtar plant, a shingle plant, which was next door. And we decided we're going to run it. We had some supervisors, we had some Fels worked in the pipeline, had worked at the finance, so they knew the operation. The process side was the toughest part.

And we discovered that we could, you know, some with background, and we had a supervisor that was there that we could run it. So we now we moved some people on board, and we're now living in trailers. We don't go home. Gates are locked. We live on our findry 24-7. We don't go home waiting.

And we're getting these messages around about that, oh, yeah, they've lasted 24 hours. but, you know, and then 48 hours. Oh, it's okay. They last three or four days, that's it. They're going to, and I found this out afterwards from the employees themselves, said they're going to be begging

you guys to come back. Well, I don't know whether they're smart, but anyway, it was a point where the guys were saying, okay, what are we going to do tomorrow? It's different. Now they're challenging, like we were just, I don't know if it's horseshoes or what, but we did very well.

And then we had a pipeline from refinery to the Dompter plant, which is like half a block east. And I talked about blown asphalt, you know, that different hardness of wood. And so it was a steam heated pipeline. And God help you if it stopped, because if it stopped, it's solid and you're not going to get anywhere. And so our big worry was, God help us.

start this pump going, it better not miss a beat because if it stops, we're sunk. Well, remember the first batch? And the guy said, hey, we did it. No problem. They got all a Domtar. The union went over to Domtar, or Sydney Roofing at that time, and said, hey, you guys, that's a hot product. We don't want you to shut down. And they told them the you need to go stuff it. They were working for living and they were going to keep operating. They didn't care.

They just wanted us to keep a spine asphalt. So we were doing this and we were managing famously. You're doing all of this while planning for the largest volunteer effort the city has ever seen. So here's this guy. He wants to meet with me not knowing that I've lived through hell

for quite a while and and and a this guy was actually horrible I you know I've dealt with other union agent dealers before but this this guy was was horrible anyway

so I was ready for anything so we meet in this cafe on the highway I was telling you about and they're at one table and we sit over there and of course we're on each other and And so then the guy comes over and says, can we sit down.

So we sat down and basically he threatened me, said, look, you better get the city to settle this. Otherwise, this place is going to be shut down and you won't move an inch. And I remember saying the guy, well, you better be prepared for the biggest battle of your life. I've got 10,000 people that are up in arms right today and if we're not back in business that can be able to pay and I said you better talk to your guys

you better get this settled because I'll tell you these games are going on no matter what you try to tell me and I said and that's a message you can take back to whoever you want but you figure out how you're going to settle this because it'll be for your benefit, you know.

And two days later, it settled. And it was just the week before the games, it was that close. And I had super... The city came off strike the week before the games gone. Yeah, it was that close. It was, you know, yeah, we were sweating. Did you lose some hair over that? Oh, God, yes. God, yes.

But, you know, and I was serious because... And I wasn't B, as an, I was, the residents of the city had worked their hearts out, getting all this done, all this volunteers, we had all these volunteers doing all this work, and now they're going to, you're going to shut us down? You know, I said, you better figure out how you can do it, but better get settled. And they did. And boy, with a employee, like at that time, we were looking for lots of volunteers, bus drivers, but we were also looking for guys with pickups.

Because we had lots of delivery stuff to run around and, you know, some equipment that would be here, like the opening ceremonies, whatever, and then you have podium and stuff. Then you'd have to run over to a medal presentation, you know, there. So we'd lots of calls for this. And we had all these guys coming in. Now they're volunteering, and they want to get involved, you know, like the week before. And they were so happy that the strike was off. You know, so, you know, I...

And it's just because I'd lived through a... pretty rough time before that. So, you know, I think that made me stronger to be able to deal with this guy because otherwise they're very intimidating, but he picked the wrong guy for this thing. Anyway, the games went off really well, and in 1984, well, in 83, the Alberta Recreational Parks was going to form a new county agency called the Alberta Sport Council. And they were asking from nominations. Not even knowing about this. And the city, actually they called me and said,

they're forming this Crown Corporation, and we'd like to nominate you. And I said, holy, holy. Now, I'm really moving up in this world, you know. And anyway, I found out there's 110 nominations, and they were looking for 10 positions. And I thought, I haven't got a hope and hell ever, you know. I don't know who I'm competing against, but anyway, I was asked to,

Crohnest was hosting the games, and my games, and I was asked if I could go there because of my background with the games we had, that maybe I could help them, and Jerry, the games manager, or the board chair, contact me and wouldn't mind coming down and I said sure go down. So when I was going to go down, I got a message that Peter Trenchi, who was a minister of Recreation Parks, was going to call me. Now that meant either I was in or out

and I, of course, figured I was out, just to give me the bad news. And so I told Don, I was myself. secretary said you know of course you always never even when I'm on vacation I used to when you're finding manager there is no day off the if you're on vacation you got to tell me every day where you're at and so anyway Don knew exactly how to contact me and and I think she was more excited less but this minister calling because she said you know you're gonna get on and I said yeah sure anyway I was in growing this pass and called and he said there

I've appointed you to this new Alberta Support Council, would you accept? Of course, holy smoly. So I accepted and it was quite experienced and anyway, Tom fell before me, we're on the board, but he chaired the Alberta Games for the province and he was only the year and he didn't get reappointed. We were on one, two, and three year terms, and I got a three-year term. And then I got appointed to chair all the games and competition that's called committee. So responsibility for Alberta's summer games, winter games, senior games, zone games.

So then I traveled this province east to west, north to south, and I was the chair of the games and so I was always speaking at all these opening and closings and everything else. It was quite the experience and then on the board. on the board, Don Skagen was the chair, and Don used to work for Husky, so I knew him, which was great. And then another big fellow was a vice president for, they changed their name now, whatever. Anyway, it doesn't matter.

You know, there were some pretty big boys, and I'm still figuring I'm the little farm boy itself. Anyway, it was... This time you're pretty successful. Well, yeah, because, yeah. There's a reason why they chose you. Yeah, I don't know. Because, and really you went well, and you know, and then, you know, I was telling you about the very first public gathering, and I speak to that where I died a thousand deaths.

Well, you know, it was kind of secondhand stuff, you know, and we're at the Edson Games, and it was foggy. And the governor, the lieutenant governor was coming to do the closing ceremonies. and honestly God, we are in the closing, and there's an entourage, and I'm part of the group, we're going on stage, and the games manager from Calgary hands me a note, and all it says, Governor General Plain could not land, you are doing the closing. And that's as I'm walking on the stage,

and my wife's in the, and she sees me sitting on stage, She's not going to pencil and kind of putting some... And she was trying to figure what's going on. You know, she didn't... She knew I was going to kind of give a closing address, but that was it. But here all of a sudden I had to change gears and do the closing and holy crow. Anyway, we survived. But some of these things, but it was quite experienced.

And we... Then 97 summer games, we had a chair picked and... He went to his employer, they denied him the extra time of need. And bingo, I got in my lap, so I ended up sharing that games. And then we had the Northeast Zone 7 senior games, and so I chaired that one. So, and then in between times, you know, I was on the exhibition board for, well, first of all, I went on to the Board of Credit Union board, a supervisor, and then on to the board. board itself and I'm getting vice chairman of the board

then I went into the business association I was on there and I chaired the parade committee aside from four years I think I did 20 years I got a Aspec and you you put it in your questionnaire he's like why do you volunteer

you know and I I've actually because listening to you talk and hearing like you know it all started off with joining the Lions Club by the sounds of it yeah and then at one point you're sitting there and you're talking and you're going man why am i doing this and now you you've you've catapulted to the entire province you're on all these different committees you just rattle them off now now you're just rattling them off

yeah you know and before we even started this interview we're looking at all your medals you've got for volunteers so why why why did you just go you know because there's so many people in the world in our community alone this guy i can never do even remotely part of it they can't show up to work volunteer shift, let alone what you're doing. So why did you do it? North Balford Lions Club was celebrating their 50th year,

and I was asked to be the guest speaker, and it was on volunteerism. That's what they wanted me to focus on. Okay. And that's when I said, okay, why am I doing this? I mean, there's lots of good times, but there's also some bad times.

Stressful bad times, you bet. Yeah, There's times I've lost sleep on it. And, you know, and I look back at it, and I think of, honestly, a lot of things happen in my life that I would never have dreamed of at all. Don Mezzankeowski, that name familiar to you? I can't say it is. Okay, there's the Mazenkowski Heart Institute in Edenton. But Don was a deputy prime minister.

Okay. And he's from Vigerville, originally. Ray Don Motors, Ray and Don had the motor agency. And, you know, people like meet him, and he talks about things that you've accomplished. And he's the one that the very first medal I got was because of Don, and it was Canada 125. No, maybe it was, no, I think Canada 125 medal.

So, first of all, before that, I guess I got invited to Edenton, and I got the Provincial Service Award volunteer category. Now the first medal I got. And then Don, the 125 Canada Medal, and it seemed to carry you from there. And it seems like, you know, What I'm trying to get at is that you do these things, but you don't say, well, the end result is I'm going to get a plaque or something.

You're not looking for the recognition for doing. No, it's the furthest thing from your mind. You know, because I was successful in the 82 games, then I got onto the Alberta Sports Council, which was another, you know, a totally new experience. And, you know, I felt good about being chosen and to represent Alberta

on this sport side after the games are 82 winner games the Kinsman Club I'm a line the Kinsman Club recognized me as

they awarded me the Sport Hall of Fame the Kinsman did you know and which is a real surprise to me because you know we were competitors in some because we were both fundraising I mean, we weren't fighting each other, but it was, there was the kinsman, and then there was us.

We were the two larger, well, the JCs were still in existence and then. But at one, and it's tough, and you know, and this thing evolves and you say, well, okay, well, why am I doing this? You know, it takes a lot of time, but I, I, I, I really enjoy working with people, meeting people. I really do. It's, it's, like I told you, the reason I joined the Lions Club is because, I felt isolated and all of a sudden I could meet a bunch of new people and talked to my wife and she's, I like to talk. No. No, she says, oh yeah, but if she asked him, he says he's just chatting. You know, that's what she always says, you know.

But I think working with a whole bunch of people and they all have their talents. and I was always of the opinion that you know if you form a committee then you got to give them some authority there's too many authoritarian and Trump is one of them who feels that he knows everything when he doesn't

and he should be pulling in these experts and let them do their job but instead he brings them in but then he makes all the decisions and I think it's very selfish. I think it's wrong. I think people all have talents. Some are good at something, some are not. And I, and I, you know, if I did good and you did good as part of my committee

members, I'm really happy for you. And I will say thank you and I'll recognize you anyway. I can't. I've always a strong believer in that, that you recognize people. Even those, I had a supervisor who would not make decisions. And I'd go on vacation. And there was a situation we had, and it was with the union, and I come back, and Bill said to me, whatever, I don't remember what the situation was, but that I didn't do anything.

He said, I wanted you to come back. And I said, well, he already told me what he felt should be undone. I said, Bill, why didn't you do it? Who says, yeah, but what if I was done wrong? I said, Bill, privately, I would talk with you and say, no, I would have done it this. But publicly, I will support your decision. And I was a strong believer in that. You know, if I'm going to criticize you, I'm going to do it in private,

but I'm sure not going to do it in public. And unfortunately, I've seen the opposite. We had a situation, a mayor's race and Russ Robertson, and Joe McLean. And we went to the Naval God School, the old high school. And he berated him to no end. It was embarrassing. Now we're a little community.

Everybody knows each other. And I was there and I thought, this is terrible. And in the lines of ethics, ethics, we talk about, you know, advancing itself. And it's to build up and not destroy. I'm not going to try and build myself up by destroying you. And I think this is the Code of Ethics, and this has been my life, you know. So, I don't know, maybe it's like one fellow. He said to me, he says, you know, you are absolutely the best boss ever had.

And when I talk about art, I don't talk about my supervisor. I talk about fellow worker, fellow employee. We worked both with Husky. I don't like, I hate people who try and build themselves a notch higher than anybody else. And so I like people. I like working with people, recognizing their talents. And I don't know of all the committees I've been on, you know, and shared a lot of committees.

I feel good about achievement. You look at what you started with. You know, talk about leaving the world a better place than when you first come in. I'm a strong believer in that. You know, whatever little contribution made. You know, individually, you can make a difference. Collectively, you make a bigger difference.

Okay. That's great. You know, and the side issue is, well, It's nice to be recognized, but that's not, I don't look at the end result is, am I going to be reckoned? No. My end result is, have we achieved something? Is the world a better place today than when we started? That's what I look forward. When we did the games, we had a bunch of upgrade on support facilities. We hosted the Governor General Awards, Lieutenant Governor General Awards, first ones in Lloyd Minister, and I chaired that committee. we talked about the volunteer component and being involved and being recognized and all this kind of stuff.

And once again, a great committee put this together. And we, in 1982, Mary LeMessier was a minister of culture then. And we went to Fort McMurray Games. And at those games, Mary LeMessor said, and I got to say, in her. opening address. I've got one more thing to say, and that's about the Lloydminster Games. Since they were the ones that really started the cultural component of the games, since they made such a difference that now we regularly fund as part of the funding package of $50,000 to go to culture. And I felt really good about that because I never expected.

I mean, yes, we had some great people, culture people that came to the four, did a tremendous job. And we got recognized. Never in God's world did I ever think that's going to happen. Just like the theater. Yeah, I was, I was, I guess I'm kind of known. People say I might stick my hand out because I did a lot of fundraising. and I mean, you know, and I won't tell you who it was, but a local businessman. I phoned to see if I could have an appointment.

I walked in the door and never forget. He said, okay, how much? I knew what you're coming from. Oh, my God, I'm getting notorious. But the thing is, you know, these things happen in all. And I look at all these things that I did, you know, the, I was saying, the Fair Parade. I remember I wanted to change things the way of being done and and I got some reaction. You know, changes, you know, is very difficult. People don't want to change. And so anyway,

it turned out to be very successful. We changed some number of things and the result was for 24 years on the parade committee and I think I chaired 23, 20, no, three years of, 21 years of that itself. And being on the exhibition board and, and, and, you know, I shared. You know, they are a board of 24 people, which I think is unwieldy. Today, this day I think it's unwieldy. If it's controversial, you're going to have 24 people with opinions, and that's why our meetings lasted past midnight at times. You know, I think it's too big a group.

What did your, I got to ask, what did your wife think of you doing all this? She says, somebody has to stay home and be the secretary. Answer the poem calls. You were saying on your way here, it's your anniversary today. Yeah. How many years? 64. 64 years.

Married in 1955. Yeah. Well, shout out to your wife. Yeah. So, anyway, you know, why am I doing it? And it's just for the... No, that's fine. All married 64 years and doing a podcast on 60... That's dedication.

28 below zero Fahrenheit. Yeah, I know. 28 below Fahrenheit. No, we had... Shout out to Anne. We went out to supper, as you know. It's out. Yeah, it was ice, roads were ice and that's probably the salt and everything else.

But it was, it was a, next morning, the Word of Edmonton, the car wouldn't start. So why do you do it then? If you just had a simple answer, you enjoy being around people. Honestly, I can say, I enjoy working with people and the sense of achievement. Fair enough. I would say this to you. You said, you know, leave the world a better place when you came in to now. And I would say you've done that, and the Lloyd area has reaped the benefits of it.

I should have... I should have... Along with you, along with the group you worked with for a long time. I should have brought you a poem that I quoted many times about... And when I talk about volunteers, I mean, I've talked quite a few times about volunteering to different groups. And it's the bridge builder. And I don't know if you were ever in across it, but... Why Pilgrim build this bridge here is something like that.

And it's not about me, but it's who's going to be crossing the bridge after me. I used to be able to recite it, but that was one that I used to close quite often with, and we've called the bridge builder. By Will Allen Drum. Is that it? I think so. An old man going alone high. That's it. That's it.

You bet. Came at the evening, cold and gray. Yes, yes. Chasm vast and deep and wide, through which was flowing a sullen tide. The old man crossed in the twilight dim. The sullen stream had no fear for him. But he turned when safe on the other side and built a bridge to span the ride. Old man said a fellow pilgrim near.

You're wasting your strength with building here. Your journey will end. With the ending day, you never again will pass this way. You've crossed the chasm deep and wide, why build this bridge at evening tide? The builder lifted his old gray head, good friend in the path I have come, he said. There followed after me today, a youth whose feet must pass this way. This chasm that has been is not to me, to that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be. He too must cross in the twilight damn good friend I am building this bridge for him.

That's it. that's it i've used it many times yeah because to me it's that's the story right there yeah why do we do it you know i gotta ask

i i could probably keep you here for five hours you know i always worry i gotta be honest i walk down here meet new people all the time i love right sit across i go you know what i hope we can make 50 minutes we can make 40 minutes right we're going on Why don't you? Over two hours.

Oh my God. We've been going for a while. I haven't even looked at my watch. No, we've been going good. I'm sure some people are going wrap this up already. I'm sure people are going, I always get text. Whenever I start to slow us down and get to the end, always get texts.

Just keep them going if they want to keep talking. But in your questionnaire, you had mentioned Dr. Jim Hempstock. I said, the question I asked for the people listening was the coolest person that has influenced your life. And you put Dr. Jim Hempstock, who's now deceased. Yes. He was our family, doctor, neighbor, and friend. I firmly believe his beliefs and counsel helped me to become what I am. I was curious what his beliefs slash counsel was.

Well, yeah, I did talk to him, and he was two doors over from us. So he was a neighbor and her family doctor. And he was easy to talk to. And there was a time when maybe I was in a bit of an overload. Well, I had two situations. Number one is, I always worried about my job. I want to do the best I could possibly do. And even my supervisor at that time would say, go home.

And I said, no, I got to do it. If I'd do another 20 minutes or an hour or whatever, and I can get this, then I can save lots of time to do that. you know so I guess the work ethic was very important to me you know it was always that way but it was also my downfall because it worried me a lot you know and and and then then another challenge you know and I chaired a health needs assessment that hospital board asked me to do and I even know what we're going to start with but It was a case of interviewing various professions, teachers, and whatever, on the efficiency in blood minister.

And that's when I found out about mental health was a big issue. And I'll never forget this lady who, 15-year-old daughter, desperately need psychiatric help. And she called and had the psychiatrist in the North Valley, and you could see her in six months' time. and she said, I have a problem today, not six months from now. Now, never forget that. And so you see the other facet of this world of people, the difficulties, and some of these things started to get to me, saying, oh, what can we do about it?

The homeless shelter was in the fore and the interval home and the abused families, and I didn't realize that, you know, Even doctors' wives were taking shelter. You know, lawyers were particularly bad, lawyers' wives. And I worried about these people. And eventually between my work and all these other things are getting involved, and I started worrying too much about other people, and I was getting me a nervous wreck.

And the thing that really, I was taking the nerve bills, you know, once again, Dr. Hemp's Dr. Hemp's Dr. McHadish, and one day he said, you know, you and I got to sit down and have a little talk. And I'll never forget that. And it's parting words where that if you in your conscience are doing the best you can, that's all of is needed, you know. And I'll never forget that. He said that, you know. as long as I wasn't cheating somebody, trying to cheat somebody, whatever, that I in my mind was doing the best I could do, then that's all that's sufficient.

And I thought that, you know, it was so bad that if my supervisor and his supervisor met in a closed door, I thought they were talking about me right away. I just had that persecution complex. It's what it was. And it was getting worse and worse to the point. I'd go to bed and I'd be shaking. And I thought, I got to do something.

I don't know what. And Dr. Gem came to my rescue. And I'd never forget that conversation we had. And, you know, that changed my life around because in my mind, I think I was doing the best I could. But I always figured that I was being deficient. I wasn't putting out as much as I could. And I'll tell you what sealed it for me.

I actually resigned from Husky. The position came up in Fort McMurray. It was a new position for environment and process troubleshooting. And I accepted the job. They offered me a job, and I accepted it for more money. my boss called me and I was signing inspection reports and he said, all right, and I knew what my end of the day was. He says, are you just about done an inspection report? I said, yes. And he said, would you mind dropped into the office? And I had submitted my resignation letter

and I thought, now what? So I go there and he said, I've been taught at Lawrence Lee and Lawrence Leen was the executive vice president of Husky. He was actually running at the excite from Glenn Nielsen was getting to be more of a figurehead. And he says, and Lawrence told me to ask you if you would reconsider and stay on with Husky. And I couldn't believe it. I said, you know, I've said, and this is,

and we'll match what you're offered at, important where he says, we'll match that. and I forget there's some other issue anyway and I said holy car you know it just it really rocked me and that's when I started thinking

well maybe maybe I am big and appreciate more than I think I am you know and I said to Leo I said you know you really floored me because I never ever expected

I said that you know I was I was gone I've been leaving and I said But if this somehow gets out, the next guy said, oh, yeah, to get a raise, I'll just have to resign. He says, yeah, but there's a difference. He says, the next guy, we might accept his letter. And I remember this discussion.

So between Jim's considerations, and I call him Jim, I thought Jim, but between him and then this episode happened to him in my life, And then I think, well, maybe I am doing okay. But that didn't mean I could now slack off. I still, right to this day, I want to do the best job I can. That's never changed, you know. And unfortunately, in this world, I've seen the other side where you'd like to give him the steel boot. Yeah, we've had this.

When we had a massive layoff in 1985. Black Wednesday, Marshford. We laid off 150 employees in Lloydminster out of 600. Maybe you remember that. But it was terrible. In three days, we got rid of 150 people. And the slackers got the word. They got the letter, you know.

And I think of that many times that some people would say, oh, yeah. I've been here for lots of years, they're going to touch me, well. Harsh reality is, you know, We're not that stupid. And I used to tell, you know, you guys must at times think we're really stupid that we don't see. You'd be surprised how much we do know.

I told the business agent on this guy once, I was getting on my nerves, and I told them that. You know, some people have some strange idea that we get blinders on, we don't see lots of things. We see lots of things in our life. And, yeah, we want to call them two pigeons. Yeah, there's the other ones that, you know, they're putting out this other guy isn't, and they'll say, you know, it could have, you know, I watched him, he could have done it,

but he, you know, he was taking long breaks or whatever else, you know. So that, yeah, and it started with, well, I needed help. I really needed help, and that's where. Em stock, team. If he wasn't for him, I'm not sure. I might have been six feet hundred for all I know.

I don't know. But I'll never forget that because it made me do a lot of thinking and saying, well, gee, you know, am I goofing off or not? And, you know, I looked at it and I said, no, I'm, you know, it didn't bother me if I had to put in 70 hours a week. I never counted hours. I just looked at the job, okay, what needs to be? needs to be done and can I do it?

And yeah, many, many Saturdays, you know, Saturday day off, but I'd go to the office and work, you know. And my wife was very understanding and she knew that I was a, well, my, Dawn, my secretary's conceded for a lot of years, and I think workaholic and perfectionist. She learned very quickly, and this, you know, back the day prior to the computer, you know, you typewriter and you made a mistake and then you have to re-type the whole page. And they knew very quickly that if it had a mistake, I didn't want a pencil out to something and just make a correction.

They didn't bring it to me because I just sent it back. So, yeah, I was accused of being a perfectionist, but once again, the best job you know how, and if you want to sluff up something off, done coming to me because I don't operate that way. Yeah. You know what so. Well, let's move on to our final five of the final five questions. All right.

Somewhat quick hitters. We'll see, we'll see, Vic, how quickly we get through them here. But it's our final five brought to us by Crewmaster Transport. They've been huge supporters, Heath and Tracy McDonald, of the podcast. So thanks to Crudemaster. The first one is, what advice would you give to your 20-year-old self? So if you go back to your 20-year-old self and maybe even the younger generation,

just what advice would you give to your 20-year-old self? What would you tell them? I guess it's public exposure. If you've got an opportunity to join some volunteer group and Holyroo's got a great program where you must volunteer, I guess I had to learn the hard way. and if I had the opportunity to, you know, get a little bit of background to the real world, I guess, maybe call it that. If you got young people, if you got a chance to join some organization and, you know, like there's the Leo's in the Lions Club for young people,

Rotor Act and Rotary Young People, get involved in. and get some basics on life in the real world. It make your life easier as you go along, as you go into, the biggest transition for me was to go from farming to industry. It was a totally different world, very foreign to me, and I had to learn the hard way because I had no exposure to that.

Volunteering was very hard because I just come in, you know, with my blinders on, I didn't know what to expect. And then in hindsight, you see what's happened as you grew into it, it'd been sure a lot easier. I had some basic grounding in that kind of a facet is being involved in community. It's a good way to learn how to speak in public, for example. That's a good example.

Yeah. If you could, if tomorrow, a time machine was put on your front, front doorstep, and you could take it anywhere. Where would you take? I'd go back about 40 or 50 years. When we didn't live in such a competitive world, I found out, and once again, I'll go to the industry, that people worked cooperatively, They worked as a family. And today it's a competition. It's a case if I can stab you in the back

and to get ahead of myself, I will do so. I just find people are getting too self-centered. They're thinking about themselves only rather than the wider picture. I mean, we've got to get along with our fellow man and to try and advance, like I said earlier, by trying to further yourself, they're going a wrong way. And there's that feeling, that ethic now that, you know,

you're going to just do your thing. And before you work cooperative, you achieved a lot of things cooperately, that you couldn't have done by yourself. And I don't know, we're getting too selfish, maybe is the word, self-centered? Yeah, it's... Even in a union environment, a member, if you, the fellow, they have all their job classifications, and you now had nothing to do, and your other guy was very busy, you'd go rather than help him. They don't do that anymore.

You know, I did my job, that's it. That's his problem, you know. That's, unfortunately, we're going the wrong way. In your lifetime, what has been the one thing that stands out? events, it could be a piece of technology, could be global affairs. Is there some point in your life when you look back, you go, man, that was the time. Well, getting powered. What's quite the time?

You know, we lived through it. The radio, you know, I still remember the big battery packs, the B batteries and the C batteries, huge bacteria packs. And I remember 90 volts, 2.45s and my young sister, grabbing the two leads and got paralyzed and fortunately my uncle nutrition was there at his place because he had the radio we didn't have a radio and he knew to get at that so so going from from the radio to the TV to now the computers to you name it technology is so advanced it's like one day

we got a cabinet at Loon Lake. We went to, we had something to do. We drove to Loon Lake, did her job there, and came home. And when we got to Deer Creek River, crossing. Yeah, Deer Creek Bridge. Yeah, Deer Creek Bridge. And I said, and, you know, back in 1903, our colonists or 1910 or 1920, I said,

you know, with our team of Oaksin, the first day we'd have made it to the river from Lloyd. We go to Loon Lake, do our job, and we come home, and still in less hours than they would have been taken. Just to get to the river. Yeah, and I said, that's within the hundred years, a little bit more, a hundred years. This change, and you think, okay, like, what else is there, like, I can't imagine a hundred years from now. What are you going to be doing? Like, what is there left to do?

I don't know. It's mind-boggling. It's mind-boggling. Yeah. Yeah. You know, the things, and I guess technology, you know, going on the moon and that, you know, Dick Tracy, who watches and, you know, it was just a big joke, but it's not a joke anymore. It's being done. Yeah.

If you could sit down with one person for a coffee or a beverage of your choice, current or past, is there one that you, you know, one that, you know, you. one that you'd love to just pick their brain? Could be famous or not. It doesn't really matter. You know, we went to Greece one year. I remember with the Olympics and all these Greek philosophers. And I guess I think of people like Aristotle. Now this is really going back.

Yeah. And I just wonder how they could be so brutal. brilliant, like centuries before their time or whatever. And I think of it. And like, what is it that motivated them? Where did this come from? Like, you know, I really am fascinated. Well, Shakespeare is the other one that, like,

there'll never be another Shakespeare. And then you go to your painters or your musicians. Yeah, Mozart's and Brahms, and we don't have those anymore. Like, how come? I just, I think of that so many times, is what did they have that don't seem to have?

Or at least, in my mind, I don't think we do, but brilliant. Einstein was a figure of its own, but, you know, he was coming up with theories that they were laughed at. this time and today they're saying you know and it's bang on yeah e equals mc squared is his

famous equation you know amazing guy but i gotta go back so you'd like to sit at a table with Einstein Mozart wouldn't that be something if you had those I'd tell you what that's one heck of a painting oh my gosh

yeah right just to be a flying a wall on the sit and oh That's right. You know, I just, yeah, I think of that a lot and, you know, that what did these people have? I just, well, I know, I think, you say world famous, no, it's beyond, it's more than that. I mean, they're living on in centuries. Yeah.

Maybe I'm known today because of a theater, but 100 years, no, I'm just, I'm going to know where these people, they'll live on forever, you know. How can you achieve that? What statue would you have to have to get into that hierarchy, this group? I can't imagine. It's, yeah. Is it a good brain teaser?

Yeah, real tough brain teaser. Yeah. Phenomenal. Well, the fifth question I won't tease your brain so hard on. I do a different one with, I interviewed the Bobcats every Sunday night. Most Sunday nights. And one of the questions I posed to them is, I did a variation for you because you wouldn't have grown up playing video games. But a book, a movie, or travel.

If you could pick one of those three, what would you pick? to sit and read a book to go watch a movie or to travel travel okay and then where in your time would you suggest has been either your favorite place

to travel or where would you like to go see can be either or or both if you like you know unfortunately some places that we've been to I wouldn't want to go there today you know been to Haiti

for one China for another one. China is a revelation. We were actually, went to a so-called emperor dynasty, the meal that they were eaten, you know, going back centuries,

and you think about this, and the way they lived, and then they're talking about, you know, 500 BC or something. And then we saw a village that was on earth, it was 50, and 5,300 years old.

And this is shortly after Lloyd Minister celebrated their hundreds. Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, I said in perspective. I'm not even going to mention Lloyd Minster because we're not even a speck on the wall. Yeah, but I mean, if you go that road, you just look at how old the earth is, Vic. Yeah, I guess. And that 5,300-year-old place is just a speck on that wall.

Yeah, I guess so. I guess so. But, you know, you read about these things, Stonehenge, the Great Wall of China. You know, you read about these things, the Olympiad, the Parliaments. Yeah, but this is a place where we've been, and you're standing there and looking and saying, you know, I've read about this, I never imagined that I would be here, but to see it in real life for yourself, you say, holy something, you know, there's so much to this world to see, China was a good experience, really good experience, because we went to a university,

and it was part of a tour of itself, and we had a very small group, and we had a lady Chinese that was from China originally. There's Vancouver, and Margaret took us to university, and a very fitting subject. It was a doctor spoke to us, and he spoke on Western versus Oriental Medicine. One of the things he talked about is that surgery isn't the only answer. And he talked about their medicine and treatments and stuff. And he says, you know, we've been doing it for 5,000 years.

We've learned over the years. And you don't need surgery for everything. There's some other remedies there. And you start talking about some of the things that, you know, what we do versus what they do. And, you know, you start to make sense. You think about some of this quackery, you know, with some magic elixir. But after you listen to this guy, and I said, you know, this guy makes a lot of sense. You know, that, and maybe some of our doctors should go to China for a while and listen to these guys.

Because what's like on a smaller scale are North American Indians, they have their, you know, centuries of healing things, you know. And I remember that so well, and I thought, gee, you know, know what I'm thinking about it then I said yeah yeah he makes sense but before listening to him yeah quackery is the only word I can think of you know so yeah yeah it's funny you bring that up you get set in your ways and you view the opposing view as negative you don't really want to listen to it yeah you can put that on whatever you want yeah yeah You can put it on medicine, you can put it on politics.

Oh, sure. Oh, yeah. Anything. Yep. And if you just hear the opposing side, even if you don't agree with everything, usually there's some truths in there. You're right. You're right.

And to shut your mind out, I bet that this is the only way. And I, that's what really gets me. And environmentalists, unfortunately, I think they're in a one-track mind and nothing can sway them no matter what you do. And I've never been a believer in that. I always, in an open mind. And, you know, I might not agree with you, but I still like to hear what you say.

And maybe it makes me start thinking, because maybe I'm in a rut. And maybe I'm the one that needs to hear the other side. Well, yeah, there's always, you know, they say there's always the other side. Yeah. And I agree. I agree.

Well, I won't hold you here any longer. Holy small. Yeah, I'm keeping us both up. My wife would wonder what happened to me. I better call her and tell her on the way home. Well, I really appreciate you coming out on your anniversary of all things. I've had a really good time sitting here and chatting with you, Vic. I hope you've enjoyed it.

Well, yeah. Yeah, so you know what? Honestly, I've got it close to the same. I've thought about it so many times. I think I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I've had things happen to me that I could. I wouldn't have possibly dreamed of, ever. You know, I've been on the front page of the Globe and Mail.

My nephew lives in Whitby, and he, my God, that's my uncle on the front page. You know, stuff like that had happened in my life, and, you know, you couldn't possibly dream of that. There's no way. No way ever. You know, and these things happen and, yeah, maybe you feel good about it, but you couldn't possibly imagine in your life then this would happen. So, yeah, I've got lots of instances like that that things happened and maybe instead of quitting, maybe that's maybe driving me a little further, you know, saying, well, just another. Help spur you on for another year And another year

And it turns in 40, 50 years What am I doing? Hey, I'm getting to be an old man Well, but you know, I'll tell you this That I have difficulty In watching a lot of TV I don't watch a lot of TV Because, and I've told people this

Some of these programs are an insult to a man's intelligence That's what I say It's far-fetched, it's ridiculous I haven't got time for that kind of crap. So I don't watch a lot of TV because of just that very reason. So you weren't a Star Wars fan then, Vic? No, I wasn't.

Well, that's kind of later down. But honestly, you know, no, I look at that and I said, no, thanks. It's not my cup of tea. You know, I like, I watch, I like documentaries. I watch the news, because I want to know what's going on in the world. Yeah.

You know, CB National, 10 o'clock. I should, you know, I shouldn't, I should go to bed earlier, but I, you know,

11 o'clock is more of my time. Well, I still ought to go home and run, so. Yeah. Yeah.

Now you, now you weren't going to say, what are you doing that late? I thought this is one hour. Well, thanks again. You're welcome. Hey, guys,

thanks for joining me and listening to Vic Juba, hearing a lot of Floyd's history. Once again, just sitting with a guy who's got, that many years under his belt 88 like really appreciate vic coming and sitting here and chatting and just talk about his life and and you know the different changes he's seen over his lifetime it's

just uh you know at times it's just unbelievable just sit and listen to a guy talk like that so i hope you guys enjoyed it i thoroughly did and uh we'll talk with you guys next week all right see you then