I'm back... I didn't want to take any attention away from Meghan Markle's new podcast so took sone days off!!!!
Some years ago a young fellow came to my office in Nisku looking for work on the land rigs. I looked over his qualifications, and then we talked. The name on the application read Vince Kondratski, which sounded a little familiar to me but he didn't look familiar. We talked for quite awhile, he was a good interview and so I hired him pending of course the results of the medical and drug screening. Those appointments were set up while he was still in my office and we chatted a bit more. After he left I kept looking at that name, he was from Leduc where I lived and his age was about the same as my son, but nothing in the interview made me recognize him.. Curiosity was getting the better of me so I called my son Corey and asked if he knew a Vince Kondratski and why did that name seem so familiar to me? He said "you hired Vinnie" and had a good laugh. Vinnie and Corey were good buddies when they were younger and what one didn't think of the other would, they were double trouble during their teen years.. At that time i didn't know his last name, I just knew the name Vinnie and I'm sure that the reason I didn't recognize his face was that I had never seen it, only saw the back of his head when he was going out the back door!! Well maturity, responsibility and even stronger, his goal to succeed kicked in which seemed to be in place by the time I actually met and hired him.. One of the pictures below is Vince and Derek O'Meara, who also worked for Noble, visiting at my house at Christmas. When Vince went overseas his parents would often stop by the office and have coffee with us,
As time has proven, I wasn't wrong about his capabilities and work ethic , still with Noble Drilling and doing well.
During my years with Noble/Bawden Drilling, I celebrated my 40, 50 and 60th birthdays with co-workers and HR staff from the other Drilling Contractors in Nisku. I retired only because the candle count on the cake was becoming a hazard, any more and it have been deemed high risk for smoke inhalation and fire! My 50th was certainly the most publicized, as someone had it posted on the Nisku Business Park sign that greets you as you drive into the park. I have never discovered who arranged that billboard posting and although he vehemently denied it, I am still a bit suspicious of Boris Ewanchuk.
Looking through my past blogs it seems that it was a very social company, and second glancing through the photo albums, its confirmed. I wonder how many Companies now have that family, got your back thing that we seemed to have at that time. Each time I get a call, email or a text from a former workmate I am so thankful that I had the opportunity of that job and the friendships..
These pictures are from 1975 and 1976. I had lunch with Ted Webber today and a telephone conversation with Ben Fischer yesterday.
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