Powerneer

By ArmAden

This book is an autobiographic, historic account of the economic transformation of Saskatchewan from a have not to a have province, due in large part to the development of its power production, transmission, and distribution systems, during the latter half of the twentieth century, as told by a lineman who lived it.

The author respectfully dedicates this work to those who lost their lives while bringing power to all parts of the great, and diverse province of Saskatchewan.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098050559

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Powerneer

ArmAden

ISBN 978-1-0980-5054-2 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-0980-5055-9 (digital)

Copyright © 2020 by ArmAden

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Cover art based on the drawing titled, The Apprentice, created by lineman and self-taught artist Steve Driscoll from Ottawa Canada. www.stevedriscollart.com

Printed in the United States of America

Preface

Upon his retirement in 2000, the author spent more time reminiscing and telling family, friends, and colleagues some of the most significant events he had experienced as a District Operator, and later as a Safety Officer with his company. Some of them suggested he write about them, so that at least they would know the story.

He had worked alone most of the time he was employed by SaskPower. Consequently, there were few witnesses to the numerous traumatic events he had lived through. In about his tenth year of retirement, he began writing about his life changing experiences, and called them, ‘The Longest Days of my Life at SaskPower’. In his twentieth year of retirement, he approached a publishing company, which upon review of his manuscript, agreed to pursue the publication in it’s broader form. (Without photos). He had inserted ten photos of some of the individuals involved, for the benefit of those close to him, who would thus better relate to the story.

The evolution of the title, POWERNEER, was due in large part to his being born in a place without power, and none the conveniences it provides, then his involvement in the actual electrification of the province. He first participated in rural electrification, and oil/gas field power in the south, then northern electrification. He became part of the management team on major projects, which took him to all parts of the province. The last community to be connected to the grid, was a small settlement on the Alberta/Saskatchewan boundary, in 1995. He, and the Construction Superintendent had conducted a start up meeting with the contractor. A short time thereafter they over-flew the project, to perform an inspection, and work observation as it was being built. It was the last ‘community’ to be tied to the provincial grid.

He begins the story by describing his humble beginnings, like many other prairie folks, a descendant of immigrants, and as a farm boy, who grew up with a strong work ethic. As a product of the thirties, he soon learned the meaning of terms like, frugal, waste not want not, and cost effectiveness. By the end of his career, all parts of the province were electrified, or had access to power. Districts now have two or more personnel, so that the person taking trouble calls has the option of asking for assistance, or backup. Communications, vehicles, and equipment are also far better they were in the early days. The term ‘Cost effective’ now includes a high level of Safety!

The author uses the first person singular in Parts 3 and 4, District Operations, due to the fact that he worked alone much of the time. However, reverts to third person in the other Parts of the story wherever possible, or practical.

He would like his readers to be aware of some of the electrical terms used. The standard distribution voltages, such as fourteen thousand four hundred, twenty five thousand, seventy two thousand, are shown as: 14.4 kV, 25 kV, or 72 kV, for obvious reasons. Transformer capacities are identified in KiloVolt Amperes, or KVA, in the trade. One KVA translates into 746 watts, or one Horse Power. The term HP is therefore inserted, as it is more familiar.

There are numerous types of switches in the power business, such as OCRs, (Oil Circuit Reclosers), RVEs, (Electronic Reclosers), GOPTs, (Ground Operated Pole Top), and Sectionalizers, to name but a few. There are also devices know in the trade as fused cutouts, or solid cutouts. Since these are all switches of one kind or another, the word ‘switch’ is therefore used to avoid the introduction of technical terms.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of his more than 40 years at SaskPower, is the fact that he worked in all the major Corporate functions, including Transmission, Distribution, Power Production, Human Resourses, (Employment, Training, Safety, Occupational Health, Environment), Corporate Communications, and Major Projects. This involved working in all parts of the Province, between the Northwest Territories, and the USA, and between the Provinces of Manitoba, and Alberta.

Part 1

Beginnings (1911–56)

The author traces his North American ancestry to 1690 when the first recorded wedding took place, in what was then known as New France, and later became the Province of Quebec. At the turn of the last century, Canada’s Northwest Territories were transformed into the new provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. The provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba had been created earlier, however, their boundaries became more clearly defined upon the creation of the two new provinces in 1905. At that time, Canada undertook the legal survey, of what became known as the Prairie Provinces, because all three included vast tracts of arable land. The northern parts of these also consist of large amounts of Precambrian Shield, commonly referred to as the Canadian Shield. It consists mostly of rock outcrop, forests, lakes, rivers, swamp, and streams, as well as some flat lands and sand dunes.

In 1910, Arm’s grandparents and their family of six lived in Lowell, Massachusetts, where Grandpa was employed by RCA, the radio maker. (Later to become RCA Victor.) He was a cabinetmaker by trade and designed/built various sizes and shapes in which to mount the radios. In those early days of the industrial revolution, radios were a prized possession, which usually stood in the main living area, to be admired and listened to by all. More important, however, was that folks living in semi-isolation could hear the news and weather pertaining to their area, the country, and the world.

Lowell, Massachusetts had attracted numerous Canadians during the Industrial Revolution at the turn of the century. A suburb of the city was called ‘Little Canada’, when their numbers exceeded 25,000. These emigrants were employed in the new textile mills, factories, plants, and became known as FrancoAmericans. Many of the former names of these people have been ‘Americanized’, such as Paradis, (Pardee), Faucher, (Fochee), and Parenteau. (Pronto), to name but a few.

Grandma had a sister living on the prairies of southeastern Saskatchewan and was married to a man who farmed and had started an insurance business in the community of Montmartre, named after the Paris suburb. The town was mainly Francophone then with English, German, Polish, and Ukrainian folks, arriving later. Grandma missed her sister and had visited her on occasion and became aware that abundant farm land was available for a mere ten dollars per quarter section called a homestead. There are four quarters in a section of land, which is one-mile square. The government condition was that the purchaser had to complete certain improvements before issuance of the title. Those included a house, barn, and some cleared and cultivated land as a minimum.

It was on one of those visits that Grandpa met a Swedish national, who proposed they partner in a land purchase deal. For him, it would be an investment in his future, and the Swede proposed to farm both quarters and share the profits, if any. However, two or three years later, after having experienced the harsh climate, the partner expressed his wish to return to the old country. Grandad would consequently have to make a decision on what to do about his partnership. When he proposed to move the family to the prairies, the children were excited about living in the new country where there would be animals, pets, and room to grow. The family would have possession of two quarters of land, which was a sizable holding for those times. Grandfather prided himself as a good judge of horseflesh and ran his pacers in the local harness races. Of course, Grandma was very much in favour of a move out west, in that she would be close to her beloved sister. And so it was that in 1917, the family began its relocation to a new land of opportunity and adventure.

Canada’s Heartland

The move from Lowell to the tiny hamlet of Mutrie, located about a mile from their homestead, would be completed mostly by railroad. The family rented two boxcars and loaded up all of their belongings, including Grandpa’s two trotter horses, and his four-wheeled diplomat buggy. The men of the family occupied that boxcar with the feed, tools, and equipment they would need to carry on the farm business. The women were in the other car with the furniture, utensils, bedding, food, supplies, and the cook stove with the chimney protruding through the open door. The men slept on the buggy seats, bed mattresses, and the animal feed. They would visit the other car for the occasional meal, as the train was either stopped or performing switching operations. The relatives who told this story were unsure of the time it took to make the trip, but guessed it was around ten days.

The last leg of the journey was made on the Soo Line Railway, which then covered the distance between Minneapolis, the city of Moose Jaw, and later beyond. The name of the latter is mentioned, in that it is a peculiar name but was also one of the notorious outlaw, Al Capone’s hideaways! That city continues to preserve and promote the tunnels that Capone used to