1

In May of 1957, Art Irwin, started his first year as a student in the Engineering Training Program taking place in the Pembina Oil Field at Cynthia.

Art recalls his experiences living in camp and learning the job of a field production labourer- or as it is known in the oil patch- a roustabout.

2

Road 753 from highway 16, west of Wildwood to Cynthia, Alberta.
July, 1958
Wildwood, Alberta, Canada

3

Frank Pasay picked me up on the northside of Edmonton at 4 a.m. on Monday mornings to get us to work at Cynthia. Then I got a ride back on Friday afternoons. Frank picked up a third person in Redwater who rode with us.

4

Leo Bottolf's new Plymouth with the rock that went through the windshield.
July, 1957

5

This is Leo Bottolf's (?) new Plymouth with a rock that went through the windsheild. This rock was about 10 pounds and was tossed from between the duals of a truck on the road from Wildwood.

It smashed through the windshield and landed in the back seat of Leo's car.

6

Texaco Camp at Cynthia, Alberta
July, 1957
Cynthia, Alberta, Canada

7

Since we lived in camp and batched, we went to Wildwood for groceries each Monday evening after work. After shopping, we usually stopped in at the hotel for some draft beer- did you know that 20 glasses of draft fit on a tray?

I remember that we ran out of glasses one time at the camp, so we asked Cork, the waiter in the hotel if he could help us out- he said yes, to help ourselves when we left for home. So that is how we restocked our inventory of glasses.

8

Weiners for Lunch
July, 1958
Cynthia, Alberta, Canada

9

Bunk houses in the Texaco camp each had 4 bunks and a cook shack with kitchen and eating area that 4-5 of us used to cook and eat our meals as we batched.

10

Texaco Camp at Cynthia Alberta
July, 1957
Cynthia, Alberta, Canada

11

The radio aerial was for the folks in the field office to communicate with the hands and with the other leases.

Marcel was the radio operator and Dan Sawatzky was the field engineer.

12

Rig in Pembina Oil Field
July, 1958
Pembina Oil Field

13

This rig was near our camp and a newly hired engineer, David Bruneau was roughnecking on this rig and batched with us in the camp.

14

Airstrip at Campsite
August, 1957
Cynthia, Alberta, Canada