Fin Lineham

Certain members of Fin Lineham’s family had been involved with the petroleum industry since its beginning.

John Lineham, Fin's great uncle, was a representative for the Government of the Northwest Territories in addition to his work as an oilman.

The elder Lineham started drilling at Cameron Creek in 1901, believing seepages there meant he was about to strike oil. By 1904, however, the well was tapped out, and everyone left the small shanty town that had grown up around the dig site.

Fin Lineham encountered more success in his own career. He started as a rig worker in Turner Valley, and was fortunate to find himself onsite when Leduc #1 was brought in.

Geologists for Imperial Oil had already predicted, through the use of new technology, that this site would be a producer.

While Lineham had no idea what an impact the find would have on the provincial oil industry, he still experienced a long-awaited thrill of discovery when the well was opened.