Part 13: Women in the Petroleum Business

Years ago, women generally held secretarial jobs in the oil and gas industry in Alberta. Gradually, women have moved out from behind the desk and into the field, to hold many positions traditionally thought to be too physically difficult or dirty for women.

The women pioneers of the Alberta oil industry share their stories, recounting how they rose above the stereotype to carve their niche in the oil patch. While events such as World War II created a more favourable environment for women seeking non- traditional roles in the oil industry, it was the determination of such women in the face of discrimination and harsh working conditions that opened the door for women who have worked in the petroleum industry from the post-war period to the present day.

This episode features the voices of Bill Allen, Doris Bingham, Thelma Cameron, Mary Dickson, Garnet Edwards, Marjorie Gibson, Jean Greig, Jeep Hall, Polly Holden, Aubrey Kerr, Doug Layer, Fin Lineham, Fred McKinnon, Mary MacRae, Archie Miller, Lauder Nowers, Jack Orman, Mary Pandachuk, Mary Pope, Tom Wark, Sid Weller

Part 14: Frank McMahon - Part I

The history of the Alberta petroleum industry is full of characters, and one of the most colourful characters of all was Frank McMahon. The son of a bootlegger, McMahon literally started off with nothing, armed only with a larger-than-life personality and a relentless determination to succeed.

McMahon followed the Alberta oil industry from the time of its humble beginnings, his personal success growing as the industry expanded. During the Great Depression, Frank McMahon, along with his brother George, formed a company called Westcoast Transmission, bolstered by the dream of running a pipeline from the Peace River country to deliver natural gas to customers in Vancouver and across the border to Seattle. But such a plan cost money, and money was something Frank McMahon did not have a lot of.

But a golden opportunity lay in the oilfields surrounding the Leduc #1 oilwell. Frank and George McMahon would form the Atlantic Oil Company and set up rigs there. The first two produced large quantities of oil, but even the success of these would pale in comparison to the fate-filled oilwell known as Atlantic #3. What happened there would land Frank McMahon his first major business triumph, and would finance his dream to build a west coast natural gas pipeline.

This episode features the voices of Jean Angus, John Ballem, Charles Hetherington, Aubrey Kerr, Eddie Laborde, Jack Orman, Ed Phillips.

Part 15: Frank McMahon - Part I

Following the major blowout at Atlantic Oil Company's oilwell Atlantic #3, Frank McMahon emerged with the finances he needed to pursue his dream of building a natural gas pipeline from the Peace River country to British Columbia and the United States. Still, even with the financial obstacle removed from the road to his dreams, some significant political stumbling blocks had yet to be overcome. To see his dream become a reality, McMahon would have to prove that there was enough natural gas to justify a pipeline, satisfy a number of provincial and federal regulations, meet a tight construction deadline, and win approval from the United States Federal Power Commission.

But Frank McMahon was not about to let his dreams drown in a sea of red tape. Through stiff necked determination, a pipeline was born, and Frank McMahon would rise to become one of the great western Canadian success stories.

This episode features the voices of Jean Angus, John Ballem, Frank Dabbs, Charles Hetherington, Aubrey Kerr, Eddie Laborde, Carl Nickle, Ed Phillips.