HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

- 2001 -

Ron Kuchinka

Ron Kuchinka graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering and a Certificate in Business Administration.

Ron is now self-employed after retiring from his position as President and Chief Executive Officer for Spartan Controls, a process control products company that has achieved elite international standards of quality standards, and which has frequently been named as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies.

Ron has been very active with community service. He served on the Medical Mercy Canada Board. His past service includes the Lougheed Hospital Trust Foundation, a board member of Junior Achievement, and Past President of the Canadian Gas Processors Suppliers Association Board.

He also served for many years on the board of the Science Alberta Foundation a non-profit organization committed to encouraging youth to enter science-based careers and to enhancing science awareness and literacy.

In 1997, Ron received the Pinnacle Award, an award for outstanding contributions to one’s profession.

Bob L. Pierce

Bob Pierce was born on April 17, 1929, in Estevan, Saskatchewan. In 1952, he graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with his Bachelor of Law degree and was admitted to the Saskatchewan Bar in 1954. In 1964 he was appointed Queen’s Counsel.

At a time when the Western Canadian Oil and Gas industry was experiencing significant turbulence and change, Bob Pierce joined Nova Corporation as their senior vice president and secretary. Since that time, Bob Pierce went on to hold an incredible number of senior positions throughout the natural gas and natural gas transmission business including the following:

President, Alberta Gas Ethylene Company Ltd.
Elected President and Chief Executive Officer – Foothills Pipelines Ltd.
Elected Chairman Pan Alberta Gas Ltd.
Elected Chairman and CEO of Nova Corporation
President of Nova Corporation of Alberta
Elected Chairman and CEO of Foothills Pipelines Companies

There is a lot more, but in the early 1990s Bob took on a number of senior executive positions in Nova’s International division. Among other positions, Bob was Chairman of GasoDuckGasandes S.A. at the time he was inducted to the Saskatchewan Oil Patch Hall of Fame.

Bob Pierce also found time to give back to society and contribute his time as a director of the Canada West Foundation as a member of the International Business Council of Canada and was also a member of the C.D. Howe Institute.

Helen R. Turgeon

Helen Turgeon was born and raised in Lestock, Saskatchewan. She studied commercial and business courses at Balfour Technical Collegiate in Regina before working her way into a series of increasingly challenging positions with oil companies. In her many roles, Helen stands out as a woman of remarkable achievements.

She worked at Norcen Energy Resources Limited and its related companies from the late 1950s to the end of the 1980s.

Helen became an active member of the Desk and Derrick Club of Calgary in the 1970s and rose to the position of president. She went on to become president of the International Association of Desk and Derrick Clubs. Her decades of service to this association helped promote the education of individuals employed in the oilpatch and related industries, and, in particular, the Canadian petroleum industry.

A key part of Helen’s contribution took the form of speaking engagements on behalf of the industry in her extensive travels throughout North America. In recognition of her achievements, Southam Communications named Helen the Canadian Oil Woman of the Year in 1984.
In the larger community, she has supported the activities of L’Arche, Calgary, which is part of an international organization that helps severely handicapped people in 84 communities in 18 countries around the world.

Helen Turgeon is also a member of the Catholic Women’s League of Canada, the Canadian Club of Calgary, and the Petroleum History Society, and contributes to her community in other ways

Douglas D. Baldwin

Doug Baldwin was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, and received his B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan in 1958.

After more than 40 years with Imperial Oil (including 10 years as a Director), Doug retired in 1998.

In 1983, Doug was named Production Manager, Producing Department, Exxon Corporation in New York and returned to Esso Resources Canada Limited in 1986 when he was appointed Vice-President of Business Services. He was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Esso Resources Canada Limited in 1988.

Doug was appointed as a Director of Exxon Production Research Company in February 1988 and a Director of Imperial Oil in 1988. He was named to the position of Senior Vice-President and Director of Imperial Oil Limited, with responsibility for the resources division of Imperial Oil in 1992. In 1994, Doug was appointed a Director of the Imperial Oil Charitable Foundation and appointed a Director of Exxon Exploration company in 1996.

Doug received Honourary Doctorates from the University of Calgary (1999) and the University of Saskatchewan (2003).

Doug was elected to the TransCanada Board of Directors in 1999 and was appointed interim Chief Executive Officer, effective 1999. He was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, TransCanada PipeLines Limited in 1999 – retiring from the position in 2001.

Doug is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Talisman Energy Inc.

Lorne H. Larson

Lorne H. Larson was born in Saskatoon in 1935. He graduated with a degree in geology from the University of Saskatchewan in 1958 as well as receiving a Business Administration diploma that same year.

He served as a geologist for Shell Canada from 1958 until 1963. From 1963 to 1976, he was the assistant manager of reserves for TransCanada Pipelines. From there, he moved up through progressively higher executive positions with Canadian Hunter Exploration Ltd. and Pan-Alberta Gas Ltd. before becoming President and CEO of ProGas Limited in Calgary in 1986. He stayed with ProGas until 1998. Today, he remains active as an independent consultant.

He has been a Director of Wiser Oil Co. since 1995 and serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee and as a Member of its Corporate, Nominating, and Governance Committee. He has been a Director of The CGU Group Canada, Ltd., a property and casualty insurance company, since April 1994. He served as a Director of Rigel Energy Corp. and was a Member of the Compensation Committee.

He has been a life-long member of the YMCA, for whom he has served as treasurer of the Calgary branch. He has also been active with the Calgary Scout Foundation and the Rotary Club of Calgary.

John Lendvoy

John was born and grew up on a farm south of Lestock. Like a good oilman, he says his birthplace was the SW1/4-27-15-W2. John took his primary schooling in Lestock after which he farmed for a year with his father. With the thought of continuing a career in agriculture, John earned an Agriculture Diploma from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon in 1954.

His first job following receipt of his agricultural diploma, however, was in the energy industry, when he worked at the Co-Op refinery in Regina as an insulation applicator. At least the Co-Op has an affiliation with agriculture. He moved directly into the agribusiness with his next job with International Harvester in Regina. We expect it was the job in Harvester’s parts department that led to his long career in our industry.

In 1956, John joined Continental Emsco as a storeman in Estevan. He worked for 30 years with Continental Emsco in Estevan, Calgary, Drayton Valley, and back Estevan in 1966 when he became store manager, a position he held until Continental Emsco was folded into LTV Energy Corporation in 1986. This prompted a move to Craven where his role encompassed serving the potash and uranium industry in addition to the oil patch. As the service industry continued to consolidate, John continued to work in the patch.

In 2001, John was a Sales Representative for Ampscot Equipment, part of the Weatherford Groups Artificial Lift Division.

A note from Darrell Shire with Buffalo Oil tells us of John’s vast knowledge and history of the Saskatchewan Oil Patch. John was an expert on bottom hole pumps, a key tool in optimizing production from the hundreds of pumping wells in Saskatchewan. His knowledge spans the complete spectrum of wells in the province from the heavy oil wells at Lloydminster to the light wells in the Southeast.