Canadian Boilermakers

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Kathryn Anderson : Determined to Be the Best

Ask how she measures up in the business and Kathryn Anderson doesn’t mince her words. “I’m good at what I do, and I’m proud of what I do,” says the 36-year-old journeyperson from Port Moody. As for being at the top of her trade, Kathryn acknowledges that she’s probably not as good as the best boilermakers just yet. Then, she adds, “but I’m young and eager enough that I could be when I’m as experienced as they are.”

It’s a good thing Neil Biddlecombe enjoys travelling—the 52-year-old boilermaker often spends up to 95 per cent of his work week away from home, promoting and developing new projects, then overseeing the work once the project gets underway.

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Jean-Paul Boudreau : Making All the Right Decisions

He still has almost a year to go before his retirement but Jean-Paul Boudreau already knows what he’ll miss most about being a boilermaker. “It’s the people I’ve had the opportunity to work with, no doubt,” says the 56-year-old resident of Memramcook, New Brunswick.“I’ve met so many interesting characters over the years, different people with different ideas and backgrounds. That’s something you can’t say about every job.”

Brother Jim Fitzpatrick came to Canada in 1980 from Scotland to work at Saint John Dry docks, a year later Jim and his family moved to Victoria to work as a Steel Fabricator at Yarrow Shipyards for year and half. Yarrows went out of business at time the rest of the country was in a recession. Times were slow with high unemployment; Along with other members of his Lodge, Jim received a Christmas hamper from Lodge 191 Boilermakers Benevolent fund which is supported by the membership, which he is grateful for. In 1987 Jim started working at Nicholson Manufacture in Sydney BC. He has been with his employer every since then.

The students in Kem Frederiksen’s welding class at Edmonton’s Northern Alberta Institute of Technology don’t know their teacher is a former international champion. That's because the winner of the 1995 Canadian and North American Boilermaker Apprentice Competition hasn’t told them—and says he probably won’t any time soon.

Her first day on the job and Amanda Gillcash can’t believe how much money they’re paying her. Not surprisingly, she can’t wait to get home to share the good news with her family—especially when for the past two weeks, “home” for her and her two children has been a tent in a provincial park in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.

Not everyone goes into boilermaking thinking it will be a lifelong profession. Certainly, it was the last thing on Ben Groulx’s mind when, at the age of 18, the Welland high school graduate decided to become a boilermaker apprentice.

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Shelby Hall: A Truly Experienced Apprentice

She’s not the first woman boilermaker apprentice. Nor is she the oldest. But chances are, 48-year-old Shelby Hall of Wiarton, Ontario is the oldest woman boilermaker apprentice in Canada.

“In my apprenticeship class—with the exception of one guy—I’m old enough to be the mother of every guy there,” says Shelby. Not that being the oldest bothers her, or the people she works and studies with.

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Don Lenny: Sharing a Lifetime of Experience

Ask Edmonton’s Don Lenny about the beginning of his career and he’ll tell you what he remembers most is wanting to be the best welder in the area. “You know,” he says, “the guy with the prettiest weld.”

But that wasn’t all Don wanted. It was the early 1960s and he was a young man, anxious to make his mark on the world. He wanted a steady job, one in which he would always be productive. He also wanted a job where he knew he could be financially compensated while improving his skills, travelling, and leading a full and rewarding life. Above all, he wanted a job that challenged him, and would continue to challenge him for years to come.

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Marcel Losier: Determined to Share

As a young man, he was never intimidated by the challenge of becoming a boilermaker. Nor was he nervous about the prospect of one day working alongside his father and uncle, both experienced and respected boilermakers in New Brunswick. But years later, when Marcel Losier was asked to share his knowledge and experience with a new generation of boilermakers, he admits he was both frightened and intimidated.

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Brett McWilliams: Sharing His Expertise With Others

Ask a boilermaker what he or she likes most about their job and you generally get the same three or four answers. There’s the travel, the camaraderie, the pride that comes with creating something tangible from raw materials, and, of course, the high wages.

Alan Renaerts is fully prepared to shoot down the notion that it’s up to older brothers to provide guidance and advice to their younger siblings. The fact is, Alan might not be a boilermaker today had he not heeded his younger brother’s words back in the late 1970s.

Aaron Shaer knows he’s earned every bit of the success he’s achieved as a third-year boilermaker apprentice. He’s a dedicated worker, studies hard and pays close attention to those who can help him learn more about his chosen profession.

The best career decision Jay Toohey ever made—and probably the easiest—was actually made for him. The third-year apprentice boilermaker explains: “It was 2002 and I had been a welder for about two years. Then, all of a sudden, the B.C. economy took a downturn. And just as suddenly, there was no longer a great demand for welders.”

Ryan Trebick: Making the Most of His Career Choice

After experiencing some slow periods early in his career as a boilermaker, Ryan Trebick made a decision: for the next few years at least, he simply wants to enjoy his work—and the rewards that come with it.

“I know the future is bright for young boilermakers,” says the 28-year-old Saskatoon resident. “We’re constantly being reminded that a lot of older boilermakers will be retiring in the years to come, opening up new job opportunities for people like me. The thing is, while it’s exciting to think about the future, I want to learn more about the trade before I think about moving ahead. I’m busy, there’s no stress, I love the work and I’m making good money. That’s a pretty good situation to be in.”

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