Brian Crossman is a partner in Estevan-based Independent Well Servicing. The opinions expressed in this column are the opinions of the author and not necessarily the opinions of Independent Well Servicing.
Lately, we all have been talking a whole lot about the kind of things we shouldn’t be talking about. (Especially if we want to keep our sanity) So today, instead of elections, poor political leadership and a very unstable market, we should discuss something else altogether. So, let’s saddle up, buckle up, cowboy up or whatever you do to get ready, because there is a story I’d like to share with y’all.
A few weeks back a friend of mine that worked for Crescent Point Energy in the Weyburn office called me up and told me about an item that was hanging in the office for many years. The building in question was in the process of changing hands and this piece would lose all meaning of its place there. This story is about an oilpatch legend, a mentor, a good friend, and making sure certain things with meaning get back to where they belong.
The man in question started out as a cowboy from Drayton Valley by the name of Tim Floden. Because working on the family ranch wasn’t difficult enough for him, he went to work in the oil patch. In a moment of obvious clarity, he made his way to southeast Saskatchewan to work on service rigs. This was my first encounter with him. He was a rough, tough SOB that knew how to work on a service rig. He was demanding to work with but still had a lot of fun at the same time. When the patch was a bit slow, he would go out and work for local farmers. There was simply no quit in this man.
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In 1992 he decided to work in Siberia, Russia with Beta Well Service on a joint-venture project between Canadian service companies and a Russian oil company. I’m pretty sure the reason Tim went to work there is because at that time in post-communist Russia, involvement in the oil patch there was truly “the Wild West.” After he did several hitches in Siberia he called me up on his days off to tell me all about it. It didn’t take much convincing to get me to apply and get a job there as well. (One of my better career decisions, I might add) It was a great adventure and while many days and nights were difficult, it was also a crap-load of fun. It was an amazing experience and we wrapped up the project a few years later.
After the “Siberian” experience, Tim did what many in the industry do. He went “consulting” (what we now call a “wellsite supervisor.”) He excelled at that and approached the work as he did everything in his life, “Go hard or go home.” He was tough to work for, but always fair. All of Tim’s hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed. Eventually he was hired as the rig coordinator for Crescent Point Energy and worked out of the Weyburn office. Of course, his tough but fair attitude served him well there. He told me once that this was his “dream job,” and the smile he had on his face certainly confirmed that. Tim and his wife Deborah lived in Regina and he commuted to Weyburn everyday. Tim soon became a Saskatchewan Roughrider fan and ended up with season tickets. Being a fan myself, he often invited me to join him at the games in Regina. We always had great conversations and of course lots of yelling and cheering.
It was some time after that he was diagnosed with cancer. I won’t go into details, but it was very aggressive and the length of time from the discovery to when Tim was laid to rest happened in less than one year. He was only fifty-two years old. It was a tough loss for the industry, his co-workers, his friends, but most of all his family. In the course of all this, an autographed Roughrider jersey with “Floden” stitched on the nameplate was gifted to him. This was then framed with a brief history of Tim’s life, pictures of Tim and a poem written many years prior by his loving wife, Deborah. This framed Jersey was originally hung in a board room in the Crescent Point office as a tribute to Tim’s legacy. This same room was named the Tim Floden room. The jersey was eventually transferred to the Weyburn office where it was displayed until a short time ago.
Now let’s return to pick where I left off earlier. My friend asked if I could return this framed jersey to Deborah. I of course said it would be my honour. I reached out to Deborah, and she happily accepted the jersey and Val and I recently delivered it to her home. She was grateful to all involved and it is in these small moments of life where events come full circle and items and memories are placed in their rightful place in the world. These events transcend our industry to all parts of life. They teach us to remember and celebrate our family, friends and our legends, which I believe is the reason we are all here to begin with.
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- 0006 JK Junior
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
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- 9001
Here is the poem Deborah Floden wrote for her husband many years ago.
Rig Pig
The blocks go up, the blocks go down,
The whine of the engines go round and round.
The sound is deafening to you and me,
But this is a sight you really must see.
For in the air is the smell of crude,
Where nothing you say is considered rude.
This is what is called the “oil patch,”
Where the boys are men who can’t be matched.
They spin, the run, they also swab,
And most agree it is just a job.
The grease, the smell, the men who toil,
and all for the people who need the oil.
The rich black gold that is pumped from the ground,
By the men and the engines going round and round.
They come, they go and most won’t stay,
To a very hard life and a really long day.
But the men who are addicted to the sweat and the tongs,
Are the ones who have grit and really belong.
By Deborah Floden
Brian Crossman is a partner at Independent Well Servicing in Estevan. Sometimes we miss our friends that have departed, and when that happens, just remember the good times, the bad times and the sad times. (but mostly the good times)