FROM 'THERE' TO 'HERE'

EMBRACE AUDACITY...

Oilweek Magazine was a MacLean Hunter Publication. Its Editor, Jim Lyon was a transplanted Englishman and a professional rarity – just as Harry Pegg my former Mirror editor had been. Both were traditional print journalists whose work quality came first. Because they were confident in their own abilities, they had no problem supporting other serious journalists.

I was the last of five people selected to interview the first week of February. When Jim Lyon read over my resume and spotted my geology experience with professional provincial certification [C.E.T.] he made me an offer immediately.

Gotta luv irony. I was not only the first female to be Exploration Editor at Oilweek Magazine, I was also the first Exploration Editor with a background in geology and the oil industry. As Exploration Editor of a weekly magazine, I was responsible for articles, interviews and yet another column feature in their monthly supplemental magazine - Drillsite.

Like the girl who was told she was too plain to go to the prom with the football captain – I felt professionally vindicated [metaphorically] by the team coach. I called to thank Myrtle for this amazing lead and promised her cupcakes from the local Dutch bakery for life.

Naturally, the second person I called was The Mirror Editor, Harry Pegg. Harry, who had also been a reference was quick to congratulate me then [bless him] made sure that word of my new job as Exploration Editor at Oilweek Magazine was spread around the Sun’s newsroom.

But I had zero time to bask. Publishing a magazine each week was hair-raising. I was no longer a carefree contributing freelance writer who could pick my own topics or write lifestyle features that required an easy amount of research. Oilweek was an industry news and technical magazine. I was on the hook for accurate and technical content to fill a specific number of pages. As well, I had to establish my reputation with various bank, service company and oil industry managers, presidents and CEOs so they might grant me a quote or an interview. [Once again, my Mirror interview with Calgary’s mayor Ralph Klein that led to a Sun interview with Joe Clark when he campaigned to run for Prime Minister, served me well.]

**Note: everything you write and publish is your resume/CV… Even a careful selection of your unpublished draft ideas can be valuable.

I was in my car and travelling to oil company offices and or to some drilling sites as much as I was at my desk. The hours were long and somewhat erratic but when I thought back to my first day at The Static then my first column in the Whitecourt Star - I felt like I’d actually landed on my own star... Below are just opening paragraphs for five of the features [not including interviews] published my first eight weeks with Oilweek.

…Alberta May Restore Gas Border Price By June Finding costs in Canada are going down and some analysts predict netbacks in 1987 will be better than in 1985, according to Alberta Energy Minister Neil Webber at the recent Canadian Association of Petroleum Landmen.

…Dye Takes Petrofina Case To Supreme Court Auditor-General Kenneth Dye may be down after his latest round with Prime Minister Mulroney over access to Petro-Canada documents. He’s far however, from being counted out.

…Crude Pro-rationing Scrapped A modified system of production allocation of light/medium crude oil to replace the current pro-rationing plan, plus supplemental sales, is being instituted by the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board.

…Excitement Over Winnipegosis Find Activity and excitement continue as the Winnipegosis in southern Saskatchewan gives up yet another promising play according to Martin E. Booth, Vice President of Exploration for Canadian Worldwide Energy Ltd.

…Chinese Dragon Breathes A Welcome For three decades China held up a blindfold to Western eyes. Historically a nation of change, invasion, upheaval and revolution, the land of ancient dynasties has now plunged headlong into an open-door program in an attempt to join the 20^th Century before it’s over.

The feature on China actually became Oilweeks’ cover in mid-April! This was my dream job. Both my kids were in elementary school [grade 3 and grade 6] and my husband could be ‘my’ backup…or so I thought.

March slipped into April then May then June -then- came another ‘shoe’ that dropped in my direction. You may have noticed this yourself. From time to time the Universe demonstrates a truly perverse sense of humor.

Hubby thought my Star column had been the passing fancy of a new mom with ‘time’ on her hands. Then—when The Mirror offered me publishing space, he was openly perplexed. After The Sun made me an offer too, I initially took many of his sarcastic digs as teasing. [Like I’ve said before, many people don’t know what to do with writers.] Following my derailed opportunity at The Sun Hubby suggested I could fill my days puttering in a garden greenhouse…

But months later—he almost needed to breathe into a brown paper bag when I announced Oilweek Magazine had made me a solid offer. Though writing for Oilweek I was publishing under my maiden name [so he wouldn’t need to explain his wife’s unusual career path] Hubby was clearly ‘not’ happy for me.

Even with the major feature on China making the ‘cover’ of Oilweek Magazine so soon after I was hired, I reluctantly stepped back from undoubtedly the most opportunistic staff, feature writing prospect of a lifetime. However, after 15 years of marriage I was facing a divorce and about to become a single parent.

Though the divorce progressed without hostility as a single working mother to Son age 9 and Daughter age 12 I worried about my time away from them on their own at home. My hours as Oilweek’s Exploration Editor were unpredictable and I was either at my desk checking facts and research, in my car heading out for another interview or to an industry event.

My next career choice contained more stable workday factors, but then - a number of encouraging surprises as well.

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