Fall - Saskatchewan Land Surveyors Association

Councillor’sCornerTom Sansom SLS, P. Surv.,P. Eng.Councillor, Year 1“Things ThatHaven’t Changed”Procrastinator! I don’t even know how tospell the word.It is Saturday, September 23rd, I’m sittingin a hotel room in Regina and I haveto have a report for “Councillor’s Corner”to Carl by Monday. This time I am startingearly!My last stint on council was about 10years ago. I thought I might write a profoundreport about the relentless advanceof technology since I started mysurveying career, but other people havealready done that.Instead, I will share a few thoughts aboutthings that haven’t changed that much.Helicopters - they haven’t changedmuch.A few years ago, my wife Martha and Ispent some time touring the U.S. southwestand spent two days at the GrandCanyon. I have a fear of heights andcould not get within 10 feet of the canyonedge. She was, therefore, quite surprisedwhen I suggested we take a helicoptertour. The tour was quite spectacular withthe helicopter fl ying just above tree toplevel, and then fl ying over the canyon’sedge. Martha almost had a heart attack.It didn’t bother me a bit.Earlier in my career, I did a lot of workusing helicopters. Sometimes it was exhilarating.Most of the time it wasn’t. Myfi rst helicopter job was in the southernfoothills of Alberta while I was still in university.One day while fl ying back to thehotel at which we were based, the youngrodman (we called them that then) workingwith me asked the pilot if the helicoptercould fl y upside down. The pilotsaid, “I don’t know - let’s try it”. He camevery close to accomplishing this feat.This same pilot also liked fl ying straightat hills, clearing them at the last second,and chasing coyotes. I don’t know wherehe is now.The rodman was a replacement for afellow I had worked with for about threeweeks. One night, he broke into a cardealership, stole a truck and drove toCalgary to see his girlfriend. It turnedout he was on a day-parole when thecompany hired him.A few days ago, one of our crew chiefscame back to the offi ce in the morningwithout his survey assistant. It turnedout his assistant got another job in theparking lot of Tim Horton’s while thecrew chief was inside getting a coffee.(Labour shortage, that hasn’t changedmuch.)One thing that has changed dramaticallyis the safety culture we all deal with on adaily basis.Canoes - they haven’t changedmuch.As part of a job in Fort Simpson, N.W.T.,some years ago, I and two assistantswere running a traverse along the bankof the Liard River. We had rented a 20’freighter canoe with a 20 hp. motor toleap frog along the bank. I rememberwatching in horror as the two assistantsmotored past the station I was manningand struck a log. The log lodged in themotor and the canoe was spinning 360’smadly for what seemed like an eternity.(The middle of nowhere, no cell phones,no radios, no means of communicationexcept for a big red fl ag.) Luckily, the logdislodged and we carried on.No incident report was ever fi led.Plumbobs - they haven’t changedmuch. The only problem is no one knowswhat they are anymore.My wife - she hasn’t changed much.She’s still married to the crazy guy.The last time I was on council, Bob Websterwas president, and the SaskatchewanRoughriders hadn’t won a GreyCup since 1989.September 23, 2006. Bob Webster ispresident and the Saskatchewan Roughridershaven’t won a Grey Cup since1989.Next time I’ll write something profound.Or maybe not. 254 SLSA Corner Post Fall 2006