Tom Lane was having a good week. The engineering officer from the 100 Mile House forest district had spent his last of more than 1,300 Mondays on the job. Then he spent his last Tuesday, then Wednesday... you get the picture.

Tom’s retirement on his final Friday, May 11 ended a career of 26 years with the Forests Service. And he was even longer with government. He transferred in from the Ministry of Highways in 1975 and first worked on a survey crew in Kamloops. In 1978, he moved to the Cariboo Region, taking a survey tech position in Williams Lake. For Tom, it was an opportunity he’d been waiting for.

"I love the Cariboo" Tom said, in a matter-of-fact tone. "We used to come here for holidays all the time and to get the chance to move here was really great."

In 1980 Tom made the move from the Regional Office in Williams Lake to 100 Mile House where he became the district’s engineering officer.

Being an engineering officer is its own reward, Tom said, commenting on his fondest memories of the job.

"It’s very satisfying to take on a project and watch it go from planning the paperwork and laying out the road to the construction itself. I’ve had plenty of great times just doing what I do. Not bad at all for a high school drop out."

Tom’s retirement means he won’t be laying out forest roads anymore but it may just mean an increase in his workload. Tom and his wife Wendy have recently adopted a three-year-old foster child who has been in their care since he was few days old.

Looking after Colton Thomas Lane may just make road construction seem easy. And if Tom does manage to find any spare moments, he plans to take in what other folks come from far and wide to the Cariboo for—fishing and gold prospecting.

For those of us staying behind to pick up where Tom left off, he had this advice:

"Work with the people you have to work with. Any career is exactly what you make of it. And most importantly, hang in there. We’ve got a great pension plan."

Tom can be reached at C277, 108 Mile Ranch, V0K 2Z0

Ken Blom retires July 27

Ken began as a Compass Man with the BC Forest Service in 1966 in the Prince George area, spending some time in Fort St. John, Quesnel, Hixon and Chetwynd. He was promoted to Deputy Ranger in 1977 and moved to Nakusp.

His next appointment was Resource Officer, Timber, with the Port Alberni District in 1981, then a year later, he took over as Operations Superintendent in Squamish. Finally, in 1993, he was named Operations Manager at the 100 Mile House Forest District.

Please join with us in wishing Ken well in his retirement.

If you wish to send Pages of Remembrance - please mail to 100 Mile House Forest District, Attention Jean Peake, Box 129, 100 Mile House, BC V0K 2E0

Ken Nelson retires
By Linda Turnbull, Engineering & Operations Section

Just two days short of 35 years with the Forest Service, Ken Nelson retired on June 14, 2001. His colleagues in Engineering & Operations said they were "sad, that after all these years we would no longer see Ken at his desk and on the phone, giving advice and support to his many peers around the province."

Ken started his career as a Contract Inspector with the ministry’s Engineering Services in 1966, his first project, the Peace Pondage Waterways Improvement Project, about 80 km north of Mackenzie.

Engineering Services’ policy was to rotate job assignments annually, so over the following six years Ken was involved in all facets of road reconnaissance, location and construction surveys, Forest Service road and bridge construction, and construction project administration. The projects took Ken to Hazelton, Vanderhoof, Mica Creek, Rivers Inlet, Pemberton, Gold River, Valemount and Victoria.

In 1973 Ken won a competition for Manager of Construction Projects. This phase of his career lasted until 1982 and included projects in Hazelton, Vanderhoof, Mica Creek, Revelstoke and Vernon.

From 1982 Ken was Victoria-based with some seasonal excursions to districts throughout the province. Ken said he feels fortunate to have spent his entire career in engineering.

Have a great retirement Ken!