A Day In the Life of a Young Articling Student

Dick Mak Ralph Turner (L) and John Nash

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A Young Articling Student By Dick Mak, BCLS (Ret)

It was an early spring morning in 1972. I was articling with Bryan S. Berting, City Surveyor of the City of Burnaby. I donned my work clothes, complete with boots and hard hat. I grabbed my lunch and walked out of our house to look for temporary employment with a local land surveying business. The City of Burnaby union employees were on strike. McElhanney Land Surveying office was located on 95th Avenue near Scott Road and was within walking distance of our house.

John Nash, who was articling with Gordon McLaren at the time, informed me decades later that it was funny to see a young man walk in looking for a job in full working gear. The last laugh was on John because I was hired within minutes and I went out with him to do certificate surveys.

While we were talking about the good old days at our usual OIP (Old Important People) luncheon on January 9, 2017 at ABC Country Restaurant in Surrey, John gave me more information about that fateful spring day in 1972. He said on that morning, the crews were all dispatched by 8:15, headed for their java somewhere in Surrey. A rush certificate survey came in around 8:30. Gordon McLaren, office manager, told John Nash that he would have to drive home and change out of his office clothes and into his work clothes in order to complete this certificate survey.

While that discussion was going on, I – who was already dressed in field clothes and plumb bob on my side – walked into the office looking for work. Gordon did not need to go home to change. I was hired on the spot to do the job with John.

Such was fate. The strike in Burnaby lasted about three weeks. During the time I worked for McElhanney I met Neil Bennett, Larry Marshik, Larry Achtemichuk, Ron Haroldson and other fellow articling students. I also gained valuable experience working for a private firm. ✥