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THE GRADUATE Submitted by Bob Buckland

I met Ron Dickinson 1997/98 in Quesnel while working as a Building/Plumbing Inspector out of the "Cariboo Regional District" Quesnel Office. Ron was employed by the City of Quesnel as "Chief Building Official" and we would often discuss BC Building/Plumbing Code requirements and interpretations, local bylaws, and other day to day matters that came to light. Ron was always helpful and personable; it was a pleasure to work with him. At that time I understand that Ron held BOABC Level -2 qualifications as a Building Official and was at that time writing his exams for Level-3 qualifications. He was successful in this regard and wrote the 10-papers in 2-5-paper sessions. I recently met Ron by chance and I asked him if he would be willing to participate in the composition of a GRADUATE column regarding his long career in the building industry. Ron kindly consented and sent me a brief background of his family and career of life experiences in the building industry. Ron retired from the City of Kelowna in May 2010 and since then Ron and his wife Dianne have had 3-travel vacations.

• 2010-Traveledby truck and trailer to Yukon Territory and Alaska for 5-weeks.

• 2012-Traveled by truck and trailer south into western USA, east to coast of USA, north to Newfoundland and Labrador, and west across Canada to British Columbia.

• 2013-Travelled by train 6-weeks Spring and Summer across China , Mongolia, and Russia, beginning in Hong Kong and finishing in St. Petersburg, Russia.

• Ron and his wife plan to keep on traveling in the future but nothing is cast in stone at present.

The photos below show some of Ron and Dianne's activities.

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Shanghais-2013 A walk in the rain on the Great Wall of China-2013

Holiday in Hong Kong-2013 Ron, Dianne, and grandchildren

A little Lobster in Cape Breton Holiday 2012-across Canada

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Ron's Gold Wing motorcycle

Ron's restored 1950's Ford truck

Ron Dickinson Former R.B.O. BOABC President 2008/2010/2012 BOABC Past President 2013 to date I   was   born   in   Calgary,   Alberta   May   20,    1950.  I  found  my  way  into  the  construction  industry   at   age   19   in   Calgary   where   I   was  raised,   when   a   friend   asked   if   I   would   dig  ditches   for   a   plumbing   company   for   the  summer.     I   had   spent   the   2   previous  summers  in  the  Arctic  north  of  the  magnetic  North   Pole   on   Melville   Island   in   the   oil  exploration   business   drilling   holes   and  dropping  dynamite  in  them.    Digging  ditches  in  Calgary  seemed  much  more  civilized  and  the   next   thing   I   knew   I   was   an  apprentice,   attending   "Southern   Alberta  Institute   of   Technology",   then   in   1973   I  received   my   TQ   in   Plumbing   and   a   First  Class  Gas  Fitter's  Licence.    During   those   4   years   I   fell   in   love,   and  will  be   celebrating   43   years   of  marriage   with   my   lovely   wife   Dianne   in  August.   We   had   a   bit   of   the   travel  bug  during  those  first  4  years  and  managed  

to   drive   across   Canada,   travel  to   Europe,   and   in  1973  moved   to  Australia  where   we   lived   and   worked   for   a  year.    Of   course   the  burning  question   for  a  plumber   is   does   the   water   spin  the  other  direction  when   it   goes  down   the  drain   in   the   southern   hemisphere?     No   it  doesn't,   but   the  more   interesting   question  soon   became,   "How   does   a   wayward  Canadian  plumber   avoid   the   deadly   snakes  and   spiders   lurking   on   every   construction  site".    Answer-­‐  "Be  very  careful".    The   trip  home   from  Australia   took  about  6  months   and   with   very   lucky   timing   we  managed   to  miss  all   the   conflicts   that  over  took   everywhere   we   had   just   passed  through.  We  traveled  in  carved  out  canoes,  oxcarts,  old  freighters,  busses,  motorcycles,  bicycles,   sandals,   and   the   odd   airplane  through;   Indonesia,   Singapore,   Malaysia,  Thailand,   India,   Pakistan,   Afghanistan,   Iran,  Turkey,  Greece,  and  Europe,  before  getting  back   to   Calgary   with   $140,   some   old  furniture,  and  a  1950  Ford  pickup   truck,   to  our  name.    

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Somewhere   along   that   ride   I   decided   I  wanted   to   save   the   world   from   bad   guys  so   I   applied   to   the   Calgary   City   Police  Department  for  a  position  as  a  policeman.  I  then   decided   it   was   too   cold   a   climate   in  Calgary   so   I   applied   for   the   same   position  with  the  Vancouver  City  Police  Department.  After   giving   that   further   thought   I   decided  that   a   fancy   red   suit   looked   better,   so   I  applied   to   the   RCMP   for   a   position   as   a  policeman.   Ultimately   in   1975   I   found  myself   flying   to   Regina   for   RCMP   Recruit  Training   at   1:00   AM   on   a   cold   November  morning.   Following   completion   of   RCMP  training   in   June   of   1976   I   was   posted   to  Penticton,  BC.      We   settled   down   in   Penticton,   started   a  family,  and  I  decided  after  our  son  was  born  in  1977   that  we  should  buy  a   lot   in  nearby  Narmata,   and   in  my   spare   time,   to   build   a  house  for  us  to  live  in.  For  unknown  reasons  there   just   didn't   seem   to   be   enough   spare  time   to  get   the  house   finished  as   soon  as   I  thought   I   could   so   we   moved   into   this  unfinished   house   a   year   later.   Before   long  our   second   child,   Gillian   was   born   in   the  spring   of   1979.   Life  was   good,   but   there   is  always  room  for  improvement.        For   those   of   you   reading   this   who   were  working   in   the   early   80's   you   will  certainly  remember  the  recession  that  took  place  in  1981.    Just  before  this  recession  set  in   I   decided   I   could  make  myself   a   fortune  by   starting   my   own   plumbing   business   to  service   the   Penticton   area.     So   I   left   the  RCMP   to   dedicate   my   time   to   our   new  plumbing  business.    We  managed  to  make  a  living   from   this   business   for   the   next   7  

years.  However,  no  great  fortune  was  made  because  of  the  worldwide  recession.        Then   just   as   the   economy   turned   around   I  landed   a   job   as   a   Building/Plumbing  Inspector   in   the   Penticton   area   with   the  "Regional   District   of   Okanagan  Similkameen".   I   learned   a   lesson   from   all  this,   always   make   sure   you   have   a   steady  job,  once  you  get  one.    I  did  that  by  staying  with  local  governments  in   BC   for   the   next   22years.     I  was  with   the  RDOS   for  9  years  and  when   I   left   I  was   the  Assistant   Chief   Building   Inspector.     We  moved  to  the  "City  of  Quesnel"  for  the  next  4   years   where   I   was   the   Chief   Building  Official,   and   finally,   the   Manager   of  Development  Services,  before  I  was  offered  the   job   of   Manager   of   Inspection  Services   with   the   "City   of   Delta"   where   I  worked   for   5   years.     We   lived   in   nearby  South   Surrey   while   I   was   employed   with  Delta.  When  we  had  enough  of  the  big  city  life   style   I  briefly   took  a   job  again  with   the  RDOS   before   moving   to   the   "City   of  Kelowna",  where  I  was  offered  the  position  of   Inspection   Services   Manager.   During   5-­‐years  of  service  with  Kelowna   I  was  moved  into   the   position   of   Director   of  Development  Services  before  retiring  on  my  60th  birthday.    In   my   spare   time   I   was   always   busy  volunteering   for   various   things   to.     While  living  in  Naramata  I  was  a  Volunteer  Fighter  for   6-­‐years,   and   also   Irrigation   District  Director  for  11-­‐years.        

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When   we   moved   to   South   Surrey   in   1999  The   "Building   Officials   Association   of   BC"  Board  came  knocking  on  my  door.  Over  the  years   since,   I   have   served   BOABC   as  Registrar,   Treasurer,   Lower   Mainland  Regional   Director,   President,   and   presently  serve  as  Past  President.    Currently   I   have   been   offered   a   job   in  Christchurch,   New   Zealand   with   their  building  department.    They  are  very  short  of  Building  Inspectors   in  New  Zealand  and  are  looking   around   the   world   for   experienced  inspectors   as   they   set   about   rebuilding   the  downtown   core   of   the   City   which  was   destroyed   in   the   2010   earthquake.     I  am   working   my   way   through   the  complexities   of   getting   a   Temporary   Work  Visa   at   this   time,   it   is   not   simple  but   I   think   it   is  possible   that   I  will  be   there  starting   work   in   October   of  this   year,   and   leaving  6   to  9  months   later.    There  are  opportunities  for  others  to  do  the  same   thing,   so   anyone   out   there   thinking  about  doing  the  same  thing  could  send  me  an  email  and  I  will  help  them  get  connected.    Over   the   years   I   have   always   managed   to  find   time   for   my   family.   Our  2  children  have  grown  up,  our  daughter  has  2   of   the   greatest   kids   a   Nana  and   Papa   could   ask   for,  while   there   is   also  time  for  the  motorcycle  which  Dianne  and  I  ride,   the   antique   pickup   to   restore,   and   a  trailer,   which   Dianne   and   I   drag  around   every   year.     We   have   been   retired  for   3   years   now.     Our   trailer   has  followed   us   from   Alaska   through  Missouri,  New   York,   Newfoundland   and   Labrador,  

including  all  points  in  between,  for  a  total  of  35,000-­‐kilometers.      Ron  Dickinson