Wednesday, October 7, 2009

2009 Oct 7 Breakfast



1988 Group Photo




...From top left-side ...
Tom Slack, Paul Readyhough, Don Harris, Jack Young, Henk Averink, Dan Andrusco. Lorne Murphy, 1(?), & Jerry Sokoloski,

Keith Barnes (Partial),Joe Matich, Dan Sakai, Elaine Beaton, Gil Dunlop, John Tudhope & 2(?),

Rob McDonald, Don George, Terry Best, Remy Stachowski, Tony Amico, Yuan Marceau(?), & Kevin Kirkland

Andy Harvey, John Tomson, Roger Press, Colin Osborne, 3(?), Larry Davis, Barry Hong, Paul Landriault, Harry Hodds, 4(?), & John Olmsted (Partial)

Glenn Sakaki (Partial), Brian Joel, Nick Daneliak, Jock McKay, Carolyn Johnston, & Henry Paulencu (Partial).


Jan Prikryl, Dave Overby, John Hood, 5(?)
6(?), 7(?), Frank Harrison, Barry Branson, Dennis Komadowski, Keith Barnes
8(?), Brian Armitage, Gene Paterson, Ken MaGee, Rick Minion, Klaus Heyer
Doug Coats, Nick Caswell, Jim Lait, Don Quigley, Kevin O'Leary
Harold Cipywnyk, Bill Krestynski, Glenn Sakaki.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Kobe Steel Visiting Scientists

Under the provisions of the Stelco/Kobe Technical Exchange Agreement, research personnel from Kobe Steel could stay at the Stelco Research Centre for extended periods to work on selected assignments. Most stayed for one year, however, Akihto (Aki) Azumi stayed for two years and received permission from Kobe to bring his wife and children for the duration (1983–1985)

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Talks

Barry Hong and Brian Armitage
Conf. Room 3: Talking about "nothingness"


Frank Pearce and Alex Fisher
Cafeteria: Retirement Farewell

Ray LaPointe gives one of steel sculptures to Alex Fisher

Thanks for the memories

Andrew wrote:
Hello Jock,

I just wanted to add to your memory list of people connected with the Stelco research centre, as I saw on your blog, etc. I remember you from the past when I started my career at Stelco R&D as a junior investigator (doing math modeling stuff) in 1982. I was only with the centre for 8 months, but during that time I had a great time learning the steel mills and processes at Hilton Works, as well as some engaging projects at the centre. I had met many people and participated in lots of sports (baseball and curling to mention a few) with the R&D staff. Although I got laid-off among other new people that were hired that year, I had fond memories of you and others helping me get funding for continued education at U Waterloo (i.e. I did a thesis related to simulating slag slop control of the BOF). I did regret not working again at the R&D centre, but I will not forget the experience of working there and the help that paved a bold path for my career.

Thanks for the memories, and hope you have a great and active retirement.

Best Regards,

Andrew Lohbihler, CTO
XYZ Interactive Technologies, Inc.
256 Lexington Road,
Waterloo, Ontario, N2K1W9
519 208-7678 (office)
519 502-7960 (cell)
Andrew@xyzinteractive.com


Thanks Andrew for writing. I hope others will follow your lead. Jock

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Staff Photo: June 14, 1974

Please click images to enlarge them.





Wednesday, May 27, 2009



_________________________________________
Andrew Baird-Kerr emailed me today:

Hello Mr McKay,

I am Andrew Baird-Kerr, son of Dick Baird-Kerr.

I happened across your blog in searching for anything with my dad's name on it. I also found the patent for an invention he worked on for Stelco R&D, namely a single-sided galvanizing process - I remember him mentioning this way back about 1980.

My father passed away on May 10, 2006, a month after his 77th birthday, following an eleven month battle with lung cancer. He lived a healthy life up to that point, and during the cancer bout was the first and only time he ever stayed overnight in a hospital. It was only in the final week that he had become incoherent.

I am happy that you compiled your photos and memories into this blog. I saw a few familiar names and faces in there.

The only names I can remember, and of whom I have never seen or heard of in over twenty years, would be yourself, Dan Sakai, Rick Minion, Ray Addinall, and Sasha Kosakov. My dad was quite fond of Sasha, and often spoke admiringly of his work. He was also friends with Art Scott, who I think was a security guard there.

Back about 1976, my dad took me to a coin show in Toronto with Art Scott, who was an avid collector. I was then 11 years old. At lunch time they visited a place called Harvey Wallbanger, a lower-priced steak place. It was something like Ponderosa, where you ordered your steak on a cafeteria style line. I had a cheeseburger while my dad and Art ordered steaks. At the table, my dad made a comment to Art about his steak being tough, adding, "It must have been a young horse." He said it seriously, and for years after that, I honestly thought steak was horse meat.

My dad always referred to work as "The Lab". Sometimes on a Saturday he might go into The Lab to check on the "Salt Test". Sometimes, when I was about 9 or 10 years old (c. 1974) he would take me with him and show me some stuff around The Lab. It was a sizable lab that he had, and I always assumed that he worked there with a few others. It was only recently that I asked him about this and he said that he had that lab all to himself. He loved working there: loved it with a passion. After retirement, he missed his lab terribly.

_________________________________________



This team edited the Third Edition of the Communications Handbook. They worked long hours, frequently on their own time, to compile the edition. They earned the respect and thanks of Stelco technical report writers. – Jock McKay 1978

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

R&D party

Bob Pugh wrote:

Dear Jock
I was very pleased to see your R&D blog. It brought back lots of memories. I did recognize one fellow in your group page - person 5, standing by Jim Lait is a fellow by the name of Richard Paquette. He worked for R&D in Edmonton and must have slipped in for the picture. He was an electrical engineer. He and Len Dobrucki, another Stelco Hamilton R&D man working at Stelco Edmonton left later to work in their own company manufacturing automated signs.
I have also attached some photos I had. Most are from an R&D party put on about 1968 or 1969. The "Thermics" group - Ray Meadowcrofts early group working on heat transfer problems, which I belonged to - organized it at Gil Dunlop and Keith Wilson's boarding house on Plain's Road which had a pool - I think it was called "The Ranch". The other pictures are from a 1975 Open House at the R&D Center and an Octoberfest dance in Hamilton about 1969.

Bob Pugh


Octoberfest (non R&D party): Marilyn Pugh, Rick Grigg, Sylvia Heyer, Bob Pugh, Rick’s wife, Klaus Heyer, 2 friends of Rick Grigg?

Pilot plant employee and wife,and Armand Allard and wife

Gil Dunlop’s wife

Secretary?,?

Klaus Heyer, Jim?, German Transfer Student?

Charley?, and Mary and Andy Kay

Frank Markus’s wife, Bob Pugh, Frank Markus, ?

Peter Rhee and Wife

Keith Wilson and Gil Dunlop


Jock and Denise McKay, and others

Lorne Murphy and others

Jock McKay, and Murray Thomson

?, Stu McKechnie, Arlene McKechnie, Ray Meadowcroft, ?, Marilyn Pugh

Ray Addinall, Don Harris, Ray Meadowcroft and Marilyn Pugh

Charley?, and Andy Kay

German Transfer Student and Wife?,and Pat and Henry Paulencu

Howard Meilach on guitar

Denise McKay, Ray Addinall, and Klaus Heyer

Roy Littlewood, Howard Meilach and Ray Addinall

Gene and Doreen Thom

Lorne Murphy, Wife and Pilot plant employee?, Ray Addinall, and Dave Pyle

German Transfer Student?, Frank Markus’s wife, student’s Wife?, and Frank Markus

Gil Dunlop, Mary Kay, and Andy Kay

Gil Dunlop’s wife, and Gil

Keith Wilson & Simonne Allard

R&D Open House:
Bob Pugh and Family, 1975