E-123 - Movies & TV, extra

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Penny Dorian, talent agent, poses in front of the building, on Water St. that houses her extras agency.

I started out doing bit parts as an extra and worked my way into acting. I suppose, to be accurate, I could list each production company as a separate employer as the checks all came from different companies though usually through my agent.

I was signed up with nearly every extras agency in town but I am only including one in my count of employers. The agencies donęt actually hire you, they just dispatch you. The production companies donęt hire you, per se, but they do employee you, on the say so of the talent agent.

I am only going to count extra work as one employer.

I worked, as an extra, on many movies and TV shows, such as `21 Jump St.’, where I was part of crowd on the street.

Other productions I worked on include; MacGyver (4 episodes), 21 Jump Street (innumerable times), Booker (A spin off of 21 Jump St.), Wiseguys (innumerable times), Unsub (4 out of the 8 episodes that were made), Friends to the End, and several other movies.

I made a living at it for about a year until I went to college.

For a partial list of the actors I worked with see the MOVIES section of my web site.

E-124 - PNE Gambler

I worked for Great Canadian Casinos during the two weeks of the PNE.

I was relief man spelling the dealers on the Money wheel, Crown & Anchor, Under Seven - Over Eleven, while they took their breaks.

I was disappointed, I thought I would be getting commission but I was only paid by the hour.

I made $5:00 / Hr.

Thatęs too bad. I got real good on the wheel, could stop it wherever I wanted it to. I could have made good coin.

E-125 - Seven-Eleven

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(Photo `03) Seven Eleven 1031 Brunette St.

While staying at the home of Lance and Sheila, I took the training course and went to work in the store on Nelson and Brunette, the same one Sheila worked in.

I worked the graveyard shift. I Kept telling Dave, the boss, I only wanted to be on call. I had stars in my eyes, I wanted to be available for the movies.

Dave kept putting me on the schedule, so, I quit.

One night I came out of the cooler and the clerk was handing a customer some money.

The clerk said to me, "We are being robbed." I thought he knew the customer and was joking with me.

The customer left and the clerk told me the man had a knife.

We phoned the police.

We couldn't get in touch with Dave so the police broke into the cabinet in the office and played back the tape.

There was the man threatening the clerk with a knife.

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E-125 - Bridgepoint Mall
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(Photo `03) Bridgepoint Mall, Little remains, but the sign.

One Sunday I worked for a man laying the wire mesh in the floor of a new mall. He had to have the floor done so they could pour the concrete on Monday.

I spent my day on my tip toes, placing my feet into squares in wire mesh, bending over, picking up the mesh and balancing it on pieces of broken brick to hold it up, off the ground.

Needless to say, the next day, my back and legs were very sore.

I thought, at the time, it was a strange place to build a mall, on the river in an industrial section. Shortly after it opened all the businesses went broke. The empty mall was used for a flea market for awhile but even that didn't work.

It was empty for many years until in 2003 they began to tear it down to build a new casino and hotel.

E-127 - Talent Scout

I worked for an elderly drinker (an old drunk) who lived in a small apartment in an old building on Main St.

Charles claimed to be a talent agent and my job was to find acts.

I went to bars and watched performers and if I liked what I saw I would talk to them after their performance.

I actually signed up a couple of strippers, a comedian, a juggler.

I signed up the Jane Jones Review which was a lady stripper who played the flute, saxophone, and other musical instruments and did some magic working with doves, snakes, and a baby tiger which shortly became full grown.

One day I bumped into one of my acts and he asked me why Charles had never phoned him.

I went to visit Charley. All my signup slips were still sitting on the table. He had never filed them let alone try to book them.

I never went back.

E-128 - Telephone book delivery

In the late spring I used my van to do two routes in Surrey, B. C., delivering the latest Yellow Pages.

One route included a nudist colony. I had to phone ahead so that I could be met at the gate and let in. I only had three books to deliver, to two offices. I didn't have to take my clothes off.

E-129 - Model

I was signed up with nearly every extras agency in town so I am only including one in my count of employers but I count this one separate as I was only dispatched once as a model.

I posed, along with others, for an ad that was to be used in the newspaper.

We were supposed to be unemployed workers on a picket line. The union never went on strike so the picture was never used in the paper.

E-130 - Special Skills Extra

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Atmosphere Agencies 517 Hamilton St.
(L - R) Bill Blair, Ritchie Palm, Lance Larsen. One of the agencies I was signed with.

I started out doing bit parts as an extra and worked my way into acting. I suppose, to be accurate, I could list each production company as a separate employer as the checks all came from different companies though usually through my agent.

I was signed up with nearly every extras agency in town but I am only including one in my count of employers. The agencies donęt actually hire you, they just dispatch you. The production companies donęt hire you, per se, but they do employee you, on the say so of the talent agent.

I am only going to count special skills extra work as one employer.

I worked, as a special skills extra, on several movies and TV shows, such as `McGyver’, where I played a uniformed police officer.

For a partial list of the actors I worked with see the MOVIES section of my website.

E-131 - 10 - 4 Truck Shuttle #10 3785 Myrtle St. Burnaby, B. C.

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(Photo `06) I found his home phone nu. and phoned him in the middle of the night, "Where's my pay cheque?" Didn't do any good.)

I moved vehicles from place to place. Once I took a Ryder rental truck from Edmonton, Alta. to Ont. then picked up a brand new school bus and took it through the states to Vancouver.

To save money I slept on the floor of the bus. I passed all the scales so I wouldn't have to pay for permits. I figured no cop would stop a school bus. (It had a B. C. plate hanging on the back.)

My efforts were not appreciated. The bastard still owes me my last check.

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E-132 - Teamsters 31

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(Photo `04) 1 Grovesnor Square (End View 623 Derwent Way, Richmond, B. C.)

When I didn't have something happening before the cameras I would sit in the union dispatch hall and get the odd day.

These could actually be classed as separate employers as they paid me individually. I donęt get paid by the union.

I am not a member but if I sit in the union hall I can get dispatched, if it is busy, after all the members have been dispatched.

The trucking companies donęt actually hire you, but they do employee you, on the say so of the teamster dispatcher.

I worked, as a driver, fork lift operator, and/or warehouseman, for several trucking companies, such as Motorways, Reimers, Van Kam, etc.

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E-133 - The Ankor Hotel, 90 Alexander St. Corners of; Powell, Columbia, and Alexander Streets.

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(Photo `03) Ankor Hotel / Walton Rooms.

I was assistant to the maintenance man in our building and helped him rebuild the main stairs to meet government regulations. Scott was also into doing special effects for the movies and I was hoping to get on with him. One day he didn't show up for work and we never saw him again.

Several years later the manager was all in a fluster because the city told him the main stairs didn't meet the requirements and had to be rebuilt. I told him that I had helped rebuild them four years ago, to government specs.

He went running off to city hall. I don't recall if he still had to rebuild the stairs

The Anchor hotel, which stills stands is one of the oldest brick buildings in Vancouver.

It was the first and only, legal, house of prostitution in the British Colony that was to become B. C.

E-134 - Actor

I started out doing bit parts as an extra and worked my way into acting. I suppose, to be accurate, I could list each production company as a separate employer as the checks all came from different companies though usually through my agent.

I was signed up with nearly every extras agency in town but I am only including one in my count of employers. The agencies donęt actually hire you, they just dispatch you.

The production companies donęt hire you, per sea, but they do employee you, on the say so of the talent agent.

I am only going to count acting work as one employer.

I worked, as an actor, on several movies and TV shows, such as `Friends to the End’, where I did a scene with Loretta Swit.

For a partial list of the actors I worked with see the MOVIES section of my website.

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1991

E-135 - Prison Guard

Img E-135 Lee in the Sheriffęs office, on the set of We're No Angels

I played a prison guard for two weeks of nights at the prison scene in Britannia Beach and after two weeks they called me to go to Stave Lake, North of Mission. I was there for six days a week, for three months, on We're no Angles.

I was no sooner home than the phone rang and Universal pictures wanted to know if I would like to play a prison guard on Bird On a Wire. I laughed so hard I dropped the phone.

I put this one separate from the rest of my acting because I was on it for 3 and 1/2 months.

I was a continuity extra, Prison Guard. About, one day a week I would work as a special skills extra, calming horses as the dogs ran by, etc.

The director was notorious for reshooting scenes. Ray McAnally, Sean Penn, I, and others would sometimes bet on how many takes a scene would be shot. No one ever chose less than 7.

Such as the time I had to shoot one of the escaped prisoners. I fired one shot each time we shot the scene. I fired seven rounds.

I still have one of the casings on my key chain.

I made several friends on that show. Some of whom I keep in touch with.

Unfortunately, Ray McAnally, known more for his acting on stage than on film, is not one of them.

We had a great time teasing him and telling Irish Jokes.

One day he asked me why I didnęt tell Canadian jokes. I couldnęt think of one.

After the completion of Angels, Ray went to England where he was going to do another movie.

Before production commenced he returned home to Ireland for a short visit.

While at home he passed away.

For a partial list of the actors I worked with see the MOVIES section of my website.

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E-136 - Prison Guard, at the old prison in New Westminster, B. C.

I put this one separate from the rest of my acting because I didnęt get it through an agent. The casting director for Paramount told the casting director for Universal about me and I was phoned directly.

When she phoned she asked me if I would like to play the part of a prison guard. I laughed so hard I dropped the phone. I had just finished 3 months as a prison guard on `Angels'.

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(Photo `00) A stand-in for Mel Gibson drives the car
while a stunt actress takes the place of Goldy Hawn,
upside down, in the passenger seat
Water St. in Vancouver's Gastown area.

The part turned out to be only one day, but I did get to have lunch, and a nice conversation, with David Carradine.

For a partial list of the actors I worked with see the MOVIES section of my website, or the teamsters' section of this page.

E-137 - Grill cook

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E-138 - Tool Room Attendant

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(Photo `03) VCC – CCC, formerly VVI.

While in college I worked noon hours in the parts room.

I would sign out tools, such as: voltmeters; ammeters, to students who wished to use the lab during their lunch break.

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E-139 - Spinning Wheel Cabaret

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(Photo `03) 212 Carrall St. A cabaret in Gastown.

It was a sleazy dive with one or two patrons until Edison took over the management of it.

My instructions were to enforce a dress code at the door.

It took a few weeks for word to get around but eventually we had line ups at the door.

One night, after closing, someone was pounding on the door. I told him, “Go away, weęre closed.”

This happened a couple of more times and finally I told the boss that some guy was outside asking for him.

With a shocked expression on his face, Edison ran to the door and let in James Clark.

I was later informed that Mr. Clark, of Clark Reefer Lines, owned the building, and all the other buildings in that block of Carrall St.

E-140 - Lawrence's Auto Auction 12742 King George Hwy. Whalley (a dist. of Surrey), B. C.

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(Photo `06) The far two doors. Two auction blocks, two auctioneers, two lines of vehicles.)

Another part time job I had while going to college.

Tuesday evenings and Saturday afternoons I drove vehicles on and off the auction block.

$20 for a three to four hour day.

E-141 - ABM (Abacus Business Machines Ltd.) 2545 Nanaimo St. at Broadway Ave. E. Frank Biriandian Mng.

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(Photo `06) The space on the left. At least it was close to a bus stop, I didn't have a car at the time.

While I was in college I was supposed to work Saturday afternoons in the store but it was small and always full of other staff so there was no room for me.

The rest of the week I was supposed to sell computers to my school mates.

I never sold any.

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E-142 - Pearl Diver TD Tower Dunsmuir St.

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(Photo `03) The second floor was the home of the Elephant and Castle restaurant.

While I was in college I worked Sunday afternoons at the elephant and castle as a pearl diver (dish washer).

I started about 11 AM put away all the dishes from the night before and cleaned up the mess left by the regular dishwasher.

About 7 PM I would head home, soaking wet from the spray of the dishwasher.

Monday morning I would usually go to school, sick, from having walked home, wet, in the cold.

E-143 - Prep Cook - The Unicorn Plaza of Nations 770 Pacific Blvd.

Labour Day weekend. I was going to volunteer for the Indy a second time but they wanted $10 to join their club.

As I was one of the originals I thought it was very insulting for them to ask me to have to pay to be a member.

In the middle of the race course was a night club called The Unicorn. I applied for a job in the kitchen. Friends of mine, members of the band `Butch and the Vagabonds', were working in the kitchen and put a word in for me, with the boss, I got a job for the weekend washing dishes, unloading trucks and doing prep work.

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E-144 - AM PM

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(Photo `03) 1477 Venables - Former premises of AM / PM.

After I left college I worked as a field technician servicing cash registers.

I travelled from Hope to Whistler.

On Xmas eve I went to the main liquor store in Vancouver. It was closed and there was a long line waiting at the door. I got called a lot of names when I pushed through to the front of the line.

I knocked on the window, someone inside waved me away.

I knocked again and held up my tool case.

Boy, did they open the door in a hurry.

In those days all the cash registers worked off a main cash register with a backup.

In this case the main register was the closest to the door and the backup was the second closest.

Because the doors had been virtually open all the time, with the number of customer coming and going, the cold air reached both the main and backup registers.

Starting with the main register and working my way along the line of check-outs I cleaned out the grease, which had become cold and hard, from the gears and replaced it with cleaner, thinner, lubricant.

The staff and the customers, were very happy when they could again open the doors for sales.

I think it was because of this day that AM PM got the contract to service all the liquor stores in B. C. and the company assigned me the task of the LCB stores in the lower mainland.

Within a short time I was overhauling two stores a month, replacing the cash register system with a computer system that had the main computer in the office, far from cold air.

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3rd Marriage

E-145 - RPC 2nd & Renfrew

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(Photo `03) RPC, the best service in town for computers and systems.

Ruben Xie owns a little computer repair store where he repaired computers and dabbled in sales.

I talked him into letting me rearrange the front of the store and set up a sales department.

Everything I sold I had to assemble, and repair, if it came back.

In those days I got a lot of old XTs that I would have to upgrade to ATs. Or is that the other way around. It has been so many years since I have heard of those terms.

286s were the latest thing and the largest hard drive was 10 Meg.

That was also the era when computers where switching from mini floppies to micro floppies and from DOS to Windows.

For a year and a half I was his sale manager, shipper, receiver, and parts buyer.

2007. The store is still there but Ruben no longer sells or services computers.

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E-146 - Radio Shack - 415 Oakridge Centre 650 41st Ave. W. Malcolm McCall Mng.

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(Photo `06) As most of you know `Radio Shack' changed its name to `The Source'.

I started during the Xmas rush. The part time employees were studying for, or writing, Xmas exams, the manager was closing out a branch on Kingsway, and I was studying lines as I had the lead in a play.

Needless to say it was very hectic.

I was also working Sundays in other stores, as Xmas relief for regular staff.

I was averaging 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

Which is no excuse for not checking the signatures on the back of credit cards.

I had a gentleman come in, shop around, and purchase an expensive cordless phone.

A while later he came back and purchased an expensive photocopier.

Both sales came back, stolen card.

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E-147 - Friesen Brs. Fuels $16/Hr.

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(Photo `03) Friesen Bros. Fuels Ltd. 5211 Regent St.

No relation to the Friesen I drove for in Dawson Creek.

Mack COE pulling self dumping trailers. We specialized in hauling wood waste, ground up bark to be used for fill or bedding.

With the short trailers we could get into yards and dump into flower beds.

The front of the trailer would push back on hydraulic rams in some of the trailers while others had live floors; chains, or walking floors, to move the product to the rear of the trailer.

Two of his contracts ran out so I got laid off.

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E-148 - Stuntman

I started out doing bit parts as an extra and worked my way into acting.

I suppose to be accurate I could list each production company as a separate employer as the checks all came from different companies though usually through my agent.

I was signed up with many talent agencies, but I am only including one in my count of employers. The agencies donęt actually hire you, they just dispatch you.

The production companies donęt hire you, per se, but they do employee you, on the say so of the talent agent.

I worked, as a stunt person, on the TV show, Outer Limits’, where I did a scene with Karn, whom I had worked with on other shows. I was chosen for the part by the director, Rebecca DeMornay.

For a partial list of the actors I worked with see the MOVIES >section of my website.

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E-149 - The Vancouver Trolley Co. Myrtle St.

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(Photo `03) City tours and free rides in the park.

Clasina Van Bemmel had an idea and it took her many years of fighting with city hall but finally got it into operation. Busses built to look like old time trolleys running, on a schedule, past the tourist attractions in the city.

I drove and I commentated on the points of interest.

After a second summer season I began to work, part time, for her other company West Coast City, as I thought I would make better tips.

E-143 - The Unicorn

Like the year previous, during the Molson Indy, I worked in the kitchen of a popular restaurant located in the heart of the grounds for the Molson Indy.

I; sliced and diced, cut potatoes for French fries, made sandwiches, and Caesar salads.

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E-150 - Excel Transport 333 Ongman Rd.

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(Photo `03) Vastly remodelled since I drove for them.

I was on call for two weekends before I found full time work with D. Arthur & Sons. I was driving what we called `Belugas'. Large trucks with two axels for steering. We pulled large trailers. So the units were truck and pup. They were filled with wood chips and very top heavy.

The trucks were fitted with sensors. When you started to lean into a curve they had air bags that would level the load. This might have worked good when the trucks were new but one of the trucks wouldn't level and another would level in the wrong direction. You learned to go into corners very slow.

The week after I left, Excel got a new contract and all the spare drivers got on steady. The story of my life, `A day late and a dollar short.'

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E-151 - D. F. Arthur & Sons

Img E-151 (Photo `03) 4830 Continental Way Prince George.	Img E-151 Some of Arthuręs trucks, at Omineca camp Each truck would have two drivers and the drivers would switch at Omineca Camp on the West side of Williston Lake.

I drove a highway truck with off highway rigging. We pulled tree length logs, butt forward, to the South end of the lake.

A barge, which could hold six loads, took us across to the mill.

Going out empty we went North across the middle of the lake, slowly, as it was a warm winter and the ice was getting thin.

It got to the point where we could only haul one load a day. We had to wait until midnight, for the cold air to make the road surface hard.

Going North, empty, I came around a sharp corner and met a low bed coming South. He was carrying a bulldozer with its blade on.

As I saw the corner of the blade heading for my face I swung the wheel for the ditch. The blade missed the cab but caught the trailer and knocked it off my truck.

The boss said it was my fault and fired me.

He never did give me my last cheque.

He put everything into his wife's name and declared bankruptcy.

His trucks were all sold at auction. Many creditors, and employees, went without being paid.

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E-152 – Nesbitt Trucking - Kent Ave. NE Close to Boundary Rd. Guy Nesbitt (Owner)

I made one trip to Prince Rupert and, after waiting on the dock for seven hours, got a load of live crab in big plastic containers called totes.

The totes are filled, on the dock, with crab, direct from the boats. The totes are topped with ice.

In the bottom of each tote are air stones on the end of lines, just like in your aquarium at home.

Once in the truck, the air lines from the totes are connected to an air pump to keep the crab alive during the twenty-three hour run to Vancouver.

We had to stop every hour and take temperature readings, of the water, inside the totes. Also we would try to squeeze between the totes and recover any crabs that had managed to wiggle out of the open totes.

In Quesnel, B. C. we had to stop and change the air pump. Luckily we, we were running team, carried a spare.

In `06 I tried to find an address for the company but there is no record of it so I may have the name wrong. I only made the one trip and I got in the truck at a yard but I donęt recall if there were offices there so it may have just been a parking space.

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E-153 - Quick Shuttle 8730 River Rd.

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(Photo `03) Another one trip job.

I drove a greyhound style bus around Vancouver to all the hotels and loaded tourists, and their luggage, then went to the airport in Seattle and unloaded. After waiting for two hours I met a plane and did the return trip.

Quick Shuttle has a bus, leaving Vancouver approximately every hour, to meet all flights into, and out of, the Bellingham, and SeaTac, airports.

The busses were typical big busses with GMC motors and four speed transmissions. I could not get the hang of shifting and my grinding of the gears was not comforting to the passengers so I didnęt take the job.

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E-154 - West Coast City & Nature Sightseeing

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(Photo `04) One of the busses I drove. 24 passenger .

A sister company to the Vancouver Trolley, they have van style busses and take people to the local tourist spots. I worked there part time as well as being on call for the trolleys.

I particularly liked taking the people to the Chinese restaurant.

The guide would sit at one table and I would sit at the other and we would show those at the table with us how to use chop sticks. I am quite proficient at it.

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E-155 - VBB (Vancouver Business Brokers) Kingsway St. corner of Boundary Rd.

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(Photo `03) Former premises of VBB. 3rd. Flr. West facing window.
I spent a lot of time enjoying the view.

While doing all my part time jobs I had been studying for my Real Estate Exam. In November I wrote and got my license in December

I had taken my training through Realty World but I went into businesses instead of houses.

I got several listings, specializing in trucking companies, but I never made a sale

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E-156 - Telephone book delivery

I delivered phone books in Burnaby, B. C. but I only did one route as I calculated that it was costing me more for fuel than what they were paying me.

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1995

E-157 - Realty World Ker & Ker 41 Ave. W.

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Realty World Ker & Ker.

Luke Pierlet manager, & Rob Danielsen co-owner, were setting up a business division and had hired some of the other salesman from VBB.

As well as business I also did residential, which we didnęt do at VBB, and commercial.

Once I completed a deal, closed a lease on a small retail space, while riding in the back of a city bus. Neither the customer, nor I, had a car that day.

Ross Kerr, the other owner of Ker & Ker, was a lawyer and knowledgeable in immigration.

He was very helpful when I sponsored W4 to come to Canada.

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4th Marriage

E-158 - Shoreline Transport - John Parman (Owner)

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Bin poses by John's tractor.

John wanted a week off for a trip to the hospital so I filled in for him. Just around the city. Later he called me back for some other odd work.

When W4 first came to Vancouver she rode with me for a day, but she didnęt see much, just climbed in the sleeper and slept.

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E-159 - Coastal Containers $16/Hr.

Img E-159
(Photo `03) 2525 Commissioner St.

Driving COEs I would haul tandem or B Train chassis, trailers with no deck.

These were special chassis with an extra frame on them. The second or top frame was on hinges.

I would pick up two empty 20 ft. containers with huge bags lining the inside. I would take them to our silo along the waterfront and there a cable would lift the back end of the container. The chute would be placed inside the bag and it would be filled with grain, to make beer.

The container would be tipped back to level, the doors closed and I would pull ahead and fill the second container. I would then take the loaded containers to the container terminal about a half a mile away.

On a good day I could make two trips in the morning and two in the afternoon but usually, because of the line ups to unload, and to pick up the empty containers, I only made three trips a day. The containers were bound for Japan.

The loader man wanted me to stay full time but I didn't want to give up my opportunities for acting so I only worked the two weeks that I had originally agreed on. I was replacing someone who was on holidays.

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1996

E-160 - Teamsters 155 490 Broadway E.

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(Photo `06) The entire building is Teamsters. Local 31 used to be dispatched out of the basement through a back door. Local 213 is dispatched out of the centre door. The left door is the main meeting hall. Local 155 is the door on the right.

I wasn't a member but I signed on as a permittee to get dispatched, if it is busy, after all the members have been dispatched.

The movie companies donęt actually hire you, but they do employee you, on the say so of the teamster dispatcher.

I worked, as a driver, fork lift operator, and/or genie boom operator, for many production companies, such as MGM, Pacific, Paramount, Universal, etc.

For more about my work in the movies see the MOVIES section of my website, particularly the Pictionary.

I got on as a permittee for three days on `Glenorky' (A feature). Put in scads of hours and paid all my overtime to the Gov't. in income tax.

Then Teamsters 31 and 213 got on 155 for hiring non Teamsters as permitees and I couldn't get anymore work.

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E-161 - Century 21 ; 5600 Sunshine Coast Highway

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(Photo `05) Formerly `Century 21'

In an attempt to get out of the city I moved across the water but I could not convince W4 to move. She only came over one day but then her boss offered her a raise not to take days off.

I commuted once or twice a week and finally moved back to Vancouver.

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E-162 - Realty World Coronet 3584 Hastings St. E.

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(Photo `03) Formerly `Realty World'

I signed on with Coronet as it was the closest Realty World to where I lived. I tried to sit in the office everyday and learn property management but his computers were too full and had no room for my software. As well, the two computers assigned to sales were generally in use by the office.

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E-163 - Tuxedo Transport $250 /load of apples

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On the summit above Princeton

Driving a `95 Volvo conventional, one of the nicest trucks I have driven. The sleeper is well designed.

I took empty containers to the Okanagan, had them loaded with apples, then took them to the docks in Vancouver for shipment to the Philippines. 12 hours per round trip

If I didn't get five loads a week the rest of the week would be filled with a load of crushed cardboard to the pulp mills in Oregon.

I was disappointed when the apple season ended. It was good pay for easy work

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1997

E-164 - Peter Ernst January

Highway loads of logs from the Nazko, West of Quesnel, into the mill in Quesnel. It was a mild winter and by the end of January the roads were too soft to haul.

E-165 - AutoGas 5605 Byrne Rd. at Marine Way

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(Photo `06) Surrounded by construction. Both Marine Way and Byrne Rd. are being widened.

I worked two days in one, my first day and my last day. Drove a tractor trailer hauling propane to various service stations. I hate city driving.

Plus I kind of dented a car, with the trailer, when backing off of Vernon Dr. in Vancouver, into a fairly wide driveway at a tow truck company.

He said he would mail me a cheque but I haven't seen it yet. Because of the accident I didnęt pursue it.

E-166 - Realty World Aurora June - 3rd. Flr. Metrotown Centre 4500 Kingsway

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(Photo `04) Currently being remodelled.

Boxing Day `98 I picked up a bed from a furniture store to move a lady, from Winnipeg, into her new apartment.

I did a three day close over the Xmas holidays and got her into her new condo, downtown, before the new year.

E-167 - G. D. Woods Distribution

I worked part time delivering Japanese newspapers and promoting the Vancouver Sun.

Month end I visited stores and did collections for the Financial Post.

E-166a - Royal LePage November

I donęt count this as a separate employer as I didnęt approach them for the job.

Realty World Aurora got bought out by the local Royal LePage office and two months later Realty World Canada amalgamated with Royal LePage Canada.

This was a shame as for the first time in my real estate career I was starting to make some sales, about one house, or condo, a month, from the kiosk in Metrotown.

The new manager made a lot of promises that he failed to keep so I left.

I put my license on hold and when the year was up, I let it close.

By then I had had enough of being broke and the unscrupulousness of real estate.

Don't think for one minute that the realtor sitting at the next desk won't stab you in the back if he can steal your commission, even a small one.

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1998

E-168 - FX Express March

I hung my real estate license and went driving for a company out of Aldergrove.

I was suppose to be going to Alaska but because of spring break up and the weight restrictions on the roads I was sent to Arizona.

At the small border town of Nogales, I had my first experience of Mexico.

The company had me make three trips from Arizona to L. A. and back. When I finally got home I quit.

I don't interstate.

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E-169 - VanSea Transport - May - 205 7867 Express St.

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(Photo `03) I believe this is the tractor I drove to Seattle.

I tried out for two weeks but they never sent me anywhere other than Portland and Seattle. I had hired on for long haul.

I don't drive city truck. And believe me, Seattle is city driving.

It took me four hours to get from Kent to Everett. Absolutely no place you can pull off and sleep.

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E-119 - Viacom Holdings Ltd. May - August 3 33771 Morey Ave. Abbotsford

International conventional with a snap on sleeper, we called them turtles.

They were actually nice trucks to drive, you just couldnęt stand up inside.

I made two runs for them. Each one took over thirty days. Each time I crossed the continent four times and averaged fifteen thousand miles.

One load was painted lumber, for fencing. I loaded in Abbottsford, B. C. and unloaded in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where I got a traffic ticket while trying to check out the bikinis on the famous beach.

E-123 - Extra

I had one night, as a lawyer, on the TV series Nightman.

I had two days evacuating Denver Colorado, filmed in Belcara Park, on a mini series, called Atomic Train, about a train full of atomic waste.

I got an extra $20 for having my van in the traffic line up.

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E-170 - Mavericks - September - Plaza of Nations

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(Photo `03) 770 Pacific Blvd.

The Unicorn restaurant had changed hands and names.

Based on my previous experience with the Unicorn I was able to get my step-son Danny, and I, a job for the Labour Day weekend working in the kitchen washing dishes and doing prep work.

When I started work I told them that they wouldn't be as busy as they thought they would be.

Because the race course had changed the track the restaurant was now, though on the fringe, outside the course itself.

My prediction came true. They did a very poor business as compared to previous years.

E-171 - Aspert Technologies 110 11100 Bridgeport Rd. - October

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(Photo `06) The Mother Ship. The large freight door, all metal, on the right, looks like it belongs to the front store. It actually belonged to the neighbours but thieves broke through it trying to get into our computers. The second time they tried they rammed through the door with a pickup truck, and left the truck, along with; a couple of front teeth, in the steering wheel, and some blood, and hair, on the inside of the windshield. The owner of the store had embedded steel posts into the floor, on the inside of the door. The front of the pickup was wrapped around one of the posts.

They were going to build a chain, one in every major city. They did open one in Vancouver, on Broadway but it burned down.

I sold computers and really put my heart into the job.

I was being paid by the hour and groomed to become manager of the next branch that they opened.

My second pay cheque was way below what it should have been.

They had switched me from hourly to commission without any discussion between us.

I walked out, literally.

On my day off I went to visit the boss while he was finishing the interior of the new store on Broadway.

The boss said, –You canęt just quit”.

I replied, –And you canęt just change my pay from what was agreed on”, as I walked out the door.

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E-172 - Jumpstart - November

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(Photo `03) Sears Tower, Formerly Eaton’s, west end of Pacific Centre 701b Granville St.

I sold FIDO digital phones at the entrances to Eaton's.

I worked several different malls but mostly the Pacific Center.

One day a young man came up to me and started asking a lot of question. I could tell by his demeanour that he was one of the company spies they send around to test their employees.

It was all I could do to keep from laughing as he, with a straight face, asked me loaded questions, and I, with as straight a face, gave him bullshit answers.

That and the fact that I was wearing a Santa toque, and outsold the young lad who was my superior, got me fired.

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E-173 - G M Productions December

I got Danny and I a job handing out gift vouchers for Eaton's, standing near the elevators in the Eaton’s Pacific Center.

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1999

E-174 - City Wide - A house on Boundary Rd, close to Hasting St. but I can't remember which one. - January

Delivering flyers door to door in Richmond. I thought I was getting 10 cents each but it turned out I was only getting 2 1/2 cents each. It cost me more than that in gas to get out there. So I quit after finishing my second route.

About a month later, when I got back into town, I was going to call them to see about my pay. I got a call from them.

It was from someone else who wanted to know if I wanted to come back to work. It seems that he had fired the previous manager and had found my name in the employee list.

I asked him if I should collect my wages from him or the previous manager.

He said he would phone me back. He never has.

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E-175 - Vertex January - March

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(Photo `03) 12640 Mitchell Rd., former office of Vertex.

Driving truck, a `95 Volvo, the same one I had driven for Tuxedo a couple of years earlier, I pulled trailers from Los Angeles, Calif. to Winnipeg, Man.

General freight in vans and reefers.

I went to L. A. to pick up a load of plastic trays. They had me partly filled when the nozzle on the extruder cracked.

Molten plastic poured all over the machine and then hardened. They said it would take several weeks to get a new nozzle from Germany.

I didnęt feel like waiting that long so they gave me a load of a different style that went to Winnipeg, Man.

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E-176 - Wellstone Coach Lines - April

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(Photo `04) One of the busses I drove. 33 passenger

A bus company that specializes in shuttling Japanese passengers to and from the airport, hotels, and seaport. As the planes often get in before the rooms are ready in the hotels they take a scenic route of two to four hours between pickup and destination.

For this they carry a Japanese tour guide.

One weekend we did tour duty for out of town visitor to a model railroad show. I really enjoyed visiting the private layouts.

(I was once a model train enthusiast.)

Wellstone often supplies the busses to commute people from off site parking to the Ritchie Brs. Auctions.

It wasn’t a bad job but I donęt believe in putting my license on the line for a mere $10/Hr. Especially when you have to wash the bus, while standing in the rain.

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E-160 - Teamsters 155 - June

XMAS IN CALICO

I started, by driving to North Vancouver and parking my van in a secured parking. Several of us were then loaded into a van and taken to the movie set that was originally built for the TV series, Border Town.

This is on a farm North of Maple Ridge.

We left the pavement and followed a winding, narrow, rough, muddy, hilly road. The driver stopped. At the side of the road was a two year old male deer who eyed us but continued to eat some leaves from a branch beside him.

We carried on to the farm where we were each assigned a truck to drive. The trucks had been there because the Country singer, Reba McIntyre, had been making a movie.

Some trucks went out the way we had come in but the rest of us went out the other side of the farm. Down a short hill and around a corner and down into water.

We couldn't see the sides, or the top, of the road. We turned a corner and then went straight for about a mile.

My front bumper was pushing a wave in front of me.

We came up, out of the water, turned, over the railway tracks, and then back into the water for about another half mile.

There were two cars in the water. A farmer with a tractor pulled one out but the other wanted to continue up to the set. Youngsters who wanted to see Reba McIntyre. They had the hatchback open and two youngsters were sitting in the back looking through the water and guiding the driver.

I told them there car would never get through the water on the other side of the tracks and besides Reba wasn't there. They drove to the tracks, turned around and came back.

Eventually back onto dry pavement, we took the trucks to a railway museum North of Squamish.

Other movies I worked on in `99:

A storm in summer, Stargate, Seven days, Flight 180, Da Vinci's Inquest, Up Up & Away, Head Over Heels, North by North Shore, Final Run.

For a typical day in the life of a movie teamster, check out my trucking page.

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E-132 - Teamsters 31 Reimers & Van Kam. December - January `00

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(Photo `03) Reimer Express Lines 3985 Still Cr.

E-132 - 99/12/3 What hard work.

I worked in the warehouse at Sealand Terminals. Wiggling boxes out of containers.

350 bicycles, made in China, per container. Put them on pallets then loaded them into trailers.

3 containers, two trailers. 9 hrs at $20. / hr. Just one day. What I couldn't understand; these were brand new bicycles, in cardboard cartons, jammed too tight to move around, yet spokes from the wheels would be sticking through the sides of the boxes, into the next boxes, which made it really difficult to pull them out.

2000

E-160 - Teamsters 155

Dark Angel Season I, (Pilot for a TV show.) Don't ask me what it is about, I have no idea, but there is skiing, bicycles, motorcycles, and old cars, made futuristic, to run on methane.

Luckily for me that I always carry extra clothing, warmer coat and earmuffs, no one told me where we were going and we ended up in snow at the top of Mt. Seymour.

Other movies I worked on in `00:

2gether, 3000 Miles to Graceland, Class Warfare, (Fighting Like) Cats & Dogs, Josie & The Pussycats, Level 9, Linda McCartney, Mysterious Ways, Say It Isnęt So, See Spot Run, Seven Days, The Chris Isaak Show, The Sixth Day, Valentine, Voyage of the Unicorn

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2001

E-160 - Teamsters 155

Because of contract negotiations with the writers union there were very few productions in `01

Friday, `01/5/20, I got in 16.5 hours on a movie called `Ground Zero.' got home at 8 AM. Mon. on the same movie. 4:00 - 27:30 23 hours.

I used a flat deck to haul a 3 holer (trailer with three changing rooms) to 9 Km. on the Rice Lake road. We had to back the pretties (Trucks and trailers for actors services, i.e. makeup, wardrobe, bathrooms, change rooms, etc.) up a winding, gravel, road in the dark.

For pictures see my film industry Pictionary in the Movies section of my website .

Then I went back to the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition) grounds where we had parked everything Sat. morning. I picked up a picture car, ( a vehicle that will be in front of camera.), a station wagon, and took it to set.

I stood around in the rain all day. My rain coat worked good but it was too small. I didnęt have rain pants since the last movie at Rice Lake when they split.

I moved picture cars in and out of scenes.

The customs officers shoot people in car, a similar one to the station wagon I took up but with dummies in it and the car is rigged with gasoline. It blows up.

The remains of a plastic gas container flew through the air and landed on the windshield of a brand new GMC SUV that was supposed to be an FBI car.

A man with a fire extinguisher was there real quick and put it out. No damage was done to the car but the actor inside was scared.

At 2 AM I took a pickup with a trailer, with tables and chairs, to the Plaza of Nations, in Vancouver, where they will film the next day.

A shuttle picked me up and we picked up food. Then I had to take tables and chairs back to set.

After supper was served, which only a few people ate, because most were busy packing to go home, I loaded the tables and chairs back into the trailer.

I used a flat deck to take a wardrobe trailer to the Plaza of Nations.

Because my weekend wasn't 48 hrs, my first 4 hrs on Monday were considered turnaround. I put in 23 1/2 hours. 1/2 hr. for lunch.

I got paid for 23 hrs. My first four hours were in turn around which is triple time as I had finished Sat. morn. in triple time. Everything over 15 hrs is trip. time.

So out of the 23 hrs. 12 are triple, 3 are double, 4 are 1 1/2. Only 4 are straight time. It calculates out to 52 hours straight time.

Other movies I worked on in `01:

A Wrinkle in Time, Cabin by the Lake II, Damaged Care, (Fighting Like) Cats & Dogs, Glory Days, I Spy, Under Cover

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E-177 - Lomak October

Early Monday morning I drove 2 hours North of Prince George to Mackenzie.

I took an orientation and Dangerous Goods test then got in a truck and filled a large tank, on the front of the trailer, with diesel fuel and followed another truck down the lake to a new causeway, and bridge, across to the other side and then up along the lake through Omineca Camp, where I had logged one winter, to Osilinka Camp, a trip of 4 hours.

After a short stop we motored on into the mountains. The pass was at 7,000 feet, near tree line. The trees were short and stubby.

Above us the sloping peaks of the mountains were covered with moss that was changing into fall colours making the mountains red and yellow.

It was beautiful but the sun was low and the clouds were high, snowing on the peaks and raining on us, so it wasn't conducive to taking pictures.

The road was narrow and winding with many short hills. 4 hours from Osilinka we got to the mine, 4,300 ft. above sea level.

After checking in at the guard shack we went to the cook shack for supper and then unloaded the fuel. After a short orientation we loaded the center of the trailers with concentrate then started back down.

The other driver wanted to make it back to Osilinka but after 2 hours, midnight, I found a wide spot on the road and went to sleep.

By noon, on Tuesday, we made it back to Mackenzie where I; told them I didn't want the job, unloaded the trailer, fuelled up the truck, cleaned out my stuff, crawled into my van, and went to sleep.

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E-178 - RA `N’ DE 6 595 Ongman Rd.

Img E-178
(Photo `01) We had to operate the loader, which made us responsible if we were overweight.
Needless to say, this one was very over weight, but I made it through the scale.

Sunday, October 1, I drove, 6 hours, South, from Prince George. Mark Knoedler's friends Kim and Audrey own a heritage cafe and antique shop, Ashcroft Manor, on the highway just South of Cache Creek. They have a couple of cabins on the grounds and I rented one for the night.

I crawled into bed after having lunch in their Tea Room and grabbed a couple of hours sleep before reporting for my new job at 3 PM.

Driving a Freightliner conventional, similar to the one I drove in Mackenzie, I went with Sandy, a young man who was going to train me, to a mine near Likely, a four hour drive North of Cache Creek.

At Mt. Polley, we loaded ore. We had to load it ourselves using a Cat 950 loader. We pull two end dump trailers and carry 20,000 Kilo in each. The gold ore is black, & very heavy.

A fine coating of dust covers everything, including me. I become covered in gold and feel very wealthy.

From Likely, B. C. it is an eight hour drive South to Vancouver where we unloaded in a huge shed, close to the Lion’s Gate Bridge. We tipped the trailers, one at a time, like large gravel trucks.

A one hour drive took us back through North Vancouver, across the International Steel Workers Bridge, to Vancouver, South along Boundary road, and over the Queensbury Bridge to Annacis Island.

Here we drive under huge hoppers that fill our trailers with recycled waste, human shit.

We took our load to a farmer's field near Cache Creek. Taking turns sleeping and driving Sandy and I continued on, back to Likely, where I overloaded the trailers and we had to shovel the gold out by hand.

As our first load of poop had been the last one for the farmer in Cache, we took our second load to a farmer near Princeton. High on a mountain, a long, windy, gravel, dirt road took us through the farmer's yard and back up into the hills.

When we got back to Cache after getting another load at Likely I got my own tractor. A Century Class Freightliner with a big sleeper, two beds. A much higher windshield, though still not high enough for me and a very uncomfortable seat.

One would think that after building trucks for 50 years Freightliner would know how but alas they are poorly designed and poorly constructed.

Monday morning, Thanks Giving Day and I sit in my sleeper in Cache on my day off typing this at 2 AM.

Later I will go into Kamloops for the day and Tue. I will go to Williams Lake to get some work done on the truck.

Wed. I will load ore and head back for Vancouver but at a more sedate pace than last week. Running team really wore me to a frazzle.

I booked out of my room at Kim's as I had only used it for a couple of showers during the week and now I am living in the truck. We have showers at the shop in Ashcroft and there is a nice shower at the fuel stop in Hope.

Us truckers live a great life.

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2002

E-160 - Teamsters 155

Because of contract negotiations with the film unions there were very few productions in `02

Shows I worked: Smallville, The Chris Isaak Show, The Core, Try 17, The Twilight Zone, Willard

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E-132 - Van Kam Freightways Ltd. October - December

Img E-132
(Photo `03) 2355 Madison St .

I worked evening shift moving trailers and containers around town.

Then I did some out of town trips hauling groceries to various towns.

For more details, visit my Trucking Pages.

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2003

E-160 - Teamsters 155

Scooby Too

I was on location at Whytecliff Park in Horseshoe Bay.

One of the set deck workers was carrying a large plastic Scooby up the hill. He had the dog on his shoulder, with its feet up in the air.

A young boy, about 2 ft. tall was following.

Large tears rolled down his cheeks as he sobbed, “Scooby died. Scooby’s dead.”

It was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud.

Other productions I worked on in `03

10.5, Alone In The Dark, An Unfinished Life, Andromeda (Season IV), Blade III, Catwoman, Connie & Carla Do L.A., Da Vincięs Inquest (Season VI), Dead Like Me (Season I), Final Cut, Huff, I Robot, Jake 2.0, John doe I, Kingdom Hospital, Much Music Movie, No Place Like Home, Paycheck, Peacemakers, Smallville (Season III), Stargate SG-1 (Season VII), Still Life (Season I), Tarzan, The Chronicles of Riddick, The Dead Zone (Season II) (I also did specials skills extra on this episode, operating an excavator and a scissor lift.), The Goodbye Girl, Touching Evil, Underclassman, Walking Tall, White Chicks, White Noise, Wilder Days

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2004

5th marriage

E-132 - Van Kam Freightways Ltd. - July

Van Kam had moved to their new facilities in Surrey. I felt it would be too far to commute for the afternoon shift so I signed on to do some out of town work.

I had to do a training trip, I went with Grame, with a load of LTL to Kamloops.

Grame is very much like me: about the same age; born in Edmonton; lived many places; worked for many companies; and full of stories.

Now we both have a new one to tell.

Going down the hill through Kamloops we passed a tractor - trailer parked on the side of the road. Two people were trying to get the tractor out, from under the trailer.

I grabbed my Cel phone and called 911.

Flames were pouring up from the back axles of the trailer.

Later, I heard on the radio that he had failed to stop at the brake check at the top of the hill and had over heated his brakes.

On our way home we passed the remains of the trailer. The tires were all burned off and the back of the trailer was sitting on the ground. About 20 feet of the, rear, side of the trailer was burned away.

Had he been using his Jacob’s brakes, instead of his foot pedal, this would never have happened.

Maybe he was obeying the sign, at the top of the hill, that says, `Do not use engine brakes in city limits'.

`4/8/12

Img E-132c
Yesterday I took a highboy with some concrete cast to Kelowna, in the Okanagan Valley. I brought back, to Vancouver, a set of joints.
This is often, mistakenly, * called an A Train. It is sometimes, correctly, referred to as `Wiggle Wagons’.

The tractor is a Freightliner with a Mercedes Benz motor. The lead is a, loaded, short, dry van and the pup is a chassis with an, empty, 40 Ft. container.

* For an explanation of these terms, see my: Trucking Glossary

E-179 - Caron Transportation Systems 301 Streambank Ave. Sherwood Park, Alta. Aug. 31

Img E-179
(Photo `04) Where does this go?
Lee in his safety suit. Training trip. Unloading bleach at a coal fired hydro plant at Sundance Alta.

Looking for a company that would pay better, and would let me take my wife along, on trips, I phoned Caron. I had worked for Caron, 25 years, before and knew them to be a good company.
The owner of the company, Ed Caron, had sold since I had worked there and the company had expanded with branches in Calgary, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, and Medicine Hat, Alta. They also had one driver based in Squamish and I asked if I could be a relief driver for him. They told me to come to Edmonton and take their training course.

Sunday morning I drove to Edmonton and booked into the Roadking Inn in Sherwood Park, a town, just East of Edmonton.
Monday morning I went for a test drive with Caron Transportation Services.
Then I went to the city archives and found all the houses my father had lived in and the jobs he had held.
After lunch I took pictures of most of the houses I had lived in and the schools I had attended. That information, and the photos are now on my website, in my biography.
Later in the afternoon I went for a medical; fitness, dexterity, sight, hearing, Tuesday morning I began 4 days of classroom, drugs, dangerous goods, defensive driving, WHIMIS, log book, terrorist activity prevention, etc. Lectures, videos, and exams.
Saturday I began 4 days of hands on training, loading and unloading dangerous liquids.
Caron Transportation hauls such stuff as; sulphuric acid, caustic soda, muriatic acid, etc. I have to wear a complete suit of rubber at all times.
Wednesday I returned to Vancouver where I will work part time relieving the driver based in Squamish, 1 hr. North of Vancouver.

Go back To My LIFE LINE

E-160 - Teamsters 155

Because of contract negotiations with the writers union there were very few productions in `04; American Meltdown, Elektra, 5 Days till Midnight, Super Volcano. I had one day on each show.

Go back To My LIFE LINE

E-132 - Van Kam Freightways Ltd. October - November

2005

E-132 Reimers Express Still Creek Dr. Burnaby
Jan. 4 Using a single axle tractor I pulled a short van and delivered freight to two Home Depot stores.
Jan 5. Using a single axle tractor I pulled a long van and delivered freight to three Home Depot stores.
Jan 6. Snow. No part time drivers needed.

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E-180 Mexico Trading Co. (A subsidiary of Tropimex) 143 12320 Gordon Way Richmond, B. C. Sergio Rodriguez, Manager January - April

It took several days to get my drug tests done, a requirement of the US government.

Noel Fontaine drove truck, & trailer, #5. I followed him with #6. Dave H., who normally drove 6, would take a few weeks off while I made two trips.
We both loaded at Gemini in Richmond. Gemini makes; liquid hand soap, fabric softener, liquid dish soap, etc. We were to take the products to two locations in San Antonio, Texas. The first location was a huge warehouse which would distribute the products to a chain of stores called H. E. B. in Texas. The second location, only a couple of blocks away, was also a huge warehouse, also owned by H.E.B. This warehouse would reship the products to their stores in Mexico.
H. E. Bott is a chain of stores similar to The Real Canadian Superstore, a semi department store that concentrates, mainly, on groceries.

Img E-180
(Photo `05) Truck # 6 Just South of `Hole in the Rock. About 20 Miles South of Moab, Utah.

Img E-180a
A close up of the above picture.

After unloading in San Antonio I went to Laredo, Texas and loaded Avocadoes for a company in Richmond, B. C.

Img E-180b
(Photo `05) A picnic in January? Stopped for lunch Hwy. 285 Mile 22 North of Ft. Stockton, Texas.

In February, for my second trip, I went empty to Summerland, in the Okanagan Valley of B. C. There I loaded apples which I took to McAllen, Texas, for transshipment to Mexico. A few miles South East, in Los Indios, I loaded plastic sleeves, the bright coloured tinfoil that covers flower pots when you buy potted flowers. I was heading for Surrey, B. C and met up with Dave S. and Noel in Moriarty, New Mexico.

Noel had fallen and twisted his leg and was unable to drive. Dave, trained in First Aid, packed Noel's leg in ice and made him comfortable in the bunk of Noel's truck. I gathered some of my stuff and moved into Noel's truck, which has two beds in the sleeper, and left my/Dave's truck at the Rip Griffin Truck Stop. The next day Dave flew down from Vancouver to bring the truck home. While we rushed home with the perishable vegetables.

Because Noel's leg was still sore I took his truck for my third trip. I loaded bundles of clothes, used, at a large warehouse in Coquitlam, B. C. and took them to a large warehouse in Calgary, Alberta. These clothes are the left overs, the ones that don't sell, from Value Village, a large chain of stores that sell used goods that have been donated to them. The clothing which is bought from Value Village, by the pound, is sorted and rebundled. Some of it is sold for cleaning rags and anything that is wearable is shipped to India and Africa and sold in clothing stores.

In Calgary I loaded meat and took it to Laredo, Texas for reshipping to Acapulco Mexico. Then I went back to Los Indios for another load of plant pot covers, which are made in Mexico.

Img E-180c
(Photo `05) Truck 5 leaving the truck stop at Towaoc, Colorado

Both Trucks, 5 & 6, are 2001 International with Pro sleepers. 5 has a 525 HP. Cummins with 2 bunks. 6 has a 460 Plus Cummins and one bunk. Both have 18 speed Eaton Fuller transmissions, micro wave, TV, VCR, food cooler, radio with CD, and CB radio

As Noel's leg was still sore I took his truck for my fourth trip. I loaded soap at Gemini for H.E.B. All of it going to the one warehouse in San Antonio. Then I went to Laredo and sat for 3 days waiting for a load of Mangoes out of Mexico.

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E-160 - Teamsters 155

Things started out good in `05. I got a couple of days unloading trucks that had brought equipment back from a location in Smithers for `Antarctica’.

E-132 - Van Kam Freightways Ltd.

I did a trip to Nelson and Kimberly and one to Prince George.

E-160 - Teamsters 155

I got a day doing Set Dec. on Wrong Element

E-132 - Van Kam Freightways Ltd.

I did a trip to Prince George.

I did 4 days on `Antarctica', moving them from Vancouver to Porteau Cove, Horseshoe Bay, and back to studio.

E-179 - Caron Transportation Systems

I did a trip to Prince George.

E-160 - Teamsters 155

I took a grips trailer to Smithers for the movie `Antarctica’. I stayed up there for a week, working my butt off, digging holes, helping the grips build platforms for the camera crane, helping assemble the camera crane. I met Nick Phillips , the man who invented the Libra Head, see my article in my movie glossary. Then I brought the grips trailer back to Vancouver. 9 days total. (The movie was released under the name `Eight degrees')

E-179 - Caron Transportation Systems

I filled in for Gary for a week. 6 loads from North Vancouver to Squamish and 2 trips to Prince George.

E-160 - Teamsters 155

Near the end of May I did four days driving shuttle on `Whisper’. Bumped into my Friend Gazza, whom I hadn't seen for awhile. He was doing security on our equipment at night. Gazza and I used to be Extras on the movie `Weęre No Angels’.

I also bumped into John Kapelos, an actor from L. A. who used to live in Vancouver and did extra work with me.

As well I got to meet Dule Hill, one of the regulars on the series `West Wing’.

Other movies I worked on in `05; Element, John Tucker Must Die, Intelligence ( A pilot for a spin off series from DaVinci's) My first show call. I was requested as Honey Wagon Driver.

Img E-160a
(Photo `05) Transportation crew on DaVinci's City Hall (L-R) Manfred Rossdeutscher (Camera truck), Paul Mercier (Cast), Dave Liboiron (Co-ordinator), Lee (Myself - Honey Wagon), Greg Volge (Fuel Truck), Bernie McDonald (Hair - Make-up truck), Dom Wurtz (sitting) (Cable truck), Chris Ballum (Co-Captain), Rob Kurzac (Security Captain), Lee Moors (Captain).

After the pilot I was asked to come back for the rest of the year on DaVincięs City hall.

Here I met Nicolas Campbell, Stuart Margolin, Charles Martin Smith, Stephen E Miller who is also a published author. (I have worked with Stephen as an extra on several shows over the years.

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2006

March in Vancouver was cold and snowy so I stayed home for a week.

E-160 - Teamsters 155

Mar. 13 The Monday after I returned from Mexico I booked in with the hall and started work that night. I did a move for `Rogueę from South of Langley to Vancouver.

The next day, I booked in after a dentist appointment and got 5 days on Rogue.

Mar. 20. I booked in. Got another 5 days on Rogue.

In this manner, I continued on Rogue until it went into studio. No, I didn't get to meet Jet Li. But I made friends with Sung Kang and we were pleased to see each other, a few months later, when he came back to town to do a reshoot for the DVD of Rogue and I was running the cable truck.

Other movies I worked on in `06;

Addicted [(Feature, I think) No I didn't meet any of the cast.

AVP (Alien Vs Predator) (Colorado Nights) (TV Series) No I didn't meet any of the cast.,

Are We Done Yet [(Feature) Sequel to Are We There Yet)] No I didn't meet any of the cast.,

Battlestar Galactica (TV Series) No I didn't meet any of the cast.,

Blade (TV Series) No I didn't meet any of the cast.,

Deck the Halls, (With Danny Devito, no I didn't get to meet him),

Eureka (TV Series) I talked with Matt Frewer, I met him last year, on `Intelligence'.,

Intelligence, the Honey Waggon driver broke his leg, I replaced him for 7 weeks. Yes I met all the cast. Had met most of them the previous year when we did the pilot.,

Psych (TV Series) I talked to Dule Hill. I met him last year on `Whisper',

Saved (TV Series) No I didn't meet any of the cast.,

Shooter, (Feature) No, I didn't get to meet Danny Glover,

Smallville, (TV Series) Yes, I met most of the cast.,

Tom Welling,

Allison Mack,

Erica Durance,

John Glover,

Michael Rosenbaum,

John Schneider, I had met him previously on a feature called, `10.4'.

Aaron Ashmore,

Justin Hartley

Stargate - Atlantis (TV Series) No I didn't meet any of the cast.

Stargate - SG1 (TV Series) No I didn't meet any of the cast. Nor did I see my friend, Director, Peter DeLuis. I did meet an old actor friend, damn, can't remember his name, we did a bit part together years ago. This was the next to last episode of a 10 year series.

SuperNatural, (TV Series) Yes, I met some of the cast. Jared, Jason

(The) `L' Word, (TV Series). No I didn't meet any of the cast.,

Three Moons over Milford (TV Series) No I didn't meet any of the cast,

Traveler (TV Series) No I didn't meet any of the cast.

2007

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Feb. 21 - First day back to work, 18 hours on Smallville, (TV Series) I talked to Tom Welling.

Mar. & Apr. a few days on a pilot for a series, Bionic Woman

E-181 - D. White Burnaby - Leased to C & A, Surrey - Hauling for Canada Bread, Langley Apr. 30

Img E-181 (Photo `07/5) Kamloops Brake Check - Coquihalla Hwy., B. C.

Several years ago, when I went to work for the carnival, my co-worker, on the `bumper cars', was Dennis White.

A few years ago, Dennis bought a highway tractor and put it to work driving to the docks.

Dennis wanted to expand and asked me to drive for him, if he were to buy a second truck.

I said, –no”.

Eventually he bought a second truck and he asked me to drive it and I said, `no'.

A couple of months ago Denis bought a new Cornbinder conventional.

Again with the, `I'll buy a second truck and you drive it for me'.

I repeat, `No'.

Finally Monday, April 30, I agreed to work 1 (one) trip for him while he took time off to go to a dentist.

I took a load of bread from a bakery warehouse in Langley to a bakery warehouse in Calgary. I had to lie over for the required 12 hours and then bought back a load of bread, from the same bakery warehouse in Calgary, to the same bakery warehouse in Langley.

The entire trip took me 10 hours short of 3 days.

I won't bore you with al the problems I had.

The gist of it is, that now, Dennis wants to buy a second truck and hire me to drive it.

Also his boss, he is leased onto C&A transport, wants to hire me to drive a company truck.

Double `NO'.

May - two days on a series, Battlestar Galactic

A few more trips for Dennis.

July 14 - Sat. A day on a remake of Andromeda. Rode in a 15 P to Hedley, B. C. (4 hrs.) Company bought us lunch in a nice, ancient, restaurant. I drove a 15 P with fake windows, slowly, so the glass wouldn't fall out, to Ashcroft, (3 Hrs.). (The van was rigged for a stunt) Then rode in a 15P back to Vancouver (4 Hrs.).

16 Mon.` Aliens in America'. I packed boxes and racks of clothes for the wardrobe department of a movie called `Aliens in America'. It is a remake of the movie `Alien'.

While waiting outside a building, for the truck to arrive, I was just the swamper, the Executive Producer Ŕ writer- director- of the series `Intelligence' came out. He asked me, –Are you here for me?”

I replied, –No”.

He asked, –You're on a different movie?”

–Yes,” I replied.

–&%$&#,” he called me.

Wow, what a compliment. An EP was disappointed because I was not working on his show.

Tue. I ran the cable truck on the TV series `The 4400'. The company ordered in an ice cream truck. We all got free ice cream. The bar I ate lifted a filling.

Wed. I drove a new Durango to the hotel to pick up a producer. Saw Matt Frewer who was being picked up by Manfred, driver for `Intelligence'. Had a few minutes to reminisce with both.

Thur. 8 Hr.

Fri. Dentist.

July 27 Fri. `L Word'

July 28 Sat. `Andromeda' Drove a big motor home from Kamloops to the Vancouver airport.

July 30 Mon. `Dr. Doolittle', 5th in the series, 17 hrs.

Aug. 1 Wed. Load of bread to Calgary.

Aug. to Nov. busy on movies. All of Oct. on `Watchmen' 5 Ton pre rig electrics.

Movies I worked on in 2007; Aliens in America, Battlestar Galactica, Bionic Woman - pilot, Bionic Woman - Series, Dr. Doolittle, Intelligence, Joy Ride 2, Lost Boys 2, Men in Trees, Psych, Smallville, Stargate Atlantis, The 4400, The Andromeda Strain, The Eye, The L Word, Watchmen.

Go back To My LIFE LINE

E-182 - Papason Trucking Ltd. Prince George - Hauling for Neptune Foods Delta, B. C. Dec. 6

Img E-182a
(Photo `08/1) Yale Road Petro-Pass - Trans Canada Hwy., B. C. - Sumas Mtn. in the background

I wasn't looking for work as we were leaving soon for China.

Out of the blue, I got a call from Papason in Prince. A couple of their trucks were stuck in the Fraser Canyon, as it had been closed by a series of snow slides.

They asked me to go to Ryder Truck Rental, on Annacis Island, and pick up a tractor.

I was to go across the street to Neptune Food Service and get a trailer to take to Cache Creek via the Coquihalla and Kamloops.

Before leaving Vancouver I learned that the Fraser Canyon had just been opened so I went up the canyon and switched trailers with a driver from Prince, at Cache creek.

Just the one night. 8 hours.

There wasn't really a lot of snow in the canyon but a large number of small snow slides.

In all my years of trucking it was the most snow that I had seen in the canyon.

Usually you can count on the road being bare from Hope to Cache Creek, all year round.

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E-183 - Richmond Terminals. Richmond, B. C. - Tom - Hauling containers of lumber from Mitchell Island, Richmond to the seaports around the Vancouver area. May. 21 $35 per can, empty or loaded

Img E-183
(Photo `08/6) Richmond Terminals - Mitchell Island Richmond, B. C.
1993 Freightliner, Day Cab - 13 speed transmission, N14 Cummins motor

I didn't actually work for Richmond Terminals. I workled for Tom who owned 2 trucks that were leased to RT.

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E-184 - United Concrete & Gravel Ltd. Quesnel, B. C. - Abbottsford, B. C. - Wayne Elias - Hauling 53' dry vans with pallets of large bags containing used bottle from a cross dock in Delta to a crusher in Abbottsford. July 10 $22/Hr.

Img E-184
(Photo `08/7) United Concrete & Gravel Ltd. Quesnel, B. C. - Abbottsford, B. C.
2008 Freightliner, Day Cab - 10 speed transmission, Cummins motor - Penske Rentals

Img E-184 A
(Photo `08/7) United Concrete & Gravel Ltd. Quesnel, B. C. - Abbottsford, B. C.
Montains of crushed glass, one of white and one of mixed, brown, and green

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E-186 - South Fraser Container Services (2005) Ltd. Container Reload and Transportation Services Unit B 7480 Wilson Ave. Delta, B. C. - Alan Moulton Mng. - Hauling containers of lumber from Delta to the seaports around the Vancouver area, mostly DeltaPort. June $30 per can, empty or loaded

Img E-186
(Photo `08/7) SFCS taken at Coast Terminals - Richmond, B. C.
2000 Freightliner, - 10 speed transmission, Cat motor

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Aug. - Things were slow and the movies called me. So I quit SFCS and went to work on Scooby Doo 3. First week, PreRig Grips, then 3 weeks on PreRig Electrics.

Sept. - Cats & Dogs 2 - One week on the 40' Grips and then 3 weeks 48' Electrics.

Movies I worked on in `08; Cats & Dogs 2, Done One, Gym Teacher, Jennifer's Body, Scoobey Doo (The Begining), Stargate (ATlantis), The L Word.

I finished C& D in early Oct and was out of work til Nov.

Nothing looked like it was going to happen movie wise so in mid Nov. I bought a Volvo.

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