SUNDRE — A municipal employee and senior gas operator who after more than 42 years on the town’s payroll decided to hang up his hat was recently recognized and celebrated during a special ceremony attended by dozens of colleagues.
Originally hired on Nov. 15, 1979, John “Bubba Louie” Nelson was prior to becoming a gas operator in 1998—when he stepped in for Phil Johnson who’d retired at the time—accustomed to tackling all kinds of tasks related to public works, especially streets.
“He came with a good reputation,” said Jim Peters, the town’s public works foreman who at the time offered Nelson the job.
“He was very conscientious at work,” said Peters, who retired in 2003, adding that Nelson had passed the probationary period with flying colours, convincing him the new hire was the perfect fit for the job.
“He’s a great guy,” said Peters, who was among a few dozen people attending on Thursday, May 26 a lunch catered by Kodiak at the Sundre Community Centre.
The municipality’s operations manager, Jim Hall, who in 2009 started working for the town, hailed the milestone retirement as a momentous occasion.
“He’s been a mentor who will be deeply missed,” Hall said while offering a few thoughts during the ceremony.
“Everyday I worked with him, he would have some story or something that happened to him that was hilarious,” Hall told the Albertan in response to questions.
“He cared deeply for the gas department,” Hall said.
“Funny thing was that he went to gas utility school in Edmonton and I was one the instructors,” he added. “Flash forward to 2009, and he was teaching me about the Sundre gas system.”
Hall and Nelson worked alongside one another to complete a “massive project” that involved rebuilding every gas service in the municipality to install automated metering systems. Prior to the automated system, town employees would have to physically check meters to obtain consumption readings.
During a one-on-one conversation with the Albertan, Nelson said his job revolved mostly around installing gas lines and ensuring the municipality’s gas service remained in good running order.
Nelson also recalled how much things have changed in more ways than one since the 67-year-old started working for the municipality.
“When I first came, we were a small crew then,” he said. “We only had four people in the public works at that time.”
There were also some recreation department—now known as the community services department—staff responsible for looking after the Sundre Arena, he added.
Although Nelson couldn’t quite recollect the origins of his nickname, Hall was able to uncover some historical context.
“I don’t even know how I got that nick name,” said Nelson. “I think they gave it to me.”
During the ceremony, Hall told those gathered that Bubba Louie is a cartoon character, and that Nelson had at one point made a comical comment that a nephew of his found reminiscent of that character. The name just stuck ever since.
“I got a licence plate that says that now too,” said Nelson.
Asked what he most enjoyed about working for the municipality throughout the decades, Nelson simply expressed a passion for his line of work.
“It’s going to be hard for me not to be here,” he said.
But the country music enthusiast also looks forward to having an opportunity to spend more time playing the electric and especially acoustic guitars as well as occasionally trying out his Dobro by a campfire.
Additionally, with an incomplete shop that still requires work on the interior, Nelson didn’t seem worried about becoming bored in the absence of his full-time job.
“I’ve got lots of work to do; just got to figure out when I’m going to do it all,” he said.
And once his other half, Sue Nelson, Sundre’s manager of community services, also takes the plunge into retirement, the couple might well be looking to stretch out their wings.
“We may travel a little bit,” he said.
Above and beyond receiving a few gifts and heartfelt words, Nelson also got a standing ovation following several presentations.
