Who’s spent time up in the Zama area?

[Dick284]

I spent 9-1/2years and 10 winters up there.
12-18-116-5 W5M at he bottom end of the oil patch.
Met some of the most amazing people up there, no losers, all of them good old honest work for a living types.

Unlike the summer I spent in Red Earth where the folks there were inflated ego, losers of the worst order.

So, who else has spent their time up in the Zama area?

[ditch donkey]

I lived in Zama for probably 5 years. Did my apprenticeship there, and started my company there. Learned a lot and met some real good people. But if you never ran into any losers, you weren’t looking hard enough! But they typically got run out of town quick enough. Pretty neat to see buffalo sleeping in the playground!

My boss loves to hunt, after several days of hunting I suggested that maybe we should work in the shop for the morning, and hunt that afternoon. He looked me on the eye and asked, “is your name on the door?”

I said, “no yours is.”

He said, “ then let me worry about the business, get your gun!”



We had tons of fun! Zama was like the Wild West! Cops were 2 hours away, get along with everyone and you could do pretty much anything you wanted to.

And take your boots off in the store!!

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by ditch donkey

I lived in Zama for probably 5 years. Did my apprenticeship there, and started my company there. Learned a lot and met some real good people. But if you never ran into any losers, you weren’t looking hard enough! But they typically got run out of town quick enough. Pretty neat to see buffalo sleeping in the playground!

My boss loves to hunt, after several days of hunting I suggested that maybe we should work in the shop for the morning, and hunt that afternoon. He looked me on the eye and asked, “is your name on the door?”

I said, “no yours is.”

He said, “ then let me worry about the business, get your gun!”



We had tons of fun! Zama was like the Wild West! Cops were 2 hours away, get along with everyone and you could do pretty much anything you wanted to.

And take your boots off in the store!!

Who was your boss, back then?

[Arty]

Did a couple reservoir survey jobs near Zama City just before the NEP crash. Drove alllll the way up out of Edmonchuk, and allllll the way back right after the field part was completed. People were always falling asleep at the wheel in those days, for some reason.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Arty

Did a couple reservoir survey jobs near Zama City just before the NEP crash. Drove alllll the way up out of Edmonchuk, and allllll the way back right after the field part was completed. People were always falling asleep at the wheel in those days, for some reason.

That’s about about 15-20 years ahead of my time.
I was up there 1996-2005ish

[Trappingman]

Originally Posted by Dick284

I spent 9-1/2years and 10 winters up there.
12-18-116-5 W5M at he bottom end of the oil patch.
Met some of the most amazing people up there, no losers, all of them good old honest work for a living types.

Unlike the summer I spent in Red Earth where the folks there were inflated ego, losers of the worst order.

So, who else has spent their time up in the Zama area?

Zama is full is loser deadbeats mostly people who couldn't make it anywhere else that's why they are in Zama

[ditch donkey]

Originally Posted by Dick284

Who was your boss, back then?

Lawrence.

[Slicktricker]

I did a pile of slick line work up there over the last decade

[oilngas]

Zama City was really wild west in 1972 - 1975. Used Flint Rigs and Flint Camp for a few winters. Ravens on the tank tops, toes in the air.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by ditch donkey

Lawrence.

Good old Lawrence.
A true gentleman.
And his wife Rita, she was a real spark plug.
They are some of the folks I hold in high esteem from those days.

[cowmanbob]

Kind of wondering if the Red Earth folks thought the same about you.

[urcayuse]

Hey! I met old Lawrence a couple times when I was up there. He sure likes to visit he’d talked your ear off. I did not think he got to see a lot of new faces. Super nice guy. He had a guy working for him that I hadn’t seen since my first year welding school.

[ditch donkey]

Originally Posted by Dick284

Good old Lawrence.
A true gentleman.
And his wife Rita, she was a real spark plug.
They are some of the folks I hold in high esteem from those days.

I spoke to them both a few days ago. They’re doing well. Still operating in Zama, but Zama is next to flat lined these days.

[Coiloil37]

I spent the winter of 2005 up there working for nabors. We drilled for Apache about an hour and a half north west of town.
We flew into the Apache air strip. First time, the pilot was bringing her down and in normal fashion we were coming in rocking side to side. He finally gets her on the ground and I could feel it was “different”. I looked out my side window and I could see straight down the strip. We were heading down the runway sideways. He fought it back straight, got hard on brake (reverse thrust?) and got stopped about 20 meters from the trees on the end of the runway.
We taxied back to the waiting trucks and he said “be careful, it’s a bit icy out there”. First guy off the plane landed straight on his butt. The guys in the trucks thought we were goners, said most planes touchdown, slow down then taxi over to the pickup point. Nobody uses the remaining length of strip.

It was an experience but I hope never to see that place again without a buffalo tag in my pocket.

[riden]

Zama is so quiet today the school shut down after Christmas. The last family with students in the school decided not to return after the holidays.

[bubba300]

I worked at Bistcho Lake for Paramount(2007-2013),mostly relief operating in the summer.I usally worked west of High Level and Cameron Hills. I never spent much time in Zama but passed threw there a few times.
I enjoyed it there,we had a boat out at the lake and could go fishing after work.
My brother lived in Zama in the early seventies,I was about 8 at the time and all I can remember about it then was all the bears in town.

[buckbrush]

I have never been to Zama. I have heard management threaten other employees over the years, saying if they didn't get it together they would be sent to work in Zama for a few months. For that reason I avoided it and always figured if I got sent there it meant I messed up.

This was for two different companies that I heard the threats so I always kind of wondered if Zama was just full of people sent for punishment.

[last minute]

Originally Posted by Dick284

Don’t you have better things to do?

That's a two way street

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by Dick284

Don’t you have better things to do?

Don't you have a sense of humour???...Dick!

[Talking moose]

Pretty classless to be calling people that live in certain place losers and deadbeats imo.
Carry on.

[sgill808]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Pretty classless to be calling people that live in certain place losers and deadbeats imo.
Carry on.

Unless they live in Edmonton lol

[-JR-]

Hey Dick284 ,did you work for Compton back then.
Seemed like I drove up there twice a week,then cutting across into Helmute and so on .

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by -JR-

Hey Dick284 ,did you work for Compton back then.
Seemed like I drove up there twice a week,then cutting across into Helmute and so on .

Nope.
NOS, who got bought out by Newalta.

[huntinstuff]

I was in the close vicinity
I was the kid who wore running shoes in winter and climbed to sweep off the areas where the welders worked. Great Christmas holiday job. 1984 or 85

[huntinstuff]

Originally Posted by sgill808

Unless they live in Edmonton lol

Specially anywhere other than SW Edmonton...... lol

[270man]

Originally Posted by Dick284

Don’t you have better things to do?

Absolutely!

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by cowmanbob

Kind of wondering if the Red Earth folks thought the same about you.

haha

Spent lot's of time in both Zama (around town and lot's in the Shekilie/Petitot) and red earth thoughout the 90's. Far preferred Red Earth

[AtimoseMan]

Spent some time up there from 1985 - 1990 as a service hand. There were rigs drilling on the ice of Zama Lake back then. There were Cantex 7,8 and rig 10, Jomax 1,3 and 5 and Brelco 5. The odd Kenting, Westburn, Brinkeroff and Rockymountain drilling rigs up and arround to name a few more. I often think about what that area looks like now after the boom years. Still remember well the Strand Rd, Shekilie and the checker board corner.
I remember when the Zama hall was just built and had its first dance, I think there was 1 women and 40 guys that attended it.
Back then you couldn't get lost, you just had to follow the beer bottle trails to get around. Yes some were mine too!!!!

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by AtimoseMan

Still remember well the Strand Rd, Shekilie and the checker board corner.
I remember when the Zama hall was just built and had its first dance, I think there was 1 women and 40 guys that attended it.
Back then you couldn't get lost, you just had to follow the beer bottle trails to get around. Yes some were mine too!!!!

Remember the tree covered in all types and colors of flagging on one of the roads into the Shekilie? Can't remember exactly where, past checkerboard corner somewhere. An old trapper "decorated" it with anything colorful he found in the country

[Norwest Alta]

Spent a couple of winters there.