Don Dawson

(Based on a biography by the late Gillis Oslund, on the occasion of the presentation of the Professional Recognition Award to Don Dawson in 1982. Some historical  revisions were made by Dawson’s daughter Leslie Dawson in 2005.)

Don Dawson is a native of Ontario, where his early years were spent and he learned to appreciate and enjoy the outdoors. From his early years he was fascinated by gardening and growing trees, and these interests carry forward to this day. His early interest in surveying stems from a love of mathematics and outdoors.

Prior to serving in World War II, Dawson joined Frontier College, working as a student and teaching on the railway. He then worked for Ontario Hydro. He served as second lieutenant in the Canadian Army in Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands, and was discharged in 1945. He returned to Ontario Hydro and married Nancy Lane Young in the same year. He earned his OLS in 1949 and the following year his DLS. His Ontario Hydro work entailed wintering by tent in Northern Ontario’s Sault Ste. Marie area.

Shortly thereafter bundled up his family (two children at that time) and moved to sunny Southern Alberta. There he worked for Jack Holloway, surveying provincial highways. The same year that he came to Alberta he wrote and received his ALS. He joined Mobil Oil Canada in 1955, and continued with the company until his retirement in 1983.

I am told that Dawson was quite a taskmaster with his crew and would accept only the best. Nevertheless, he has always been very considerate of people under his direction and was always held in high respect.

His first ALSA convention was in 1951 and he created quite a stir by insisting that wives should be allowed to accompany husbands to the ALSA annual meeting from that time on. Until that time our function had been an all-male affair and the entertainment consisted mainly of drinking and relating the past year’s experiences.

This ability to express and stand up for his beliefs and principles has carried through to this day. There have been many controversies and issues over the years in our Association, and he has taken an active part in them all. He has been chairman and member of almost all of our committees over the years but has had a particular interest in education and improving the standards within our Association. He served on Council for five years, one of which was as President in 1956.

As I think back, I recall that in earlier years most of our policy was decided at the annual meeting. I remember the respect given his expressions and opinions and always his interest in the professional well-being of the Association.

Dawson made two signal contributions in Canadian surveying. First, he conducted Canada’s first metric survey on Sable Island in the North Atlantic. Second, he was a pioneer in offshore and satellite surveying in Mobil Oil’s offshore rigs in the Hibernia field about the same time as Alex Hittel spotted Shell Oil’s first Atlantic locations.

As Chairman of the CPA Survey and Mapping Committee, Dawson influenced the CPA to “go metric.” Its general use by CPA was adopted.

After residing in High River, and then Bowness, he moved to the Edmonton area with his family. Presently he resides in Sherwood Park. There he has found that his true love (aside from his lovely wife) is gardening and growing trees. His interest is mostly in growing trees from seed, but maintains a beautiful vegetable garden. This fellow is also an accomplished musician and has served as church organist and choirmaster in three churches over his active musical career.

During all this time Dawson’s interest and activity in surveying continued. He was active in the Canadian Petroleum Association and has chaired their committee on survey and mapping. This busy committee is heavily involved in offshore and Arctic positioning. Through his association with the petroleum industry, he has been a great help in improving our understanding of the industry’s requirements, and in turn their respect and understanding for us.

I feel that thirty-two years devoted to our profession and the effort this surveyor has made to maintaining and improving the professional status of our membership is well deserving of this award.

It is therefore with great pleasure that I nominate this very deserving candidate for the award of Professional Recognition - Mr. D.K.F. (Don) Dawson.