Sidney Robert "Bob" BlairCC (13 August 1929 – 18 April 2009) was a Canadian oilman. During a career that spanned from 1951 to 1991, Blair played a major role in the development of the Alberta petroleum industry. In 1970 he was appointed president of the Alberta Gas Trunk Line Company Limited (later renamed NOVA Corporation), a position he held until 1986. Over the course of his presidency, he transformed AGTL/NOVA from a provincial transmission utility into a diversified energy and chemicals giant. Blair was a vocal economic nationalist who spent much of his career working to develop Canadian-owned industry, often putting himself in conflict with Canada's foreign-owned majors. He is also remembered for leading the unsuccessful attempt to build the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline in the 1970s.
Sidney Robert Blair was born to Sidney Martin Blair (1897–1981) and Janet Russell Gentleman (1895–1974). Blair's father, of Scottish Presbyterian origin, was born in Parry Sound and in 1902 moved with his family to Alberta. Before World War I he attended classes at the University of Alberta. During the war he served as a flight instructor in the Royal Flying Corps and lectured at Khaki University. In 1922 he graduated Bachelor of Science at the University of Birmingham. He then returned to Canada and studied at the University of Alberta under Karl A. Clark, and graduated Master of Science in 1924. Blair spent the rest of his career in the petroleum industry. During World War II he worked for the Air Ministry in the supply of aviation fuel. In 1949 he joined the Bechtel Corporation and retired in 1974 as president of Canadian Bechtel Limited. In 1950 he published the famous Report on the Alberta Bituminous Sands, otherwise known as the "Blair Report," which led to the development of the Athabasca oil sands.
On 26 March 1927, Sidney Blair married Janet "Nettie" Gentleman, originally of Lanarkshire, in Windsor, Ontario. Following their marriage, Blair began working for Trinidad Leaseholds Limited and took a position managing an asphalt refinery in Trinidad. It was there, on 13 August 1929, that Sidney Robert Blair was born. Over the next decade, the Blair family moved between Trinidad, England, Canada, and the United States. Their second child, Mona Helen Margaret (1934–2020) was born in England on 6 February 1934.
Bob Blair attended Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut. He then entered Queen's University and graduated Bachelor of Science in 1951. From 1951 to 1958, Blair worked as a field engineer on pipeline and refinery construction projects. In 1959 he joined the Alberta and Southern Gas Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and was involved in operations and purchasing. In December 1969 Blair was appointed executive vice-president of the Alberta Gas Trunk Line Company Limited, and in September 1970 was made president. Blair was appointed chairman of the board in June 1985, and in January 1986 ceded the presidency to Robert L. Pierce. He retired as chairman in 1991.
Historian and author Peter C. Newman described Blair as an outlier amongst Canadian petroleum executives. In defiance of the industry's elitism, Newman said Blair had "no time for the oilmen's club-and-golf circuit, preferring instead to settle deals over a cup of coffee in a local eatery," and claimed he was "the only executive of a major oil company ever to visit the towns likely to be affected by his company's dealings to talk about their concerns."[1]
On 13 June 1953 Blair married Lois Anne Wedderburn (1928–2009) at St Andrew's United Church in Lanark, Ontario.[3] Bob and Lois met in Kingston while he was at Queen's and she was attending nursing school at the Kingston General Hospital. The couple had five children: Megan, James, Robert, Martin, and Charlotte. They divorced in 1978. Blair died at North Vancouver's Lions Gate Hospital on 18 April 2009. His last residence was in North Vancouver.[4]
Referencesedit
^Debrett's Illustrated Guide to the Canadian Establishment, ed. Peter C. Newman (Agincourt: Methuen, 1983), 331.
^"Lois Anne Wedderburn marries Mr. S. R. Blair in Lanark," The Ottawa Journal, (18 June 1953), 20.
^"Sidney Robert (Bob) Blair". 29 April 2009. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
Further readingedit
(speech to the Empire Club of Canada on 19 November 1981)
"Oilpatch Giant: Bob Blair sheds his tie as Nova boss". Calgary Herald. 6 October 1991. pp. B5.
Bregha, François (1979). Bob Blair's pipeline : the business and politics of northern energy development projects. Toronto: J. Lorimer. ISBN978-0-88862-280-8.
robert, blair, sidney, robert, blair, august, 1929, april, 2009, canadian, oilman, during, career, that, spanned, from, 1951, 1991, blair, played, major, role, development, alberta, petroleum, industry, 1970, appointed, president, alberta, trunk, line, company. Sidney Robert Bob Blair CC 13 August 1929 18 April 2009 was a Canadian oilman During a career that spanned from 1951 to 1991 Blair played a major role in the development of the Alberta petroleum industry In 1970 he was appointed president of the Alberta Gas Trunk Line Company Limited later renamed NOVA Corporation a position he held until 1986 Over the course of his presidency he transformed AGTL NOVA from a provincial transmission utility into a diversified energy and chemicals giant Blair was a vocal economic nationalist who spent much of his career working to develop Canadian owned industry often putting himself in conflict with Canada s foreign owned majors He is also remembered for leading the unsuccessful attempt to build the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline in the 1970s S Robert BlairBornSidney Robert Blair 1929 08 13 13 August 1929Port of Spain TrinidadDied18 April 2009 2009 04 18 aged 79 Vancouver British Columbia CanadaEducationQueen s University B Sc 1951 Occupation s President NOVA Corporation Contents 1 Biography 2 References 3 Further reading 4 External linksBiography editSidney Robert Blair was born to Sidney Martin Blair 1897 1981 and Janet Russell Gentleman 1895 1974 Blair s father of Scottish Presbyterian origin was born in Parry Sound and in 1902 moved with his family to Alberta Before World War I he attended classes at the University of Alberta During the war he served as a flight instructor in the Royal Flying Corps and lectured at Khaki University In 1922 he graduated Bachelor of Science at the University of Birmingham He then returned to Canada and studied at the University of Alberta under Karl A Clark and graduated Master of Science in 1924 Blair spent the rest of his career in the petroleum industry During World War II he worked for the Air Ministry in the supply of aviation fuel In 1949 he joined the Bechtel Corporation and retired in 1974 as president of Canadian Bechtel Limited In 1950 he published the famous Report on the Alberta Bituminous Sands otherwise known as the Blair Report which led to the development of the Athabasca oil sands On 26 March 1927 Sidney Blair married Janet Nettie Gentleman originally of Lanarkshire in Windsor Ontario Following their marriage Blair began working for Trinidad Leaseholds Limited and took a position managing an asphalt refinery in Trinidad It was there on 13 August 1929 that Sidney Robert Blair was born Over the next decade the Blair family moved between Trinidad England Canada and the United States Their second child Mona Helen Margaret 1934 2020 was born in England on 6 February 1934 Bob Blair attended Choate School in Wallingford Connecticut He then entered Queen s University and graduated Bachelor of Science in 1951 From 1951 to 1958 Blair worked as a field engineer on pipeline and refinery construction projects In 1959 he joined the Alberta and Southern Gas Company Limited a subsidiary of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company and was involved in operations and purchasing In December 1969 Blair was appointed executive vice president of the Alberta Gas Trunk Line Company Limited and in September 1970 was made president Blair was appointed chairman of the board in June 1985 and in January 1986 ceded the presidency to Robert L Pierce He retired as chairman in 1991 Historian and author Peter C Newman described Blair as an outlier amongst Canadian petroleum executives In defiance of the industry s elitism Newman said Blair had no time for the oilmen s club and golf circuit preferring instead to settle deals over a cup of coffee in a local eatery and claimed he was the only executive of a major oil company ever to visit the towns likely to be affected by his company s dealings to talk about their concerns 1 After his retirement in 1991 Blair ran for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 1993 Canadian federal election In the election he came second in the Calgary Centre riding behind Jim Silye of the Reform Party He was Canada s Commissioner General at Expo 2000 In 1980 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 1985 2 On 13 June 1953 Blair married Lois Anne Wedderburn 1928 2009 at St Andrew s United Church in Lanark Ontario 3 Bob and Lois met in Kingston while he was at Queen s and she was attending nursing school at the Kingston General Hospital The couple had five children Megan James Robert Martin and Charlotte They divorced in 1978 Blair died at North Vancouver s Lions Gate Hospital on 18 April 2009 His last residence was in North Vancouver 4 References edit Debrett s Illustrated Guide to the Canadian Establishment ed Peter C Newman Agincourt Methuen 1983 331 Office of the Governor General of Canada Order of Canada citation Queen s Printer for Canada Retrieved 24 May 2010 Lois Anne Wedderburn marries Mr S R Blair in Lanark The Ottawa Journal 18 June 1953 20 Sidney Robert Bob Blair 29 April 2009 Archived from the original on 8 September 2012 Retrieved 9 October 2009 Further reading editS Robert Blair Positive Nationalism for Canada speech to the Empire Club of Canada on 19 November 1981 Oilpatch Giant Bob Blair sheds his tie as Nova boss Calgary Herald 6 October 1991 pp B5 Bregha Francois 1979 Bob Blair s pipeline the business and politics of northern energy development projects Toronto J Lorimer ISBN 978 0 88862 280 8 External links editSidney Robert Blair at The Canadian Encyclopedia nbsp This biography about a Canadian businessperson is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title S Robert Blair amp oldid 1222660420, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
