W. H. "Bill" Caine

 

Born in Edmonton and educated in a one-room school called Allendale, which is now the location of the Southgate Shopping Mall, Bill Caine made his mark on the western Canadian oil industry. First, however, he went on to complete grade nine at Queen Alexander School.
Roughnecking with Drilling Contractors in 1947 was his first job in the oilpatch. The next year found him driving truck for Dowell, a company that promoted him to cementer in the Girouxville and Redwater fields.

 

In 1952, Arnie Thorson and Bill created Thorson Cementers and became the first Canadian-owned cementing company to compete, and thrive, against the big American companies, Dowell and Halliburton.

 

Caine Oil Tools got its start in 1953 with financial backing from a group of Edmonton friends, and by 1955 Bill had the first franchise for hydraulic casing tongs in Canada.

 

Harry Patterson joined Bill's company in 1960, and they designed and built the first Canadian power swivels, ranging in size from 20 to 200 tons.

 

Bill expanded his company into the wireline business in 1975. He began winding down his long career with the sale of his oilfield service operations in 1990 and the remainder of his operations in August 1997.

 

Golf, community service, hunting and fishing keep Bill active in retirement. Although his oilfield accomplishments were many, Bill always found time to devote his energy to his community, which made him a respected participant in it.