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Welcome to theKen Oakley story
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Ken Oakley in the Bolt room, 1960's. See Ken Oakley Story1960
Claybank Brick Plant Site
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Ken Oakley StoryIf Ken Oakley had turned around and never looked back after his first visit to the Claybank Brick Plant that cold March day in 1951, no one would have faulted his decision - his first encounter with the Plant was hardly enticing.
Born and raised in the Vanguard area of Saskatchewan, Ken helped his dad on farm, before venturing out to Moose Jaw, where he worked at various jobs.
In March 1951, he went to the local employment office looking for work. They told him to go to the Brick Plant at Claybank. However, the snow was so deep he couldn't drive, even the rail lines were blocked. After waiting three days, he flew out to the site, looked around and thought it wasn't too bad. He's stay until something better came up. Forty-five years later, Ken is still there.
Ken lived in the two-storey boarding house until July 1951, when he moved his wife and daughter into one of the three company houses located west of the pond. After many years they moved to "the other side of the tracks" were they still reside.
Ken spent the majority of his years working in the machine shop. The first years, he worked many weekends maintaining the diesel engines, which were used to generate the power required to drive the plant's machinery. When SaskPower extended its lines to the plant, this reduced the need to have these diesel engines running, and to have someone employed in the machine shop over the weekends. By no means did this lessen the workload. Most of the equipment used to crush clay in 1914 was still operable in 1989. The men in the machine shop did all the repairs or rebuilding required to keep these machines operating. Over the years, Ken helped design and build specialized equipment, such as the mechanized transfer truck and the metal moulds for various types of bricks.
Although he retired in 1989, when A.P. Green shut down the factory, he is now the site caretaker for the Saskatchewan Heritage foundation (the present owners of the plant) and a Director of our Historical Society.
Ken and his wife, Lucille raised four daughters and two sons at Claybank. The boys passed away in 1973 & 1977; the girls now have left home to raise families of their own. Ken and Lucille anxiously await visits from their nine grandchildren, when Grandpa can take them for hikes in the hills or just let them ride around on the lawn and garden tractor, sometimes cutting the grass or maybe just going for a drive!
Ken and Lucille have many memories of their 45 years at the Brick Plant. Many summer evenings are now spent sitting on the patio watching the wildlife saunter by or just taking in the beauty of the surrounding hills.
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Ken Oakley taking off the first brick manufactured from a new Die design1960
Claybank Brick Plant Site
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Ken Oakley in Kiln doorway, 20002000
Claybank Brick Plant Site
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Ken Oakley welding on a Brick Die in the Machine Shop's Welding Room1950
Claybank Brick Plant Site
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Ken Oakley (centre) demonstrates how the Bumping Stand in the Hand Mold shop was operated.1999
Claybank Brick Plant Site
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Ken Oakley2003
Claybank Brick Plant Site
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