It took me six years to decide that teaching school was not the career for me. So, in 1953 I applied for a position as officer-in-charge at Fort Battleford National Historic Park. It seemed a good fit as I was no stranger to the old North West Mounted Police barracks at Battleford, Saskatchewan nor to things historic. Though a few miles away and across the North Saskatchewan River, I grew up within site of the red roofed cluster of NWMP buildings. As a young boy they featured in many an imagined adventure. Campbell Innes, at that time local School Inspector and secretary of the Canadian North West Historical Society, took every opportunity to promote and emphasis the importance of local history by regaling students with stories of local events. Everett Baker, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool Rep at the time, would give evening slide show talks at the schoolhouse for students and parents alike always featuring local history. His talks were a real occasion and the romance of these tales was hard to relate to the dry political subject of History taught in that school room during the day. It seems strange now that although I achieved satisfactory marks, History was my poorest subject through-out my schooling.

I have told, in previous blogs, about literally falling into history in the form of a cellar hole while picking berries – A FIRST TOUCH OF HISTORY and being upset after finding the state of the fort buildings after they were used by a road construction crew – ADVENTURES ON A BIKE. When the position came open in 1953 I was ready to take on the important job of protecting and promoting this part of our history.

Even though armed with some knowledge of the history of Fort Battleford and the surrounding area I was a stranger to government, political and bureaucratic systems as well as the public service. Sometime after submitting my application I was invited to an interview in Saskatoon. I did not ask for, nor did anyone offer to pay mt expenses, which I found later was routine practice. During the interview when questioned about my interest in other public service jobs, like the Post Office, I was emphatic while informing the interview board in no uncertain terms that I was interested in historic sites only. I was later amazed when I understood such things better, that my adverse attitude toward the public service career development did not rule me out in the competition.

Following the interview I waited many weeks without hearing if I had gotten the job. I was confident that I had but not receiving any word I finally telephoned, at my own expense, the Superintendent of Prince Albert National Park, who had been a member of the interview board, and enquired what had happened. He asked where I was and was surprised that I was not at my job. He asked how soon could I report for work and was anxious the it be as soon as possible due to operating problems at the Fort. The previous officer-in-charge, Allan Turner, had left and Campbell Innes was filling in. I moved my family immediately, at my own expense, and with no more than that telephone call, on August 26^th, 1953, my career with National Historic Sites commenced.