Peter Bawden

Peter Colwell Bawden
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Calgary South
In office
1972–1979
Preceded by Patrick Morgan Mahoney
Succeeded by John William Thomson
Personal details
Born January 1, 1929
Toronto, Ontario
Died February 28, 1991 (aged 62)
Calgary, Alberta
Nationality Canadian
Political party Progressive Conservative
Children Jennifer Bawden
Alma mater Upper Canada College
Occupation businessman, federal politician
Profession oil executive

Peter Colwell Bawden, OC (January 1, 1929 – February 28, 1991) was a prominent Canadian Oilman, cabinet minister, former Member of Parliament and in 1990 was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada. [1]

Bawden was elected to the Canadian House of Commons representing the riding of Calgary South, the heart of Canada’s oil industry. A Progressive Conservative, he was re-elected in 1974.

He was honored in 1990 as an Officer of the Order of Canada for being "largely responsible for pioneering oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Circle and for the international transfer of Canadian expertise and technology in this field". [2] Peter Bawden was the first drilling contractor to drill in the Canadian Arctic Islands where the harsh and remote environment demanded special logistical planning.

One of the first Bawden Drilling oil rigs in Calgary, Canada; circa 1955.

Mr. Bawden built one of the world’s largest privately owned oil and gas drilling companies consisting of a large fleet of offshore and land rigs operated from offices worldwide, working closely with Shell and Dome Petroleum, among others. He moved to Alberta in the fall of 1950 and founded Peter Bawden Drilling in 1952 shortly after his arrival in Calgary. As a land drilling contractor he began by expanding on shore operations throughout North America, from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico, to Norway, Algeria, Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Philippines, Guatemala, Venezuela, Colombia and Madagascar.

A Bawden Drilling North Sea oil rig; circa 1980.

A notable contribution of the Bawden organization was the development of Canadian oilfield expertise and technology in many parts of the world. Bawden’s first offshore assignments began in 1968 off the coast of Australia where the company operated that continent’s first self-containing platform rigs. In the North Sea, Bawden Drilling became the largest development-drilling contractor in the United Kingdom. They also had large platform rig operations off the California coast, in the Persian Gulf and off the coast of Malaysia. Bawden set many industry records including drilling a deviated well -11,324 feet in eighteen days from a fixed platform in the North Sea. Other notable rigs were located in the middle of the Pasadena Raceway and behind the Beverly Hills high school.

Bawden Drilling crew conducting safety training circa 1979.

Peter Bawden committed his life to the search for oil, gas and geothermal energy. Geothermal Drilling was a Bawden specialty with over 20 years of experience in the challenging tapping of hot water and steam reservoirs. Bawden won numerous industry awards for its emphasis on safety. The company also received the Canadian Export Award in 1985 and Export Achievement Awards in the years 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986.

Bawden Drilling United States headquarters in Houston, Texas.
Bawden Drilling Global Oil & Gas Operations

During the late 1950s the Peter Bawden chuck wagon dominated the World Chuck Wagon Races at the Calgary Stampede and broke several world track records. Mr. Bawden also made a substantial contribution to the aviation industry and founded in 1991, Executive Flight Centre, Canada's largest aviation service company, including a large fleet of planes and jets.

Jennifer Bawden, daughter of Peter Bawden (founder of Bawden Drilling Company) visiting one of the company's oil rigs in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Mr. Bawden had a distinguished public service career and was elected as a Member of the House of Commons in 1972 and re-elected in 1974. During his years in Ottawa he served on the Commons Committee on Finance, Natural Resources, Trade and Economic Affairs, including External Affairs and National Defense. He was a delegate to the North Atlantic Assembly from 1972 to 1979. He was also a member of the Canada/US Inter-Parliamentary Committee.

Mr. Bawden served as a director on a number of prestigious Canadian companies including Barclays Bank, Air Canada, Boeing, Safeway, Procor Limited, Jannock Ltd, Westair Resources Ltd and Mosswood Oil & Gas Ltd. He was a member of the Business Council on National Issues, the World Business Council and the Washington Quarterly Roundtable.

His community service included acting as a Director in the Business Council of National Issues, Calgary Special Olympics and Trustee of the Canadian Olympic Association and Wycliffe College in Toronto. His membership included Canada West Foundation, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and he was an Honorary Colonel of the 14th (Calgary) Service Battalion, Honorary Vice-President of the Calgary Regional Council of the Boy Scouts of Canada and Director of the Confederation of Church and Business People.

Born into the Toronto establishment he was the son of Harry Norman Bawden, President and CEO of RBC Dominion Securities, which was one of Canada’s largest investment banks before it was acquired by the Royal Bank of Canada in 1996. Mr. Peter Bawden attended Upper Canada College in Toronto.

References

  1. ↑ Source: Calgary Herald, March 1991
  2. ↑ Governor General of Canada

External links