Jack "Torchy" Peden

Jack "Torchy" Peden remembers visiting his father as a little boy in 1957, living on Franklin Avenue behind the shipyard, – and falling in love with ships. The family moved to Fort McMurray permanently in 1962, and Torchy made friends with several ship captains strengthening his love for the vessels. That love would eventually see him rescuing ships from the old shipyard – now the Fort McMurray Heritage Shipyard, and home to the Jack "Torchy" Peden Centre.

"I joined the Fort McMurray Historical Society around 1997 and soon after became very involved in trying to rescue the ships sitting in the old shipyard. We managed to get the ships from the Department of Public Works and the Canadian Coast Guard," recalls Torchy, 71.

"This was the beginning of building the park along the Clearwater River which is now called the Fort McMurray Heritage Shipyard. The reason my name is on the Interpretation Centre is because I spent thousands of hours working at the park: overseeing the restoration, moving/placement of the ships; procuring contractors, business/volunteer donations, onsite work/gifts in kind support for the ships. This includes the railway cars, interpretive centre building and the property (moving ships, painting ships, landscaping, planning, securing funding, etc.). The project was a huge part of my life for about 14 years and I'm very proud to see it every time I drive by it. The ships are a beautiful reminder of the unique transportation service that was once a major part of Fort McMurray and all the northern communities on the river system to the Arctic."

Roseann Davidson, Executive Director, Heritage Park thanks Torchy for his work.

"Torchy's love of history and passion for this community makes him a true community builder. He was instrumental in the development of the Heritage Shipyard Museum which interprets the history of transportation in this region. He has volunteered thousands of hours to this project. The Heritage Shipyard Museum opened to the public in 2014. Torchy is a tremendous asset to the Heritage Society. He served on the Board of Directors for many years and continues to advocate for Heritage Village and Shipyard museums, our community and our region."

But, why do they call him Torchy? It was a nickname given to him when he was born. Evidently, he had reddish hair like Torchy Peden, the famous Canadian Sports Hall of Fame bicycle racer back in the 1920s and 1930s.

"Of course my real name is Jack Hamilton Peden, but almost everyone calls me Torchy," he shares.

Torchy and Mary Jane will be celebrating their 52nd wedding anniversary this December. They have three children and enjoy spending time with their grandchildren.

Back to Torchy's history in town. After selling his family's construction company, Torchy moved to Fort McKay in 1972 with his family. They ran the Little Arrow Cafe and bought the Hudson Bay store there.

"During this time my wife ran the McKay businesses while I worked for Bechtel and Pool Construction building the new Syncrude plant site. While in Fort McKay we formed many friendships, and still keep in touch. My wife started a Girl Guide troop there and many of these girls are now the elders in the community. They are always so welcoming to us when we visit. We have many good memories of our days in McKay."

When the family moved back to Fort McMurray, Torchy joined Syncrude and worked there until he retired in 2006. At Syncrude, he was critical in launching the Woodland Bison Recovery Program.

"I was there when the first bison were unloaded onsite. It was a great experience, interesting, challenging, and I really enjoyed it. The program still exists and is a successful part of Syncrude and the Fort McKay First Nations," shares Torchy.

Will Gibson, Media Relations Advisor with Syncrude recalls Torchy's contributions.

"Torchy helped build both Syncrude as well as Fort McMurray and we were proud to support his work at site and in the community. He helped build our Mildred Lake site as a contractor with Bechtel before joining Syncrude as an employee in 1980. With his knowledge of animal husbandry and friendships with community members in Fort McKay, he was a natural choice to help us establish the Beaver Creek Wood Bison Ranch in 1993. After retiring from Syncrude in 2006, Torchy remained active in the community, particularly with the Fort McMurray Heritage Society."

"He made an invaluable contribution in helping to establish Heritage Park so important landmarks and equipment in the region could be preserved and enjoyed by future generations. We were proud to support Torchy's work as a volunteer," Gibson notes.

Indeed, this love for building community and volunteering is what makes our town special to him.

"Fort McMurray will always be my home. I have seen it change from a small town to the city it has become. No matter its size, it still has the feel of a small town where people are friendly and get to know their neighbours. There is always a need for volunteers and I encourage people to join in and help some organization or community event. The rewards are well worth the effort. I am glad I spent the time building the shipyard and hope people will enjoy touring it and learning about Fort McMurray's history. It is a great place to live and raise a family."