Common menu bar
Guy Hamel
Guy Hamel is the NEB's longest serving employee, having worked at the Board for 35 years. As a Regulatory Officer with the Office of the Secretary, he assists the Secretary in her role of supporting the Board members in rendering their decisions. This involves writing minutes of the meetings as well as organizing panel hearings, tracking documents and acting as a hearing officer. Previously, Guy was on assignment for four years to work with the Joint Review Panel struck for the Mackenzie Gas Project. Having progressed from working in the mail room when he first joined the NEB to his present position, Guy speaks eloquently of the opportunities for career advancement and travel that he has experienced during his tenure.
What is your most memorable work experience at the NEB?
There's been quite a few over the years. I started in the mail room/records office in 1974 and had six years of experience when the opportunity to become a hearing officer came up. It meant travelling across Canada and I thought, I'd love to do that. I applied for the job and that was probably my best move within the NEB.
During the 90s, I did some interesting work on the Sable Gas Project. I was one of two regulatory officers working on the joint review panel composed of two NEB and three outside members. For two years, 1996-97, I spent about two weeks a month on the East Coast, much of it in Halifax, so I spent a lot of time travelling back and forth. It was an interesting hearing because the outside members were unfamiliar with NEB hearing procedures. It worked out well, though we had to be flexible and help the outside members learn our methods.
Another big moment involved the move from Ottawa. The choice to move or not was easy for me because I wanted to stay with the NEB. I was offered a promotion to the position of regulatory officer, so the opportunity to try out another job was certainly attractive. Also, as I was the Chairman of the NEB Recreation Association. The NEB Chair at the time asked me to stay on when we moved to Calgary. I said yes.
When we first moved to Calgary, only one out of five or six people working in Regulatory Services chose to move, and that was for six months only. There was no one to do the work of six people. So we had to hire several people in Calgary to help us out. For a while there was only two of us in the hearing/regulatory services area, so I coached new staff members learning the hearing process as well as doing my own job.
What is your fondest memory of the NEB?
I've got lots – I've spent the majority of my life here at the NEB. The most important thing is all the friends I've made throughout the years, whether at the office, through business connections or through my travels across Canada.
I've had the opportunity to do different things at the NEB and meet different people in different disciplines. The people I've met over the years have certainly helped me.
Of the projects you have worked on, what had the most impact on Canadians?
I remember when I first started as a hearing officer in 1981-82, I worked on the Arctic Pilot Project which proposed liquefying gas reserves on Melville Island and shipping the product via ice breaking tankers to a re-gasification plant proposed for the Strait of Canso, Nova Scotia, or at Gros-Cacouna on the St. Lawrence River. That could have had quite an impact on the North. The project didn't go through, but it was quite large. It involved a lot of new technology. I found it to be quite interesting.
I recall that, at the time, the NEB chose to review everything in the application, even though other regulatory bodies had already reviewed some portions of the application and produced their own reports. The Board has since changed its processes and tries to work with other regulatory bodies to prevent duplication of efforts in the review of projects.
Who among your colleagues at the NEB has most influenced you?
Quite a few over the years. When I first started, my managers helped me a lot. I had a good relationship with Norm Richardson and Andy Leahy. They provided me some good opportunities. When I left the Records office, I was already the records manager. I wouldn't have got there if they hadn't given me the opportunity to learn.
After that, I moved on to the Office of the Secretary to work as a hearing officer. Gord Laing was my boss and I had a good relationship with him as well. After we moved to Calgary, I worked with Michel Mantha, one of the Secretaries of the Board. Michel was a good mentor and coach. I've really enjoyed working with many other Board members, including Roland Priddle, Gaétan Caron, Ken Vollman, Dr. John Bulger and Rowland Harrison.
In your time at the NEB, has anything significantly affected your career?
The NEB has given me the opportunity to prove myself. A lot of people along the way have helped me and trusted me and given me a chance to try different things. They still are.
The Board has always been very supportive in providing training, whether it's directly related to your job or more along the lines of professional development. It's certainly a place where I've had the opportunity to take courses and training. You're learning and you're using it. It's great.
Is there anything you would like to say to today's NEB staff?
The NEB is a different place to work than a lot of other government organizations. They have important work to do. It's vital that people enjoy what they are doing and continue to support decisions that are being made for all Canadians.
Primary navigation (left column)
The NEB
- Who we are & our governance
- Public Participation
- News Releases
- Careers
- Hearings and Information Sessions
- Major Applications and Projects
- Regulatory Documents
- Cost Recovery
- North / Offshore
- Site Map
- Links