Octavious Cecil Yates or "O.C" as he was
known locally,
was born on June 27, 1886 in Shropshire, England and as a young man moved to
Saskatchewan. His occupation was station agent for the Canadian Pacific
Railway where he served at Evesham, Unity, Forget, Hayter, and at
Lloydminster during the years 1926 to 1948.
In Lloydminster, Yates was caught up in the excitement of the search for oil,
but also recognized the need for solid business organization behind such a
venture. He allowed local water well drillers all over the country trying
to get a better understanding of the underlying geology of the area. In
February of 1933, he called a meeting and invited community men who might
support the idea of developing oil or gas and be able to invest
financially. Thus, Yates, Colin and Stuart Wright and several others
started the Lloydminster Gas Company. Soon the company had a drilling rig just
northeast of town. Charlie Mills was the driller and brought in the well
in January, 1934. The first gas well In Saskatchewan came in on March 30,
1934 and by November of that year over 200 homes were connected and Lloydminster
was now "cooking with gas."
During his years in
business Mr. Yates served as President of the Chamber of Commerce for five years
and was a founding member of the Lloydminster Rotary Club.
In October, 1968, "O.C." Yates was honored at the Oil Appreciation
Dinner and received a plaque in recognition of his work in the oil and gas
industries. Mr. Yates died in 1970, a noteworthy pioneer businessman from
Lloydminster's unique and colorful past.