Daryl Kenneth "Doc" Seaman (28 April 1922 – 11 January 2009) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
oilman and hockey executive. Seaman was the founder, president, and chairman of
Bow Valley Industries Limited, which was one of Canada's largest independent petroleum companies. In addition to his business activities, from 1941 to 1945 he served as a pilot in the
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
and from 1980 to 2009 was a part-owner of the
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
.
Biography
Early life
Daryl Kenneth Seaman was born on 28 April 1922 in
Rouleau, Saskatchewan
Rouleau is a town in southern Saskatchewan, Canada, located on the Canadian Prairies. It lies within census Division No. 6 and rural municipality Redburn No. 130.
As of 2011, the population was 453 (an increase of 13.3 percent from the 2006 ...
, to Byron Luther Seaman (1890–1979) and Letha Mae Patton (1899–2006). Daryl was the second of four children. He had an older sister Dorothy Verna, and younger brothers
Byron James "B. J." and Donald Roy. Byron Seaman Sr was born in
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
and had come to Canada during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
to help with the harvest. After the United States entered the War on 6 April 1917, he returned stateside, joined the army, and fought with the
American Expeditionary Forces
The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought alon ...
in Germany. Seaman returned to Canada in January 1920 and married that same month. Seaman had met Mae Patton in
Avonlea, Saskatchewan
Avonlea ( 2016 population: ) is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the RM of Elmsthorpe No. 100 and Census Division No. 2. The village is approximately south-west of the City of Regina. The Southern Rails Cooperativ ...
. Patton was born in
Unadilla, Nebraska
Unadilla is a village in Otoe County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 289 at the 2019 census.
History
Unadilla was platted in 1871 when the Midland Pacific Railroad was extended to that point. It was named after Unadilla, New York, t ...
in 1899 and moved to Canada with her family in 1912. Until 1928 both Byron and Mae worked on a farm. In 1928 Byron started a road construction company, which all of his sons worked for in the summer once they were old enough.
World War II
Seaman graduated high school in the spring of 1939, months before Canada entered
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
on 10 September 1939. That fall Seaman entered technical school in
Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw is the fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Lying on the Moose Jaw River in the south-central part of the province, it is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians ...
and began playing hockey with the
Moose Jaw Canucks
The Moose Jaw Canucks were a junior ice hockey team based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. They were one of the founding members of the ''Western Canada Junior Hockey League'' (known today as the Western Hockey League) in 1966 following a rebel ...
. Shortly after starting school Seaman became ill and returned to Rouleau having dropped out. In the fall of 1940 Seaman began an engineering degree at the
University of Saskatchewan
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
, but in February 1941 left university after enlisting in the military. Because of his high marks in math and physics, the recruiter suggested that Seaman enlist in the Air Force. The first phase of Seaman's military training in the
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), or Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) often referred to as simply "The Plan", was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zea ...
(BCATP) took place in
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon () is the second-largest city in the province of Manitoba, Canada. It is located in the southwestern corner of the province on the banks of the Assiniboine River, approximately west of the provincial capital, Winnipeg, and east of the ...
, and following that he was transferred to
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina () is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 C ...
. Being selected as a pilot, he was then sent to
RCAF Virden for flight instruction, and few for the first time in September 1941. That November he was transferred to RCAF Brandon and on 12 March 1942 was awarded his
Wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...
.
Shortly after finishing his training, Seaman was sent to
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...
, where he spent his twentieth birthday. On 1 May 1942, Seaman set sail for Great Britain on the and arrived in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
on 12 May. Upon arrival he traveled to
Bournemouth
Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...
, where he spent a short time before transferring to Cornwall, back to Bournemouth, then to
RAF Kirmington
Royal Air Force Kirmington or more simply RAF Kirmington was a Royal Air Force station located north east of Brigg, Lincolnshire and south west of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England.
History
Second World War
It took its name from the village of ...
, and finally to
RAF Harrogate
Royal Air Force Harrogate or RAF Harrogate, sometimes known as Ministry of Defence (MoD) Harrogate, was the name for two distinct Royal Air Force establishments within the town of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. The main site was at St Geor ...
. During this time Seaman underwent additional flight training in
Airspeed Oxford
The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford is a twin-engine monoplane aircraft developed and manufactured by Airspeed. It saw widespread use for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery roles throughout the Seco ...
s. By that fall Seaman's initial training was complete, and he was sent to
RAF Silloth
Royal Air Force Silloth or RAF Silloth is a former Royal Air Force station north-east of Silloth, Cumbria, England, and south-west of Kirkbride, Cumbria. The station was used by RAF Coastal Command.
The airfield is also known as Silloth Air ...
and assigned to a
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson is a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built by the American Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. It was initially put into service by the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and prim ...
as part of a four-man crew. From November 1942 to January 1943 the crew practised navigation and bombing, the final phase of training.
On 20 February 1943 the crew flew to
RAF Portreath
Remote Radar Head Portreath or RRH Portreath is an air defence radar station operated by the Royal Air Force. It has a coastal location at Nancekuke Common, approximately north east of the village of Portreath in Cornwall, England.
Its radar ( ...
where they were given their first operation, which was to fly the plane to
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
. Due to poor weather conditions though, Seaman was forced to fly to
Casablanca, Morocco
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
. After arrival in Africa, the crew was then posted to
Blida, Algeria. While the crew was on a sortie on 29 March 1943, a German
Messerschmitt Me 210
The Messerschmitt Me 210 was a German heavy fighter and ground-attack aircraft of World War II. Design started before the war, as a replacement for the Bf 110. The first examples were ready in 1939, but they proved to have unacceptably poor fl ...
attacked their plane, killing one crew member and hitting Seaman twice in the leg. With the assistance of his two remaining crew members Seaman was able to remain conscious and fly the plane back to base. After surgery and a month-long recovery, Seaman returned to duty at the end of April. Between February 1943 and September 1944 Seaman's crew flew 82 sorties. On 23 September 1944 the crew returned to England and shortly thereafter Seaman returned to Canada aboard the ''
Aquitaine
Aquitaine ( , , ; oc, Aquitània ; eu, Akitania; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne ( oc, Guiana), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former administrative region of the country. Since 1 January ...
'', the same ship on which his father had returned to the United States after the First World War.
University and early career
Seaman returned to
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
but was not officially demobilized until August 1945. That fall, he began an engineering degree at the
University of Saskatchewan
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
. Taking classes during the summers as well, Seaman completed his degree in three years, graduating in the spring of 1948. During the summers of 1945 and 1946 Seaman also played
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
for a
Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
veterans' team. Carrying his equipment in a satchel, it was at this time he earned his nickname "Doc." Both of his brothers had also graduated with engineering degrees from the University of Saskatchewan – B. J. in 1945 and Don in 1947 – and started working in the oil industry after graduation. When Daryl graduated in 1948, he and B.J. traveled to
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
, hoping to find work in the wake of the
Leduc No. 1
Leduc No. 1 was a major crude oil discovery made near Leduc, Alberta, Canada on February 13, 1947. It provided the geological key to Alberta's most prolific conventional oil reserves and resulted in a boom in petroleum exploration and developmen ...
discovery that took place on 13 February 1947. Both B. J. and Daryl got jobs with
seismic
Seismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (''seismós'') meaning "earthquake" and -λογία (''-logía'') meaning "study of") is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other ...
company
Western Geophysical
Western Geophysical was an international oil exploration company founded in California in 1933 by Henry Salvatori for the purpose of using reflection seismology to explore for petroleum.
The company prospered and was sold by Salvatori to Litt ...
, working in the
Athabasca River
The Athabasca River (French: ''Rivière Athabasca'') is a river in Alberta, Canada, which originates at the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park and flows more than before emptying into Lake Athabasca. Much of the land along its banks is pro ...
area. On 6 September 1948 in Vancouver, Seaman married Lois Maureen DeLong, whom he had met at university.
Sedco and Bow Valley
While working seismic, Seaman became interested in the prospect of forming his own business. Seaman found a partner in Bill Warnke, another war veteran working in the industry. Seaman and Warnke had half of the capital they required to purchase a new seismic rig, and were unable to get a loan from an Edmonton bank. Travelling to Calgary in the spring of 1949, Seaman acquired a loan from a small insurance company and ordered a Mayhew rig through Seismic Service Supply. It was at this time that he resigned from Western Geophysical. Seaman then flew to
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, where the rigs were built, waited a week for its completion, and then drove the rig back to Canada. Seaman and Warnke Drilling Contractors received their first contract shortly thereafter. Later in the year, B.J. joined the company, and a second rig was purchased with money given by their father. In 1950, Don, who had been working in
Québec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
, also joined. Not long after the company was fully operational, the Seaman brothers bought out Warnke's share of the business and changed the company name to Seaman Engineering and Drilling Company, known as Sedco. Throughout the 1950s Sedco became one of Alberta's largest seismic companies. In 1959 Sedco arranged to purchase the larger Hi-Tower Drilling, a company that had been founded in 1945 by Ralph Will. In 1962 the company name was changed to Bow Valley Industries, which it would remain for the rest of its existence. At this time Seaman also purchased several other companies, and by 1964 Bow Valley became the second-largest drilling company in Canada.
Bow Valley's largest discovery came in early 1975 when they struck oil in the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
off the coast of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. Wanting to expand internationally, Seaman had in April 1971 acquired Syracuse Oil Company, a British company run by Angus MacKenzie. Joining with two
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
companies Bow Valley constructed the
semi-submersible
Semi-submersible may refer to a self-propelled vessel, such as:
*Heavy-lift ship, which partially submerge to allow their cargo (another ship) to float into place for transport
*Narco-submarine, some of which remained partially on the surface
*Se ...
it named the "Odin Drill." Bow Valley was third in line drilling in the region, and both previous companies' wells had come up dry. Beginning drilling in September 1974 and taking eight months, Bow Valley discovered a massive field which flowed 22,000 barrels a day. Named the "
Brae Field," it remains one of the largest North Sea discoveries. Bow Valley Industries remained one of Canada's largest oil companies into the 1990s. In May 1994,
Talisman Energy
Talisman Energy Inc. was a Canadian independent petroleum company that existed between 1993 and 2015. The company was created from the assets of BP Canada after British Petroleum divested its 57 percent stake in June 1992. It was one of Canada' ...
acquired Bow Valley for C$1.82 billion. Retaining rights to the company name, in 1996 Daryl, B. J., and Don, along with numerous other former Bow Valley employees, formed the new Bow Valley Energy, a mid-sized oil company.
Personal life
Seaman was a lifelong hockey enthusiast and in his youth had been asked to sign a protection card with the
New York Americans
The New York Americans, colloquially known as the Amerks, were a professional ice hockey team based in New York City from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the second to play ...
. Later in life, Seaman was part of the group that purchased the
Atlanta Flames
The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta from 1972 until 1980. They played home games in the Omni Coliseum and were members of the West and later Patrick divisions of the National Hockey League (NHL). Along with t ...
in May 1980 and relocated the team to Calgary. The group was led by
Nelson Skalbania
Nelson Mathew Skalbania (born February 12, 1938) is an engineer and businessman from Vancouver, British Columbia who is best known for signing a then 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky to the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association, and for his ...
and in addition to Daryl Seaman comprised B. J. Seaman,
Harley Hotchkiss
Harley Norman Hotchkiss, (July 12, 1927 – June 22, 2011) was a Canadian business and community leader who was best known for his contributions to health and sports development in Canada. He was part of the consortium that brought the Atlanta ...
,
Ralph Scurfield,
Norman Green
Norman N. Green (born June 12, 1934) is a shopping mall developer and owner from Calgary, Alberta. He was an original director and one of the principal investors in Sage Telecom, a private, telecommunications company operating in eleven US states ...
, and
Normie Kwong
Norman Lim Kwong (born Kwong Lim Yew; ; October 24, 1929 – September 3, 2016) was a Canadian football player who played for the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was also an active businessman ...
. During's Seaman's time as an owner, the Flames played in three
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
Finals, losing in
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal ente ...
and
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, and winning in
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
. At the time of Seaman's death in 2009, only he, Byron Seaman, and Harley Hotchkiss remained from the original ownership group. In addition to his ownership of the Flames, Seaman was instrumental in the construction of the
Olympic Saddledome
Scotiabank Saddledome is a multi-use indoor arena in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Located in Stampede Park in the southeast end of downtown Calgary, the Saddledome was built in 1983 to replace the Stampede Corral as the home of the Calgary Flam ...
and in bringing the
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games (french: XVes Jeux olympiques d'hiver) and commonly known as Calgary 1988 ( bla, Mohkínsstsisi 1988; sto, Wîchîspa Oyade 1988 or ; cr, Otôskwanihk 1998/; srs, Guts ...
to Calgary.
In 1987 Seaman purchased the historic
OH Ranch and its cattle operation, which he owned until his death in 2009. The ranch had been founded in 1883 and is among the oldest operational ranches in the province. In 2011, the ranch was sold to
Bill Siebens.
From 1949 on, Seaman lived with his wife Lois, who died in 1973 in Calgary. The couple had four children and spent their summers at a family ranch near
Millarville, Alberta
Millarville is a hamlet (place), hamlet in Alberta, Canada within the Foothills County. It is located in the Rocky Mountain Foothills, foothills of the Canadian Rockies at an elevation of . The hamlet is located northwest of the intersection of ...
. On 11 January 2009 Seaman died at the age of 86, having had prostate cancer. Seaman contributed to numerous philanthropic endeavours, notably minor hockey. Upon his death he left $117 million to the City of Calgary, one of the largest donations in the country's history. In 1993 Seaman was made an Officer of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the ...
, and in 2010 was posthumously inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame
, logo = Hockey Hall of Fame Logo.svg
, logo_upright = 0.5
, image = Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto.jpg
, caption = The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992
, map_type =
, former_name =
, established = 1943
, location = 30 Y ...
.
References
*Foster, Peter. ''From Rigs to Riches: The Story of Bow Valley Industries Ltd.'' Calgary: Bow Valley Industries, 1985.
*Sharpe, Sydney. ''Staying in the Game: The Remarkable Story of Doc Seaman''. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2008.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seaman, Daryl
1922 births
2009 deaths
Calgary Flames owners
Canadian oilmen
Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
Royal Canadian Air Force personnel of World War II
Canadian sports businesspeople
Members of the Alberta Order of Excellence
National Hockey League owners
Officers of the Order of Canada
People from Rouleau, Saskatchewan
Sportspeople from Alberta
University of Saskatchewan alumni
Royal Canadian Air Force officers