Brad Moe

I welded for the first time in a grade eight or nine metalworking class. I've always been a trades type of person, much to the disappointment of my father, who was an accountant. When I was in school, I knew I was going to be a tradesperson. At first, I thought of becoming a mechanic. But I tried welding and found that I liked it, and I was good at it. So, I decided to follow that path.

I went straight to Vancouver Vocational Institute (VVI) for my first level of welder training. Two years later, I started at the shipyards here in Vancouver. They put me on what was called an improver ship, where they would teach you what you needed to know for the shipyard. After that, I got my CWB certification and became a journeyman.

Working in the shipyards exposed me to various aspects of welding. Whether it was new construction repairs or refits, there was always something interesting. I was on the Ocean Ranger, the exploration rig when it was here. I also worked on the sister ship, the Ocean Bounty. These are things that most people never see. I've had the pleasure of crawling through a submarine too. I’ve really enjoyed this life, and I’m certainly going to miss it when I retire.