Usually a man of few surprises, Russell Sisson startled those who knew him best last month, calling time on a career at Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve that spanned six decades.
The 77-year-old officially retired from his “jack of all trades” position at the Forest Aug. 6, bringing an end to 63 years of continuous employment in the area.
Known to most as one of the friendly faces responsible for fixing culverts, installing docks and brushing and dragging roads in the summer, while plowing base camp and maintaining snowmobile trails through winter, Sisson has long been one of the company’s most reliable employees. He rarely took time off – a consequence of living where he worked for so many years.
He got his start at 14, taking a general labourer position at the old Kennisis Lake sawmill in 1963. He worked there under Pat Waddell for about seven years, working on the boardway and at the hot pond. When Sisson met his wife, Doreen, in 1968, he moved her up to the forest with him.
“He told me it would be temporary, but we lived there most of our lives,” Doreen said. The couple moved to an apartment on Hwy. 118 outside Haliburton three years ago.
Sisson got his engineering licence in his 20s and worked the steam room at the sawmill, which ensured the buildings in the yard had hot water and electricity – a novelty rather than the norm back then, he said. He was also working weekends, mapping trails and establishing campsites throughout the 100,000-acre property.
By the time the sawmill closed in 1970, Sisson said the forest was starting to become a tourism hub. People would come to the area to camp and fish. He was taken on full-time once his mill work ended.
“I don’t know, I was just there. That was always the way,” Sisson said, when asked if he had a job title. “They had a tractor for me in the summer and another one for winter, and there was always a long list of things to do.”
While he never had a problem getting up at the crack of dawn, usually waking up by 4:30 a.m., Sisson said things changed one late July morning. He went through his normal daily routine but, after arriving at work, reached something of a mental crossroads.
“For some reason that morning I decided I didn’t want to do this anymore. So, I went to see my manager and told him, ‘I’m retired’,” Sisson said, noting he served his two weeks’ notice. He was the forest’s longest tenured employee.
Doreen said she didn’t believe him at first when Sisson delivered the news.
“Even from being a young boy, that was his place in the world. I’ve never known a life without Russell being up there, neither have our four girls,” Doreen said. “I was genuinely shocked. I think we all just thought we’d get a call one day to say something had happened.”
The couple reminisced about a life filled with happy memories – the forest was the perfect place to raise their daughters Lisa, Kendra, Tanya and Sara. The two eldest, Lisa and Kendra, have lakes named after them on the property.
Pushed for major highlights, Sisson said becoming a chance Yamaha model during one of their shoots at the forest.
Mostly, it was the sense of community the leased campsites and snowmobiling created. He reminisced about families coming to stay in all seasons, with each new generation running to the end of their campsite driveway to wave as he passed by.
“It didn’t feel so much like work. I had a lot of fun out there,” he said.
While he still wakes up at 4:30 a.m. most mornings, Sisson said he’s content giving up the rat race. “No more rushing, being on somebody else’s time. I get to do exactly what I want to do now, which is strange but also pretty great,” he said.
