Around 1918, Eldon Fournie was working as a labourer and plumber at the Imperial Theatre in Sarnia when he was approached by a man who offered him a job with Imperial Oil's subsidiary, the International Petroleum Company, which was operating in South America. According to Fournie, he threw down his shovel and accepted the offer on the spot. He left Sarnia in December 1920 and travelled by ship town to Talara, Peru.

On board the ship, Fournie was meant to receive his immunizations but he was so appalled by the ship's doctor that he threw the vials overboard and decided he would rather risk the consequences. The remainder of his three-week journey passed pleasantly, with a Christmas dinner and concert, and visits to the beach and tropical gardens during stops.

Shortly after his arrival in Talara, Peru, Fournie wrote to his parents complaining that there was not much work for him to do but he eventually settled into a routine which kept him very busy. He worked as a foreman of about 100 native labourers, and oversaw the transfer of oil from ship to shore and vice versa.

Life was certainly different in South America. Fournie and the other International Drillers rode around on horseback. In many pictures, Fournie is shown carrying a sidearm which was apparently used as protection against threats such as snakes.

After a brief holiday in Canada, Fournie returned to South America, this time to Colombia. Although he traded in his horse for a van, he still kept a firearm close to him. For unknown reasons, Fournie cut his contract short and came home for good in 1925. He first opened a grocery store and was later an active member in the community as a school trustee and secretary of Riverside Cemetery. 

Video Clip. A dramatic recreation telling the story of Eldon Fournie's oil adventures

Duration: 1:54 minutes - Transcription