From Oilsands to Boardrooms to the Land: The Creative Return of Frederick McDonald
By Carol Christian
At 68, Frederick McDonald has come full circle—kind of.
A proud member of the Fort McKay First Nation, McDonald grew up steeped in the traditional hunting and trapping ways of his parents and ancestors. He left for a while, chasing after business, working in the oilsands, even travelling around the world, but soon enough, he ended up right where his heart always was, back home in Fort McKay.
It’s the pull of family and a strong sense of heritage McDonald credits with keeping him grounded through all those years, and what drew him back to northern Alberta in the end.
He will tell you straight that his children have always been a big inspiration in his life, spending plenty of time with them as they grew and sharing many travel adventures together.
“That’s always something that brings me back, and it’s also what keeps me grounded. I now live full-time in Fort McKay, which is my community, and yeah, I really love living here. I really do. It’s such a wonderful, small, very safe community, and I love that about this community, and it’s tight, very supportive.”
Living out on the land—well, that’s a big draw, too.
“I love being in the bush. I love being with the animals … the trees … the wind and birds. There’s something just magical about it.”
Looking back, McDonald shares he originally wanted to be a trapper or a guide and live in the bush; then he started reading books. He’s a voracious reader, sometimes reading the same book two or three times.
He earned a trade, going to work in the oil sands as a gas and pipe fitter for 10 years. Then he got bored—really bored—so he grabbed his backpack and took off exploring, spending about 18 months, travelling through Australia, New Zealand, parts of Europe and Mexico as well as the U.S. and Canada.
“I learned everything I could along the way.”
When he returned, he went back to school, earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Calgary in 1995, then his Master’s six years later. “I loved university. I became an artist, and I did that for 10 years solid.”
In the years following, McDonald served as the CEO of the Fort McKay Group of Companies. He has been president of the Northeastern Aboriginal Business Association plus served on a number of Boards of Directors for such organizations as the Keyano College Foundation, United Way of Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo, the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games, and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.
It wasn’t long, though, before his creative side beckoned again.
All those conversations with colourful people from different cultures during his worldly travels further inspired his creativity and ignited his desire to fulfill a lifelong dream: To be a poet.
“I did paint in high school. People liked what I did, but I’ve always just wanted to be a poet, and thankfully, I’ve now been published as a poet.” His work can now be found through Harbour Publishing out of Vancouver.
He chuckles, thinking few artists can say they’ve transitioned from art to leading a multi-million dollar company as he did when he became CEO of the Fort McKay Group of Companies. At the start of his time there, the company was generating about $150-million annually with roughly 300 employees. Before long, his passion for the studio drew him back. By the time he departed, staff numbers had more than doubled.
“I say I’m in the 4-Ps in my life: Painting, poetry, photography and as an outhouse philosopher,” he laughed.
Reflecting on his stage of life, McDonald acknowledged he’s on the Elder list for his community, though he hesitates to claim the title. Instead, he prefers to call himself an “Older.”
“I’m just an older person, okay? I learnt from my stupidity over the years,” he deadpans.
His humility is evident as he looks back on his journey.
“There’s been some peaks and stuff and some valleys, but mostly, it’s been good.”
He admits early on that he realized he might not be able to get around as easily when he was older, so he tackled all the physical adventures he could after he left the oil sands in the late 1980s.
“I thought, well, I’m going to do all the physical stuff I can while I’m able. Some of us are not lucky enough to have good knees or a good back when we get older.”
He recognizes the fortune of reaching his age.
“I’m still pretty strong, but my knees aren’t as good now.
“I am wiser. I definitely know what I am, and I do cater to the idea that if you’re going to be good at anything you do, you have to spend 4,000 to 10,000 hours becoming more than just proficient to master those kinds of things.
“I still write a lot. I don’t paint as much. I spent a lot of time painting, and I do a lot of photography. I just kind of like being older, and so it just works for me, and I get to do what I want,” he chuckles.
McDonald is candid about his current routine: “I’m not as physically active as I should be, but I think a lot of us are like that. I don’t cater to 10,000 steps a day. I do 5,000, two or three times a week. Being active and just getting out and about and doing things, that’s very important. I think the physicality is important, and that’s socializing too. Getting out and about and keeping my mind strong, that’s very important to me. I do like being with people, but I limit that because I really love being on my own.”
Teaching videos on YouTube help McDonald in his pursuit of constant learning and in keeping his mind sharp.
“There’s a lot of people teaching, and it inspires me. Oh, what, a year and a half ago, maybe two years ago, there was a video on leather work. I did leather work when I was a boy, like 14-years-old. I still have that one leather wallet that I made. So, I took up leather work again, and, you know, I got that off YouTube, so it keeps my mind active, keeps me going strong, and that’s important. Keeping your mind active is really important.”
The challenges of aging are not lost on McDonald. “As we get older, we can get down on things, and we become more cynical, and we rage at the dying of the light, or we rage at the social, or we rage at the political. You know, we’re sitting in our room. No one’s hearing us.”
Hence his advice to other olders: “Keep your mind open and don’t follow blindly. Don’t follow what’s going on. Question everything because a lot of people don’t do the research. Form your own opinions and do what makes you happy.”
There are grannies and grandpas now getting out on the front lines with their placards and power to them, he states.
“More people are listening to grannies and grandpas. Again, community is very strong for our elders, and we respect them.”
Carol Christian
Carol Christian loves to write and tell people’s stories. She is a former journalist with a few awards, but no Pulitzer…yet…and loves being behind the camera catching awesome smiles and beautiful landscapes.
She is a strong believer in teamwork and helping others and lives by the Golden Rule. Always engaged with her community, Carol is a long-time volunteer who always gives back. She thoroughly enjoys the outdoors, and all the pursuits that go with it…hiking, camping, kayaking, and so on.