Derek Thompson is a Red Seal crane operator with decades of experience in Alberta’s oil patch, construction, and mining. He started his career as a labourer in Edson and soon moved onto operating equipment. Part of his job also included doing the environmental cleanup of drilling sites and pipelines. 

Derek feels strongly about workers rights and field safety in natural resource development in Alberta. He also believes that the cleanup, remediation, and reclamation of these projects should be the responsibility of the companies who are making profits and it should not be left for Alberta’s taxpayers to foot the bill.