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On October 8th we were fortunate to have Robert Lang hold court at the Whyte Avenue Rotary Club. During this time he touched on but a few of his talents and the fascinating anecdotes they have facilitated. A true Edmonton pioneer, Robert is 89 years young and still manages Lang Locksmiths, which opened in town in 1972.
As a testament to the changes this city has gone through in his lifetime, Robert told us that after his birth his parents brought him home from the hospital in a horse drawn wagon. He also touched on his affinity for Old Strathcona, which has long been his home neighbourhood.
Robert began his apprenticeship as a Locksmith in 1947, before it was officially recognized as a trade. Under the stern but supportive tutelage of Joel Lipsett his affinity for all things mechanical was given an outlet that has served him well. In addition to the day to day tasks of his profession, Robert’s talents have come in handy over the years in assisting police with property searches, in remediating safes coated with active nitroglycerin applied by criminals, and in assisting those who have had a lock-related practical joke go terribly wrong.
Robert closed out his talk discussing his role in maintaining the clock in the post office tower featured in our club’s logo. In the early 1950’s he was called in to take a look at the clockworks of this iconic structure and tell the management of the Post Office whether he could repair it. Although the clock was in such as state of disrepair that it’s parts were scattered about the tower, and in spite not knowing the first thing about clock repair at the time, Robert had the audacity to commit to repairing it. The clock has been functioning with remarkable consistency ever since, thanks in no small part to his ongoing assistance.
We would like to thank Robert for visiting our club and wish him many more years of adventures.