A pillar of engineering in Nova Scotia retires at age 98

Philip (Skit) Ferguson has made a name for himself as both a baseball legend and an engineer with a long and influential career. He recently announced that he's retiring at the age of 98, after more than seven decades in the engineering industry.

Ferguson says he will step down in October as executive director of the Consulting Engineers of Nova Scotia, a business association of engineering firms that promotes high standards for the engineering industry, after holding the position for more than 30 years.

A luncheon was held Thursday afternoon at the Prince George Hotel in Halifax to celebrate Ferguson's career. But he's humble about his influence.

"I don't look at it as legacy, I just look at it as trying to do something for people and just make a contribution and enjoy it at the same time," he told CBC News in an interview. 

"I enjoyed the engineering profession, enjoyed the people in it and I enjoyed the end results that would come out of it."

Ferguson, who was born in a small Cape Breton mining town, said he doesn't look to the past but toward the future, and he's grateful for the many friends he made during his career.

Ferguson most enjoyed finding opportunities for young engineers to keep them in the province, he said. And he advises young people to find careers that make them want to get up in the morning, but to also know their limitations.

Perry Mitchelmore, the association's former president and current chair of its governance committee, said in an interview that Ferguson has had a wide-reaching impact on the engineering industry across Atlantic Canada. And his stories will be missed.

"I really enjoyed the moments when he would sit down and he talked about when he was coming out of university, and his choices about engineering and playing ball, and how he played summer ball with Rocket Richard and a bunch of Montreal Canadiens in the Quebec league," Mitchelmore said. "I thought that was so, so cool."  

Ferguson's leadership in engineering is irreplaceable, he said, but the association will try its best to follow the model he set.

A baseball legend

Ferguson is also an accomplished athlete. He credits his mother for encouraging him to go outside and play at a young age, which gave him the chance to meet other baseball players and coaches.

In his career as a pitcher in the 1940s with the Dominion Hawks, Truro Bearcats and the Halifax Shipyards, he won 50 of 55 games. He also played with Drummondville in the Quebec provincial league in 1947, according to the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame, which he was inducted into in 1980.

"I think it's a person's responsibility to develop whatever talent you have. And that's what I did, and I was very fortunate that the good Lord gave me those things," Ferguson said. 

He received three professional offers but declined them all to pursue his engineering degree. His coach told him that sports careers are short-lived, and encouraged him to pursue his education instead of a career in mining or sports. 

"You can do a lot more with your life than just play sports, Ferguson said. "But play it as hard as you can, enjoy it as much as you can and realize there are other, better things to do."

Ferguson said that for him, doing nothing during retirement isn't an option, even at 98-years-old. He hopes to continue playing golf, once he gets an upcoming knee surgery out of the way.

"I don't think of retirement at any particular age," he said. "It's when you settle into a mode of operation that you feel comfortable with, and it's no pressure and you feel satisfied in what you're doing."