When Terry Wishlow looks back on her 25 years with SED/Calian, one of the things that stands out is the global nature of her work and how Calian helps the world communicate, innovate, and learn.
Terry’s role as a senior assembler and journeyperson in the engineer-to-order (ETO) department—known as the “Rack and Stack”—has enabled to her work in the design and production of key equipment for satellite communications, such as racks and chassis. The job has taken her far from her home base in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to Japan, The Netherlands, Italy, Greece, New Zealand, and the U.S.
“I’ve been fortunate enough that I’ve travelled to many countries with this company,” said Terry, who will officially retire on July 4, 2024. “They’ve sent me basically all over the world, so it’s been a really good experience.”
Terry has been employed at SED/Calian since 1999, but she hadn’t originally planned on a career in electronics assembly. Born in Humboldt, Sask., she moved to Saskatoon and completed high school at Mount Royal Collegiate before beginning her studies at Saskatchewan Polytechnic (then called SIAST Kelsey Campus) with the goal of becoming a nursing assistant. After completing her nursing program, Terry realized that the health-care field wasn’t the right fit for her, and she found employment at a local electronics company. After that company relocated to Eastern Canada, Terry came to SED Systems and later wrote the examination to become a journeyperson electronics assembler.
“I’ve been here for the rest of my career,” she said.
“When I first joined, they hired me for a project that was called VIU and that was a military project, and I was actually hired on contract,” she recalled. “When that was over, I was hired full-time, and I was hired into the build-to-print area of the company. After a couple of years in that, then I transitioned into the Rack and Stack. I’ve worked in that for most of my career here, for over 20 years, in the Rack and Stack area.”
One of Terry’s first major projects with SED Systems was working with the European Space Agency (ESA). Her team helped build a ground station for the ESA, with a focus on the computers and the racks used to communicate with satellites. Terry has always enjoyed the hands-on and collaborative nature of her work, and that project was no exception.
“I’ve worked a lot with the engineering department and the drawing office,” she said. “I’ve been fortunate. It’s been a good job; I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed the people I work with. They’ve been good to me.”
Terry thrives when working with her hands, taking on new challenges, and being “busy, busy, busy.” She has appreciated the unique nature of each project she’s worked on at Calian and she has valued seeing the projects come to fruition, from concept to completion.
“I love the busy; I really do. When I have a project, I love it from beginning to end because it’s busy. You’re always on the go,” she said. “It’s satisfying when the company comes back and says that they’re very happy with how things have gone.”
When asked what part of her 25-year career makes her most proud, Terry said it’s “just the work that I’ve put out.”
“You start out, basically, with a piece of paper with a drawing on it and by the time that you’re done and you’re ready to ship, it’s a whole communications system that’s up and running,” she said. “As you’re building it, you kind of make it your own. It’s designed by the engineering department, but as you’re putting it together, making your cables and running all your cables, it kind of becomes your own thing. I’m proud of the relationships that I’ve had with the engineering department and with my co-workers. I’ve quite enjoyed it, working with the techs and with engineering and with the different assemblers that have come and gone from my work areas.”
Although retirement is now on the horizon, Terry will still be busy after leaving Calian; she has many interests, and she looks forward to spending more time creating stained glass artwork, refinishing furniture, gardening, lawn bowling, and travelling. In February 2025, she plans to travel to Portugal with a group of lawn bowlers, including co-worker Karen Giles-Thiessen, who is also retiring from SED/Calian on July 4, 2024, after 43 years with the company.
“We’re good friends; that’s why we’ve chosen to leave together,” Terry said. “We both turned 65 within a month of each other and we decided to retire together the same day—walk out together. It’ll be good.”
Terry has enjoyed her career as an electronics assembler but said it “feels really good” to reach the finish line. She’s looking forward to her retirement and is ready to indulge her passion for travel, with her sights set on Mexico and Jamaica.
“I’ll have lots of plans,” she said with a laugh. “I always have plans.”
I met Terry 24 years ago when I started at SED Systems. Right from the get-go, she was a force to be reckoned with. I was shy and new, and Terry was anything but. After a few years, I was transferred to the Rack and Stack group. Terry became my mentor. I thought she would be a tough taskmistress and I was nervous. Turns out she was a font of knowledge, with a dedicated and relentless work ethic. As we became friends, I was able to learn a lot from her—not just about the job, but about life. She definitely is a major reason I am still here at Calian. Her drive and patience taught me what it was like to take pride in your work while still having some fun. Terry and I went on several work trips together to places like West Virginia, The Netherlands, and New Zealand. . . Over the years, Terry and I became fast friends and some of her straightforwardness has rubbed off on to me. We have been around for many ups and downs over the years, and we will forever be connected. Calian will not be the same without her, but I am happy to say she will always be a part of my life. –Craig Young
Congrats, Terry, on your retirement! Just think—more safety meetings, lunches, and casino visits. See ya on the greens. –Karen Giles-Thiessen
I will miss having someone who is so reliable, competent, and a straight shooter to complete projects with. Terry is someone who doesn’t like to play games or mince words, and so you could always come to her with issues, and she was great to celebrate successes with. . . I hope Terry has a long and healthy retirement that involves fun adventures and relaxing with her friends and family! –Tara Kooy
It’s been a pleasure to work together with Terry on many projects. Terry is known for her quality workmanship and dedication to meet any deadline. Never one to sit back quietly, she could always be counted on to find practical solutions for day-to-day problems. We will miss her and her delicious baking, which brought many of us together to share a story and a laugh. Congratulations, Terry, and cheers to a happy retirement. –Randy Jaeb