Bev Burns (left) congratulates Steve Chickwitch on the occasion of his retirement. Last February (1986) some 90 friends gathered in Edmonton to honour Steve and Irene Checkwitch. The occasion was Steve's retirement after nearly 33 years with the Atmospheric Environment Service.

After a buffet dinner, guests heard an outline of Steve's long career with the service. He graduated from the meteorological officers course in 1954, and was posted to several RCAF locations in Eastern and Atlantic Canada. The Checkwitchs came west in 1958 with Steve serving in Calgary, Fort Nelson and Winnipeg. In 1966 he moved to Edmonton and by 1974 was named OIC of the Alberta Weather Centre. In 1983 he was promoted to Chief of Forecast Operations, Western Region.