Biography
Born in Paradise Hill, Saskatchewan, Nichols started his business career in 1962 as the Imperial Esso Agent in St. Walburg, Saskatchewan. In 1969, he and his wife Edna moved to Edmonton. Over the next thirteen years he pursued various business and career opportunities with Imperial Oil. He was the commission bulk agent for Esso in Edmonton from 1972 through 1981, and served as Chairman of the Esso Agents Prairie Region Advisory Board. During his tenure, this became the largest Esso Agency in Canada. In 1983, anticipating the de-regulation of the crude oil and natural gas markets, Nichols and two associates founded Northridge Canada Inc. which became Canada's largest privately held crude oil and natural gas trading company. Northridge was ultimately sold to TransCanada Pipelines. In 1985, he created Gasland Oil, with its head office in Edmonton. Gasland grew to have over 50 branded petroleum outlets in Western Canada, many with convenience stores and other customer facilities. He sold substantially all of Gasland's petroleum marketing business in 1996 to Husky Energy, but retained Gasland Properties Ltd., he has therefore shifted his focus to developing that company's various holdings. In May 2002, he was inducted into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame.
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