Al joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942 during WWII.

While in the air force he took up boxing.

Just prior to deployment, Al was seriously injured in a car accident and after a long period of recuperation was honourably discharged.

After the war, Al and a friend hitchhiked to British Columbia where they worked in remote logging camps.

Al eventually moved to Ontario where he completed his trade as a boilermaker and worked in both conventional and nuclear generating plants on construction and shutdowns;

often working in radioactive areas of the facilities.