Billie Jo Barnes can vividly remember the moment when her interest in operating heavy equipment was sparked.
She has operated heavy equipment at the Mary River mine, but sheSA国际影视传媒檚 currently working in a recruitment role for Baffinland. photo courtesy of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association
She was sitting at the dinner table with her husband, Nuialea Kipanik, a Mary River mine employee for several years, and he pushed his peas and carrots around his plate with his fork as he explained how he used the massive equipment to move rock and snow.
SA国际影视传媒淔rom that, I was like, SA国际影视传媒業 want to do that. I can do it better than you,'SA国际影视传媒� she recalled, adding that Kipanik has risen to become a site services supervisor. SA国际影视传媒淪o all these years ISA国际影视传媒檝e watched him excel in his job and be proud of him. I just wanted to be part of that world, I guess.SA国际影视传媒�
After years of working in human services for various organizations SA国际影视传媒� including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission SA国际影视传媒� Barnes enrolled in a six-week heavy equipment operators course, held in Morrisburg, Ont. Shortly after graduating in February 2018, she started work at Baffinland Iron MinesSA国际影视传媒� Mary River site, where she would climb into loaders and rock trucks.
Barnes, 40, is candid in acknowledging the challenges sheSA国际影视传媒檚 faced from some of her male co-workers who have doubted her abilities. She said her approach has been to let her work speak for itself.
SA国际影视传媒淎s time goes on, itSA国际影视传媒檚 getting easier. People are starting to realize, hey, maybe she is my equal. It hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 been that easy for me here but I still keep coming back,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淢y dream is to be a loader operator, and probably the best loader operator in the world.SA国际影视传媒�
SheSA国际影视传媒檚 eager to get back to operating heavy equipment. Since November, her employer moved her to an Inuit employee engagement coordinator position.
SA国际影视传媒淚 kind of help (Baffinland) see what barriers we overcame and to see what was really working well for the Inuit-specific trainees that we had,SA国际影视传媒� she explained. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e been talking to community-level people, trying to entice them to come work for Baffinland and take some training with us.SA国际影视传媒�
The work has her travelling to the communities nearest the mine as well as to Iqaluit and BaffinlandSA国际影视传媒檚 head office in Oakville, Ont.
A former Inuksuk high school student who went on to take an advanced management program offered in partnership with Saint MarySA国际影视传媒檚 University, Barnes now lives in Ottawa. She gets on a charter at the Mirabel Airport in Montreal, flies to Iqaluit and then directly to the mine to begin her two-week shifts. When working heavy equipment, safety comes first. A pre-operation walk-around of the huge machines is paramount to ensure the loaders and rock trucks are ready for a shift.
SA国际影视传媒淚 can move mountains and piles of snow,SA国际影视传媒� said Barnes. SA国际影视传媒淒riving away and looking in the rear-view mirror and having perfectly dropped mountains (of ore) on the side where youSA国际影视传媒檙e supposed to be dumping, I would get satisfaction out of that.SA国际影视传媒�
Her eldest son, 21, was also recently hired at the mine and her younger son, 13, is also talking about a career in the industry, she said.
SA国际影视传媒淚 have so many cousins who are working here now as well, itSA国际影视传媒檚 almost like a little family reunion every time I come to site,SA国际影视传媒� Barnes said.
