Rock Stars
After a two-month program with CLAC, eight First Nations students are confidently operating heavy equipment at Saskatchewan’s giant new potash mine project
By Cathy Miehm
SHARON KAY HAS NEVER BEEN afraid of new challenges. At 50 years old, she has worked as a security officer, early childhood educator, and carpenter. Now, she can add heavy equipment operator (HEO) to her list of skills.
Arlen Wolfe, 59, is a member of the Muskowekwan First Nation who had plenty of construction experience.
“I had worked in plumbing, custom fencing, and had some experience with heavy equipment,” he says.
“But I didn’t have the tickets.”
Late last year, Arlen and Sharon were among eight students who graduated from a unique HEO training course that was a collaborative effort by CLAC Training in Saskatchewan, Ledcor Industrial Limited, and the Touchwood Agency Tribal Council.
Sharon learned about the program at a career fair in her community of Kawacatoose First Nation, about 90 minutes north of Regina.
“I was approached by one of the ladies there who asked me if I would consider the heavy equipment program,” says Sharon, who was initially reluctant because it wasn’t her area of expertise.
But then she was told that she would be breaking barriers as the first woman from her First Nations community to train as an HEO. It was a challenge she couldn’t resist.
“I said I would be willing to do it, as long as I could get support any which way I possibly could,” recalls Sharon.
For Arlen, life changed very quickly. “I only heard about the program a few days before the deadline in September,” he says. “I went into the band office, and they told me I should apply.”
He submitted his resume on the day of the deadline and was thrilled to get in. Eight weeks later, all of the students were trained, employed, and launching new careers with Ledcor at the BHP Jansen Potash Mine Project east of Saskatoon.
“All of our programs that we run with Indigenous communities, we want to ensure that there are jobs attached at the end,” says Phil Polsom, CLAC Training’s Saskatchewan director. “That way, they build on the momentum they gained through the program. This one was special because Ledcor really stepped up to the plate and hired the students at the very start of training.”
JASON LOUIS, INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS MANAGER at Ledcor, says CLAC Training’s program was a great fit for his company’s own goals.
“There’s a labour challenge across the entire country right now,” says Jason. “Qualified, experienced tradespeople are needed all over the place. But I would say we’ve had pretty good success drawing from the communities local to Jansen. The Indigenous engagement is an important piece of that.”
Both Ledcor and CLAC had been talking with the Touchwood Agency Tribal Council about creating
training and employment opportunities for area residents. Once Jason and Phil put their heads together, the HEO program was up and running pretty quickly.
“We found some synergies, and it was an aggressive timeline,” says Jason. “It came together in the matter of a month or two.”
The first two weeks were done in the Touchwood training facility in Quinton, Saskatchewan.
“There were two weeks of employability skills—things like job prep, communication, financial literacy,” says Phil. “We also provided them with the safety training they needed to work on the job site.”
Training then shifted to the Jansen site for the final six weeks, where students got to practice their new skills on the big machines. They were trained to operate two of four pieces of equipment: a rock truck, a loader, a backhoe, or a grader.
Josh Poorman, 24, says the onsite training at the mine site was invaluable. He came into the program with no experience, having moved from a career working with troubled youth.
“We spent a lot of time working on simulators at first,” he says. “I learned how to backfill, how to do trenching, and how to fill up rock trucks. After the simulators, I actually felt pretty confident going into the big machines. The only thing we had to get used to was using the hydraulics in the actual machines.”
Sharon admits her first encounter with heavy equipment was daunting.
“I was scared to even touch them,” she recalls with a laugh. “I was a greenhorn in this environment, and it was very intimidating.”
She has nothing but praise for the trainers who guided her through the program and to licences for operating a grader and a rock truck.
“I can’t say enough about all the people who have helped me get to this point,” says Sharon, giving a special nod to her fellow students. “A lot of them came in with a lot of experience, and they’ve given me pointers, they’ve given me advice, they’ve given me guidance. After eight weeks, we became a close-knit family.”
THAT FAMILY VIBE GREW STRONGER at the Jansen site, where students lived in the work camp for four days a week as part of their training.
“That’s part of what made this particular program so unique,” says Phil. “They’d go in Sunday night so that they could be ready Monday morning, and then they’d go home Thursday night. They were sleeping, eating, and working right on the project.”
There was a lot to learn when the students arrived at the Jansen site, Sharon recalls.
“It was overwhelming at first, to be honest with you, because we were all greenhorns coming into this camp,” she says. “We didn’t know the structure of it, what we had to do, where we had to go. Right away, at seven in the morning, we were sitting in orientation with all the rest of the employees, so it was very intimidating.”
Arlen wasn’t unnerved by the big machinery but said going into the camp was a whole new experience.
“I was nervous because I had never been to the mine but excited at the same time because I was starting something new,” he recalls.
Josh was happy to find there were plenty of activities for workers in their free time.
“There was a pool, a gym, and movies, so there was lots to do,” he says. “Camp life took a while to get used to, but after a while, it got to feel kind of homey.”
By the end of the six weeks, Sharon says, everyone was comfortable with the routine of the work site and camp. More importantly, they had grown comfortable working with the big machinery.
“I never once thought that I would be sitting and driving any of this equipment,” she says, adding that the eight weeks of training “made me grow more than I have in the last 20 years.”
Josh now sees a future filled with possibilities.
“I’m really confident in myself because of this training,” he says. “I feel I’m equipped to keep working in this area even after the Jansen project is done.”
FEEDBACK LIKE THIS TELLS PHIL that the program has succeeded.
“There are many places that run programs, but there are no employment guarantees,” he says. “What sets us apart from others is we want to make sure there is employment for our students. We don’t just train them then send them home.”
The success of the HEO program has inspired further collaboration with the Touchwood Agency Tribal Council. An introduction to carpentry and concrete forming program was run earlier this year.
“It is an eight-week program that will provide the students an introduction to the trades through a project we are doing at the Touchwood Training Centre,” says Phil. “We are finishing the remodelling of their centre, which includes everything from framing, drywalling, and painting to installing drop ceilings and flooring. They will finish off the program building forms and are learning the basics of concrete forming.”
The two organizations are also discussing future training initiatives. Phil is optimistic that more programs are on the way.
According to Jason, Ledcor ideally would like to create lasting job opportunities for local Indigenous workers at the Jansen mine project. Initiatives like this are part of the reason the company has been named one of Canada’s best diversity employers two years in a row.
“Indigenous community members really like and thrive working in their own backyard,” he says. “So, the cyclical and transient construction lifestyle doesn’t always fit the community vision and values.
“I’m looking at how we can enable folks to get into Red Seal trades and be able to work with us during construction and then, when Jansen becomes an operating mine, how can they take on a career and work in their backyard for the rest of their careers, if they choose.”
The CLAC training philosophy, which encourages tradespeople to get several tickets, can help make that vision a reality.
“That’s kind of the beauty of the model that CLAC works under,” says Jason. “It’s that ability to move into other skills and other trades without boundaries or barriers.”
What is Potash?
Potash is the common name given to a group of minerals and chemicals that contain potassium, which is a basic nutrient for plants and people. Up to 95 percent of all potash is used in fertilizers to support plant growth, increase crop yields and disease resistance, and enhance water preservation.
Small quantities are used in manufacturing potassium-bearing chemicals such as
• Detergents
• Ceramics
• Pharmaceuticals
• Water conditioners
• Alternatives to de-icing salt
Potassium is an essential element of the human diet, required for the growth and the maintenance of tissues, muscles, and organs and the electrical activity of the heart.
Source: canada.ca
Building the World’s Largest Potash Mine
In 2021, BHP Group Ltd. approved construction of a potash mine in Saskatchewan that will be the largest in the world once completed. Located in Leroy, Saskatchewan, 140 kilometres east of Saskatoon, the $7.5-billion project will create 3,500 jobs at its peak construction and 600 jobs in ongoing operations. The Saskatchewan government has praised it as the single-largest economic investment a company has ever made in the province.
“The positive economic impact of this decision for our province cannot be overstated, as the Jansen mine will generate tens of billions of dollars in taxes and royalties and create thousands of quality jobs for the people of Saskatchewan,” said Bronwyn Eyre, the province’s former energy and resources minister.
This is the first underground potash mine to open in Saskatchewan in 30 years, and BHP is incorporating the latest technologies to help reduce emissions. Eighty percent of the vehicles used underground at the Jansen mine will be battery electric. The company’s goal is to increase that figure to 100 percent.
The mine is expected to produce 4.35 million tonnes of potash annually for up to 100 years, with potential for future expansion. It is slated to open in late 2026. BHP is also using new technology that will reduce Jansen’s water use by 50 percent compared to other potash mines.
Canada is the world’s largest producer and exporter of potash. Saskatchewan currently accounts for approximately 30 percent of global potash production, with the sector employing about 5,000 people.
BHP said its workforce will be gender-balanced and has committed to having Indigenous employees make up 20 percent of the mine’s labour force. It has signed opportunity agreements with six First Nations around the Jansen site.
Sources: bhp.com, saskatchewan.ca, Financial Post, Global News
Touchwood Agency Tribal Council
The council was formed in 1999 to deliver support services to the Muskowekwan, Gordon’s, Day Star, and Kawacatoose First Nations in southcentral Saskatchewan.
Through its preemployment program, the council was instrumental in encouraging qualified First Nations members to apply for the CLAC HEO training program, as well as subsequent programs.
The council also provides health programs, childcare initiatives, education support, sports and recreation opportunities, and labour force development.
Source: touchwoodgency.ca
Mighty Machines!
Heavy equipment was the star of the show in the Canadian children’s television series Mighty Machines. Each episode of the very popular series featured a specific type of heavy equipment.
Footage of actual machines in action doing their work was shown, along with voiceovers of the machines addressing young viewers. Some of the construction equipment kids learned about included bulldozers, dump trucks, front loaders, and excavators.
Mighty Machines debuted in 1994 and wrapped up in 2008. Thirty-nine episodes were produced in total. The show is still very popular in reruns and on streaming services, where it continues to inspire new generations of heavy equipment operators.
Source: kiddle.co