Great Opportunity in the Great White North

From Thunder Bay’s platinum, and Red Lake’s gold, all the way down to Sudbury’s nickel and diamonds in the James Bay lowlands, a healthy and steady supply of mineral deposits in Northern Ontario have garnered interest from explorers and investors for decades. The climate can be extreme, but so are the rewards – Ontario produces over $10 billion worth of minerals every year. Now companies like Xstrata, Vale, Hatch, and Cementation are finding it increasingly difficult to fill their staffing requirements in the North.

Patrick Hudd, the Manager of Estimating with Cementation Canada Inc. in North Bay, (originally from the UK), says that after nearly 20 years in the industry he still finds it difficult to build contacts and to network in Northern Ontario. As a manager, Hudd maintains that “The most challenging part of a competitive labour pool is retaining people.” Hudd explains that not only monetary compensation plays a role in retaining staff, there’s also the need to provide a balance between work and the rest of life.

Jay, a Chief Estimator with a major Mining Contractor in Northern Ontario, suggests that the biggest challenge he faces is “Dealing with the long travel related to working in remote areas of Northern Ontario.”

Hudd argues that new technology, like Skype, makes it much easier for engineers and contractors to work remotely, and adds: “The rotations for guys working away [from home] are very generous these days, much more so than even ten years ago.”

The industry in Northern Canada is a “hotbed of mining projects – and incredibly busy” one site engineer at Thunder Bay area’s Lac des Iles project claims.  Now, the problem becomes finding enough qualified personnel to manage these projects, and many of those bodies may need to come from elsewhere in Canada – and from around the world. 

Despite the extreme climate, remote site locations and many other challenges facing those who work up North, the rewards are abundant.  A busy industry means that employers are forced to offer job security, competitive salaries, supportive management, and the opportunities for personal and professional development. Last but not least on the list of positives: Habitants of the North Country are able to hunt, fish and experience the great outdoors “in your backyard,” Jay says, and adds, “You never know where your career will send you.”