Meet the Canadians of Mining
The Canadians of Mining Campaign was launched in May 2024 during National Mining Week.
Meet the Canadians of Mining below to learn more about the diverse array of individuals involved in Canada's mining sector and mining's presence in communities.
Ashley Jay, Engineer in Training (EIT) at Skeena Resources
Transcript
dẕenēs̱ hoti’e (Hello/Good day)
Ashley Jay ūshye (My name is Ashley Jay)
Vancouver nas̱dē (I live in Vancouver)
Tāłtān ja sini (I am from the Tahltan Nation)
sesk’iye da’ā ja’ sini (I belong to the crow clan)
My name is Ashley Jay. I currently live in Vancouver and I'm part of the Tahltan Nation and I belong to the Crow Clan.
Working with a company like Skeena, we are developing and designing this mine along side the Tahltan Nation so that it incorporates their values and their design principals and I think that that is a company's responsibility.
When a mine is closing and you're reclaiming that area, executing that along side the nation is incredibly important. They're the ones that are going to have to live with whatever you've done to that land... forever.
Another aspect of my job that I am very passionate about is kind of bridging that gap between sustainability and engineering from an Indigenous perspective and just ensure that the values of the Tahltan people are considered every step of the way.
Change does come from within and I'm in a unique position where I'm able to actually advocate for the land and the water and the future generations and actually be part of that change.
Ashley Jay is a Tahltan Engineer-in-Training at Skeena Resources. Her work involves incorporating Indigenous design principles and values at a mine site and highlights how the mining industry works with Indigenous communities to benefit from and take part in the process.
Chamirai Nyabeze, Network Director at the Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator (MICA) and VP of Business Development and Commercialization
Transcript
For somebody who is new and looking at the mining industry, I would urge them to just look around and realize that mining builds the world.
My job entails connecting innovations to the mining industry. I'm really lucky in that my job is all about identifying emerging solutions that are really really interesting.
I am inspired by change. And for those people who are pushing for change, they really inspire me. Also, knowing that mining is a primary industry that has transformative power to change the world, keeps me coming to work every day and wanting to make mining more innovative. Which means that mining will become more greener and more sustainable.
The mining industry is going to be responsible for raising the quality of life for the most people possible on this planet. As more people recognize the connection between the mining industry and the life that we all want to live, then people will understand why it's so important to make the mining industry green and cleaner.
As the Network Director at the Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator (MICA) and VP of Business Development and Commercialization at the Centre for Excellence for Mining Innovation (CEMI) Chamirai works to facilitate the development of mining innovation and technology.
Jennifer Beaudry, Senior Manager at Science North and Dynamic Earth
Transcript
At dynamic Earth, we showcase Sudbury's historical past, acknowledging the challenges of early mining while highlighting the remarkable journey towards environmental recovery.
Sudbury, as the community we know today, has been profoundly shaped by its rich history in mining. For over 125 years, mining has been the cornerstone of our local economy.
The early days of mining in Sudbury also brought about significant environmental impacts to the region. In the 1970's, Sudbury pioneered a remarkable initiative: the "re-greening" of industrial damaged lands. This initiative ultimately led to the development of a world-renowned recipe for re-greening. Today, collaborating closely with Indigenous communities, Sudbury's mining sector is committed to ensuring responsible practices that safeguard the environment and uphold social wellbeing for the region.
Jennifer Beaudry is a Senior Manager at Science North and Dynamic Earth, an interactive earth sciences museum in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Born and raised in Sudbury, mining has had a large influence on her life and the local economy. At Dynamic Earth, her work involves educating youth and others on Sudbury's mining heritage as well as the contributions that good citizenship with mining has and can bring in terms economic and sustainable resource development.
Joanie Caron, Professor at the School of Indigenous Studies at the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) and Certification Strategic Advisor at Association de l'exploration minière du Québec (AEMQ)
Transcript
At dynamic Earth, we showcase Sudbury's historical past, acknowledging the challenges of early mining while highlighting the remarkable journey towards environmental recovery.
Sudbury, as the community we know today, has been profoundly shaped by its rich history in mining. For over 125 years, mining has been the cornerstone of our local economy.
The early days of mining in Sudbury also brought about significant environmental impacts to the region. In the 1970's, Sudbury pioneered a remarkable initiative: the "re-greening" of industrial damaged lands. This initiative ultimately led to the development of a world-renowned recipe for re-greening. Today, collaborating closely with Indigenous communities, Sudbury's mining sector is committed to ensuring responsible practices that safeguard the environment and uphold social wellbeing for the region.
As a professor at the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Joanie Caron specializes in the professional integration of Indigenous workforce in the mining sector. Joanie also participated in all stages of the development and implementation of the UL ECOLOGO® Certification, a responsible development standard for the mineral exploration industry.
View the alternate version of this video based on Joanie’s French testimony.
Zivi Schaffer, Researcher at Trent University
Transcript
One of the major concerns for each mining operation is how much CO2 is emitted over the lifetime of the mine and what that CO2 is doing to our atmosphere in a rapidly changing climate.
I work at Trent University as a researcher in carbon removal technologies and at the "PowerGeoLab", we lean into the fact that as rocks naturally break down, they remove CO2 from the atmosphere and so our goal is to encourage mining companies to implement these technologies to combat the emissions that they produce over the course of the mine's lifetime.
One common belief in the mining industry is that all mining activity leads to permanent environmental damage. But the good news is that we are working on it! Mines are going electric and we scientists are working on carbon removal technologies to try to increase emission offsets at each mine.
It may seem daunting but we've come a long way since the days of traditional mining practices and we're constantly working on modernizing our efforts and greening our industry.
Zivi Schaffer is a Researcher in carbon removal technologies at Trent University. Her work involves encouraging mining companies to implement these technologies to combat emissions produced at mine sites. She received a scholarship from the Mining Industry Human Resources Council.
Laleh Dashtban Kenari, Research Engineer
Laleh Dashtban Kenari is a research engineer at the CanmetMINING lab, who is leading research and development on mine discharge to recover critical minerals and reduce the environmental footprint of mining. She has consistently valued the support extended to her by her immediate supervisor and senior management at CanmetMINING. Throughout her career, she has observed a proactive commitment from CanmetMINING’s leadership to promote the involvement of women scientists and engineers in spearheading various projects, including those of strategic significance.
Maureen Leaver, Manager
Maureen Leaver is the Manager of the Canadian Certified Reference Materials Project at CanmetMINING, which helps improve the reliability of measurements at mineral analysis labs in Canada and around the world by certifying reference materials. Throughout her career, she has been mentored by colleagues within the Department, other government departments and industry. She has become a mentor to her colleagues and considers it a privilege to provide this assistance to the next generation of Scientists who will continue NRCan’s reputation for excellence.
Start or advance your career in mining
Start or advance your mining career by learning more about different career paths and training opportunities within the sector.
Information for communities
Learn more about how your community can develop the capacity and prepare for mining and consult our tools and programs.
Contact us
Have questions? Interested in collaborating with us? Reach out to us by email at cmmp-pcmm@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.