 Five mine rescue teams, one from each mine in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, were competing in the 35th annual competition |
Yellowknife (July 02/01) - The Polaris Mine emergency team came away the winners of the 35th annual Mine Rescue Competition, June 22-23.
The event was held at Con Mine and at the Yellowknife City Hall parking lot, in conjunction with Mining Week 2001.
"It was incredibly close," said Terry Cameron, mine rescue co-ordinator for the Workers' Compensation Board, which sponsored the event.
A total of five teams, one from each mine in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, were competing.
The teams each completed eight tasks, including a written exercise and various simulated rescue operations.
"We had been training for the last three weeks, six hours a day, preparing for the competition," said Polaris team captain Brian Power. "It's a lot of work."
Polaris' six-man team was trained by coach Larry Campanas.
They will go to Fernie, B.C., this September to compete in the Western regional competition as one of eight teams from Western Canada and the United States. A team from Con Mine will also go to Fernie, as winners of last year's Mine Rescue Competition.
The Polaris team is the defending champion, having won the regional event two years ago. Polaris went on to Las Vegas to represent Canada at the international competition last year.
The competitions are a chance for emergency teams to practice their skills, Cameron said. "If we had a big disaster here in the territories, we would have to rely on teams from neighbouring mines. So a lot of it is an opportunity to become familiar with the other teams that they would depend on for mutual aid. And it's an opportunity to show off to the public how we prepare for major emergencies."
Members of the emergency teams are all volunteers who work in other areas of the mine, so teams might include engineers, truck drivers and electricians. Cominco's Polaris Mine is located on Little Cornwallis Island.
