BAKER LAKE/KIVALLIQ
A group of mineworkers and their significant others are feeling better about their lifestyle after taking part in a program sponsored by the Kivalliq Mine Training Society (KMTS).
Operator Lazarus Iqqaat fills a dump truck driven by Jimmy Nagyougalik during a Class 3 heavy-equipment-operator's program in Baker Lake which saw the participants build one kilometre of road for the community this past summer. Twelve of the 14 participants are currently employed. - photo courtesy of Evan Morrison |
The origin of the (Fly-in, Fly-out) Making It Work program was inspired by, and borrowed from, the Work Ready program developed by Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. for its Mary River project.
Brubacher Development Strategies Inc. was contacted to help adapt the program to the needs of Kivalliq families after being involved with the Baffin project.
Brubacher's Pamela Power took the lead role in the adaptation and delivery of the program, and said rather than reinvent the wheel, the Kivalliq adapted a program shown to be successful in the Baffin.
She said her role in the Making It Work program was to bring it to fruition.
"I worked on the course design and concept, brought all the pieces together, identified trained facilitators to deliver the program, worked with a facilitator on developing the content, and looked at how it could be delivered at-site at Agnico Eagle and how recruitment would take place," said Power.
"The KMTS set-up a needs assessment, which came to a conclusion in June of 2014.
"The needs assessment, essentially, showed families were struggling with the fly-in, fly-out nature of mine work.
"Having someone away half the time, while you're left raising children and dealing with different issues, was a strain and a stress for a number of families."
Power said the real gem of the program is that it's a chance for couples to take time from their busy lives, come together for three days at the mine site and take stock of their situation.
She said it's a challenging lifestyle and couples need to look at what they want to get out of it.
"Being at Meadowbank is a wonderful experience for the spouse who's never been there to see it and understand what their partner does.
"The time helps them understand why their partner is tired when they come home, or why they, sometimes, can't call them after a shift.
"The course content really gives couples the chance to talk together and sort things out.
"Once they realize what their goals are, then we talk about how they get there by getting into the skills around communication, conflict resolution and money management, which all play into the experience they're having at the mine and getting some insight into what their partner does."
The third program began this past Friday, bringing the total number of couples to have participated in Making It Work up to 17. All the Meadowbank workers in the program to date have been male except for one.
Power said maintaining a happy relationship in a fly-in, fly-out lifestyle will always require a couple to work at it.
She said when one partner is gone half the time, it's difficult to keep the lines of communication open, keep your goals set and keep on track in working together.
"The program gives them a plan and an opportunity to talk about what work needs to be done.
"We don't tell them what they need to do, but, rather, they discover it through the program.
"Then they leave with an idea of how to make things work for their family.
"What surprised me, in terms of results, was how much of what they leaned in the program spread through the whole family."
Power said people have reported that, since taking the course, they're doing monthly budgets, paying their bills on time and putting more food on the family table.
She said the mine workers also report being more relaxed and comfortable since their spouse was at-site and now understands the work they do at Meadowbank.
"The course is really well-designed in that there are definite learning goals and skills being taught, but it's also designed to respond to what people want.
"We've had participants come up to us and ask if they could talk about X, and we talked about X as well as Y and Z because nothing is off the table.
"Absolutely everything is up for discussion, and if they want to talk about 'I think there's something going on here that I don't like,' then we talk about it.
"That's the way it has to be for the program to be truly effective."
