Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Liard (Nov 09/01) - After a slow winter last year, Beaver Enterprises is looking to bounce back in the coming months.

Shane Parrish, chief executive officer for the Acho Dene Koe Group of Companies, said up to 300 employees are needed this winter for seismic projects, drilling programs and camps and catering work. Some of those jobs will be based in British Columbia and Alberta, where the Acho Dene Koe have formed partnerships with other First Nations, Parrish said.

"What we learned last year was that we can't put all of our eggs in the NWT basket. It's a pretty risky place to do business with all the uncertainties around regulatory approvals," he said. "We've got to diversify."

Louise Lennie, human resources manager for Beaver Enterprises, and Don Antoine, manager of training and employment for the Acho Dene Koe, visited Fort Simpson and the Hay River Reserve earlier this week to recruit employees. They were also scheduled to make stops in Fort Providence and Jean Marie River.

Truck drivers, heavy equipment operators, slashers, camp cleaners and cooks will all be needed this winter. Lennie said having proper safety certification is mandatory before anyone is hired.

She said the Acho Dene Koe had more than 1,000 people on their human resources database, but many of those people have moved or have phone numbers that are no longer in service. It's imperative that prospective employees keep in close touch with Beaver Enterprises as work opportunities come and go quickly.

"We're going to need a lot more people than we have available in Fort Liard," Lennie said.

Liard band members are given first priority, followed by Northern aboriginals, she said.

Things should become busy by late November, according to Parrish.