HAY RIVER - Duane Morgan has been in the business of supplying electricity to people all his working life.

"Ever since I got out of high school," said Morgan, the manager of Northland Utilities (NWT) Limited in Hay River. "I started first with Sask. Power."

Duane Morgan enjoys his role as manager of Northland Utilities (NWT) Limited in Hay River. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Originally from the small town of Moosomin, Sask., Morgan recalled, when he was about to graduate Grade 12, many corporations and government agencies - Canada Post, the RCMP, the Canadian Armed Forces, the provincial liquor commission, Saskatchewan Power and others - actively recruited for employees at his school.

"I got a phone call from every one of them offering me a job," he said.

Morgan said he accepted a job brushing with Sask. Power because he liked the idea of working outdoors.

"I was hired to cut down trees in Saskatchewan," he said, adding he recalled thinking that shouldn't be too hard of a job.

After a couple of years with Saskatchewan Power, he and a group of other workers saw an ad for linemen in Alberta.

"We were attracted by the ability to make money and see some different areas," he said, adding they worked building the first major transmission line from central Alberta to Fort McMurray.

That got him working with ATCO, the Alberta company which owns Northland Utilities (NWT) Limited.

Morgan and his family later moved to the ATCO subsidiary in Whitehorse, where he worked as a lineman and finished his apprenticeship at Yukon College.

In the late 1980s, he became supervisor of operations for the Watson Lake area in the Yukon and completed a two-year course in business by attending night courses at the Yukon College campus.

After about 20 years in the Yukon, including the final two as supervisor of operations for the whole territory, he moved to his current position in Hay River 11 years ago.

Morgan said he enjoys working in small communities and getting to know the people he serves.

"It's more the ability to get right into the community," he said.

In his current position, the 52-year-old is responsible for the electricity supply to Hay River, the Hay River Reserve, Enterprise, Kakisa, Dory Point, Fort Providence, Trout Lake, Snare Lake and Wekweeti, and oversees 16 employees and three contractors.

Power is supplied to Hay River, the Hay River Reserve and Enterprise from the Taltson River hydroelectric facility, which is operated by the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. Back-up generators fill in when the hydro supply is interrupted for various reasons.

The power for the other communities comes from diesel-powered generators.

Morgan said his is an important role for the communities he serves and a lot of responsibility goes with the position.

"I get a lot of satisfaction out of this job," he said.

His role involves dealing with staff, budgets and customer service.

"What I have always enjoyed about it is the customer service aspect," he said. "I want to be part of the community."