SHIFTING THE NORM
Elizabeth Ireland speaks with scientist Anne Gent on thriving in the male-dominated mining industry
Great Bear Lake, Reindeer Lake, Stanley Mission — some of the locations Anne Gent mentions in casual conversation sound like a history lesson on northern Canada.
In fact, Gent is a senior environmental scientist with the large uranium producer Cameco Corp. She worked for five years at Cameco’s Key Lake milling operations in northern Saskatchewan and has been at the company’s head office in Saskatoon for the past six years.
“I’ve always had a love of the outdoors and the North. I grew up in Prince Albert and my career began in the Northwest Territories working for Environment Canada,” says Gent, who was introduced to the field at a young age by her grandfather, who was a science teacher in Ontario.
She earned a bachelor of science in land use and environmental studies (with a biology major) from the University of Saskatchewan.
While some people are daunted by remote shift work in the North, Gent sees endless opportunity and believes that it is often individuals who limit themselves.
She feels positively about the times she has worked at various mine sites and the opportunities she has to interact with staff, regulators and community members.
“Sometimes the perception of mining is the dusty guy underground with the hard hat and pickaxe. The reality of modern mining is quite different. The regulations, controls and programs to protect mine workers and the environment are impressive,” she says.
Since 2014, Gent has been chair of Women in Mining/Women in Nuclear Saskatchewan (WIM/ WiN SK). The organization has 600 members in the province and encompasses diamond, gold, potash and uranium mining, as well as other extraction companies.
The organization supports a structured and targeted mentorship program to increase the recruitment and retention of women within Saskatchewan’s mining industry. Launched in 2018, Women in Mining/Women in Nuclear Saskatchewan’s mentorship program — called Mine Your Potential — has made 140 mentorship matches during its two-year funding. This fall the national 2018 Women in Nuclear Canada Conference will be held in Saskatoon, and men are encouraged to attend.
Mining continues to be a maledominated industry. Gent, who is on the board of directors of the Saskatoon Women’s Network, notes that while 48 per cent of the overall Canadian labour market is female, only 17 per cent of the mining labour force is female (the number increases to 19 per cent if the oil and gas sector is included in the measure).
Some possible challenges Gent sees for young women choosing mining as a profession include the remoteness of the sites, the fly-in, fly-out culture and extended time away from family.
“Sometimes it feels like having two families — your camp family and your real family. Working at Key Lake for Cameco, I was around the same people 24/7 for two weeks straight.”
Gent tells the story of how early in her career with Cameco her parents were worried about her working at a uranium mine. The company offered one-day tours of the Key Lake site for family members. After Gent’s parents, sister and brother-in-law saw the operations and the camp up-close, their impressions quickly changed.
“My family members were amazed by all the systems in place and the working conditions. After the site tour, they began to tease me about how cushy camp life was with a gym, a cafeteria and everything.”
For Gent, mentorship can be particularly important in a younger woman’s career progression. She mentions two strong females who
Sometimes the perception of mining is the dusty guy underground with the hard hat and pickaxe. The reality of modern mining is quite different. ANNE GENT, senior environmental scientist, Cameco Corp.
impacted her career through informal mentor relationships. One was scientist Dr. Marlene Evans with Environment Canada. Working in the Far North, Evans set the bar high and led by example, particularly in the areas of working conditions and community relations.
Gent’s second inspiring mentor is Veronique Loewen with uranium mining company Orano Canada. She says Loewen continues to provide her with informal advice on leadership and communications. Loewen is a source of support for many women entering or currently working in Saskatchewan’s resource sector, Gent says.