Laurie Samson left her career in psychoeducation to work at the Lamaque mine of Eldorado Gold Quebec in Val-d’Or, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. After years of working in a helping relationship with toddlers, she now participates in blasting, gas evacuation, and monitoring pumping and ventilation systems.
The 31-year-old does not hold a traditional position in the mining world. As a technician in the control room, she remains attentive to the many screens in front of her. “Everything is automated,” she said. If I see that a sector’s pump has low amperage, I send someone to fix it. I can manage the rising water flow or the ventilation of a section to protect the guys underground. »
Although she does not work below the surface, her responsibilities are no less important. “It takes strong stress management. I work with supervisors, engineers and underground workers. You need good communication skills with everyone. »
Her ability to adapt to different individuals has long served her as a psychoeducator. “I deeply love human contact and the helping relationship, but the working conditions were not conducive to my development. »
Working in two or three schools every day, with no more than 20 hours a week, she had to take another job on the weekends to earn a relatively decent salary.
All that changed the day she received a proposal from her boyfriend, whose job required her to go to the regions. “In a business trip, he was told about the lack of manpower which prevented us from giving better service, stating that people all go to the mines because they make a lot more money. »
The offer was tempting, but the duo knew nothing of the industry. “We didn’t grow up in a mining area. When we searched the internet, we didn’t even know what keywords to use. »
Little by little, they understood that the DEP in mining suited them perfectly. “It gives access to virtually every trade underground. And since we had a university background, the idea of going back to school for several years did not interest us. This six month program was perfect. »
In 2020, she took her first steps in her new environment. “It’s like I’ve arrived on another planet. Underground, everything is different. Everything is cold and gray, but everything is interesting. People’s reception was very positive. I was also surprised by the great concern for security. There is not a detail that has not been analyzed. »
When asked to visualize her future, Laurie Samson sees herself working in the mining world for a long time to come. “I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. I like my job. Atypical schedules [seven days on followed by seven days off] make us feel like we’re always on vacation and traveling. It also allowed us to have more time and to feel that we could have a family. »
