Jenny Campbell, Survey Technician

Women welcome

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"There aren't very many women in the mining industry. I think anybody can do these jobs. There are women geologists, engineers and mechanics. There's no reason why there couldn't be more women working here at this mine.

"I think they just think it's male dominated and maybe they're a little bit scared of going underground, like my Mom, but it's not that scary as long as you're safe about what you're doing."

Workplace images

Where I work

Vale Inco is one of the largest nickel producing companies in the world. There are operations all over the globe, including Sudbury and Thompson.

I work at Birchtree Mine in Thompson with about 75 staff, including our above ground office. I work both above ground and underground.

The complex is divided into upper (2,100-2,750 feet below surface) and lower (2,800 to 4,000 feet below ground) levels. The levels are connected by a ramp so you can drive to wherever in the mine you're needed. To get to the ramp you take the cage, which is like an elevator, to one of the main levels.

Life underground

Generally, it's muddy, dark, and wet throughout the mine. But certain areas can be hot, while others are cool. The refuge stations* and shaft stations where you catch the cage to the surface are brightly lit. Outside of these areas you rely upon your cap lamp on your hard hat to see around you.

Radio communication is available through most of the mine and there are phones on each level. Throughout the mine you see heavy equipment, such as scoops to haul rock, drills, graders, and personnel carriers to transport people throughout the mine.

*Note: Refuge stations are secure areas where the mine workers go in case of an emergency. They are also used as lunchrooms.

Finding the ore

I work with two other surveyors in a team led by a surveyor party leader who plans what we do. The mine planners and geologists request what type of mark up is needed and by when. Daily tasks include marking-up centerlines for drifts, grades marks, diamond drill holes and other things for drillers.

The diamond drillers drill holes 100 feet long or more. The core is sent to the surface core shack where geologists log it to see where the ore and other types of rocks are. They interpret that information into a model so we have a visual representation of a particular area underground. The mine planners then create a plan to reach and extract the ore.

*Note: A draft is an engineering drawing or blueprint. Grades refer to the slope of the area.

Scanning a hole

We do a scan for various different reasons. Sometimes it's to see how much tonnage was created by a blast or when there is a lot of sloughing (rocks and other material falling) in that area. We set up our survey station where the scanner is located and pick up two shots on the directional poles. That tells the data collector* where that scanner is located. We hang the scanner over the hole to do a 360 degree scan of it.

We import the data into Vulcan, a 3D program that maps the whole mine and helps planners decide what to do next.

*Note: The data collector uses a global positioning position system to record where surveyors are in the mine as it gathers data from the scanner.

Safety procedures

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"You have to put your lock on the lock board before you go underground. That just lets everybody know that you're underground. And when you come up from underground you have to remember to take your lock off. In case there was an emergency and you had forgotten to take your lock off they're going to think you're under there. So it's very important to remember that, and that's stressed.

"We always have radios, and if you're working alone you have to fill out a working alone sheet and check in every two hours. Surveyors are usually with somebody else, so we don't have to fill those sheets out very often."

Mining communities

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"I was born in Elliot Lake, Ontario. I lived there until I was in grade one and then we moved for five years to Huntsville, Ontario. And then I moved back to Elliot Lake for one year. And then I finished out my high school and lived in Marathon from grade nine on. And all my moves were due to mines closing and opening because my dad works in the mill department of a mine.

"When one mine would close, you'd find that  pretty much the same group of people would go from that town to another town. so you know the same people. And it's easy to get to know people because they know the industry, they know how it is."

Education important

Dad didn't complete high school. He started working in the mine when he was young, like his father and brother and his friends. My mom graduated from high school and worked as a secretary for an insurance office for years.

My parents always wanted me to get good grades so that I could get into whatever college or university I wanted to go to. When I said I wanted to go into mining, dad was happy for me. He knows it's a good industry to be in. And if you have education, you have more job stability and financial security in this industry.

My time off

When I'm finished at work, I'm home by 3:00 pm. During the week I have to get up at 5:30 in the morning so most evenings I make supper, watch TV, relax and go to bed early.

During weekends, I read and watch movies. In the summer, I like to go for walks and camping. In the winter I enjoy skiing at Mystery Mountain just outside of Thompson.

To reward myself, I buy a lot of clothes, shoes and purses. I also go home to visit my parents and the dog. Shopping trips to Winnipeg are another way I treat myself.

Life in Thompson

I really enjoy the friendly people here. It's a small community and I'm used to that. I would never want to live in a big city.

Hot summers are one of the best things about Manitoba. I also really enjoy the fact that there's a lot of daylight up here in Thompson. On the flip side, winters are long and cold and days are short, which kind of depresses me. When I get off work, I only have half an hour of daylight left. It's also a really long drive from Thompson to Winnipeg.

Friends in mining

Most of the friends I've made since I moved to Thompson work at Vale Inco. That's really good because we all have something in common.

Outside of work, we just want to relax and have a good time and not think about work. At the same time, if we do have concerns about work, we can talk about them with people who understand because they work there too.

My schedule

I work an eight hour day and can start any time from 6:00 am to 7:00 am as long as I put in all my hours. I work Monday to Friday with Saturday and Sunday off. When I have to work overtime, I bank those hours and use them as time off.

Right now, I have 18 vacation days a year. Because we work in teams of two, there can only be two surveyors off at a time so we need to strategically plan our vacations.

Planning a drift

Planners consult with geologists to see where the ore is and to figure out which drifts* to explore. Then my survey partner and I go underground and mark the spot up with paint marks so the drillers know where to blast it.

Once the drifts get a little farther in, we put two smoke marks in the back that tell the drillers to drive the drift straight. They usually drive at a plus 3% grade so every hundred feet in a drift we go back and move the smoke marks and grades up.

*Note: Drifts are mine tunnels that are horizontal or at a slight incline to make hauling easier. Jenny's marks and calculations help the rest of the mining team know how to work with a particular drift, or section of the mine.

Collecting data

All of the work we do underground is electronically documented. One of the first things I do after coming back up to the surface is download the information onto the computer so I can enter the data into Vulcan.

Miners keep sheets tracking where they bolted, how many bolts and pieces of screen they installed, how many buckets they mucked, how much pipe was put up or torn down. I enter that into a spreadsheet because at month end, that helps figure out their bonus.

Computer programs

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"Computers, I use everyday - everything from just using Excel spreadsheets to Vulcan.

"I knew computers pretty well from schooling. I had to work with Excel and Word, emailing and stuff. So basically the only thing I didn't know was Vulcan, and they trained me on that - Vulcan and AutoCAD."

Note: AutoCAD is a 2D software program that used to be the main tool for modelling and engineering. Now, using Vulcan, surveyors can rotate in 3D everything they survey underground to see it from different angles.

Surveying important

Miners can't drive a drift properly without surveyors marking it up. They rely on us to mark up the centerline of a drift so they can drive a drift straight ahead where the planner has laid it out to go. Marking up involves drilling a nail with a red reflector square into the surrounding rocks at a specific spot. Using paint, we write symbols and instructions for the miners on the walls of a drift.

My calculations have to be accurate, so being organized and detail-oriented is an asset. With time and experience, I'll get faster at setting up the station and doing calculations off the top of my head.

Different environments

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"It's always something different. My days aren't the same over and over. There's always something new, something I've never seen or something I've never done.

"Usually I'm underground from 8:00 in the morning until probably about noon. And while I'm underground there's a lot of walking around, carrying stuff. I don't usually have to walk around with the gear that much, but if we do, it can be a bit strenuous. But it's a good workout.

"And in the afternoons, I'm usually just at my desk."

Communication skills

When I'm underground, oral communication is important. Sometimes it can be very loud so being heard clearly helps me keep safe. We can communicate using our cap lamps, by moving our heads back and forth, up and down, or around in a circle.

I work with engineers, geologists, miners and fellow surveyors, so I need to be able to interact with them at their level. Teamwork is essential to my work. When working with other people, I have to get to know their strengths and how to make the most of theirs and mine.

Constantly learning

There are so many different standards that we have to learn about and abide by, such as safety, engineering, geological, and environmental.

I want to learn more about the geology and engineering aspects of mining. Experience and asking questions allows me to constantly be learning.

Pace varies

Some days can be very fast-paced. If there are a lot of jobs my survey partner and I have to tackle underground or if there is something we need to re-check, my days can be very hectic.

On other days it's slower. It changes from day to day and some days can be somewhere in the middle.

High school subjects

In high school, I enjoyed biology, history, math and most science courses. I hated chemistry, the one science I still do not enjoy, and didn't like music, art or English.

In Ontario, you needed your OAC's* to get into university, but I didn't want to stay that extra year in Marathon. I wanted to go to school as soon as possible so going to college for two years seemed like the way to do it. At college, I studied to become a family services worker. I saw college as a stepping stone to university.

*Note: Ontario Academic Credits were grade 13 credits, before the province abolished grade 13 in 2003.

A poor fit

While studying to become a family services worker I had to do a placement for one semester at the Children's Aid Society. It really opened my eyes. I enjoyed it to some degree, but I realized I wasn't cut out to work in that field.

I found it hard to deal with families that neglected their children. Every day I had to deal with things that I knew shouldn't be happening, and I felt bad for the children. It wasn't a very happy place to work.

Support helps

My parents were very supportive. No matter how many times I changed my mind about what I wanted to do, they always stuck by me. They reminded me that everything works out and that I'd eventually figure out what I needed to do.

Two high school teachers always believed in me. When they gave me good reviews on my work and said things like, "I know you're going to go places," or "You're going to do well in whatever you do," it was very encouraging.

Getting hired

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"I had gone to college for two years and then I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in university. So, I think they were just looking for educated people that could easily learn and fit into this workplace.

"And I possessed those skills and they hired me, and they trained me how to survey because I had no previous surveying experience. They gave me two weeks of basic surveying skills. That's all I did was just learn how to survey."

Experience helped

Before this, I worked as a summer student driving trucks in the open pit back home in Marathon.

Working in mines over five summers, I learned a lot. I learned the basics of how to work safely by going underground as a summer student. I had an idea of how engineers, geologists and miners contribute to mining. I was also familiar with each step of the mining process, like why they blast and where the ore goes from there.

My career plans

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"I want to just continue taking university courses and getting as much training as I can from Vale Inco, so that I can move up.

"In five years I think I would still be fine being a surveyor but just have more knowledge of the mine in general. It's going to take time for me to learn about the engineering and the geology."

Studying geology

I'm taking correspondence geology courses through Athabasca University right now. They sent me textbooks and rock samples and I submit my assignments online and through email.

I want to take as many courses on the engineering and geology side as I can. That way I can learn more about both topics and open up the possibility for me to move into different positions. I enjoy surveying but I'd like to try other jobs over the course of my career.

Economic challenge

My parents went through tough times with mines closing. One of the biggest things I learned from them is that things always work out, even if you hit rough patches.

Vale Inco just laid off 24 people, but I think the company will be around for awhile. Once the economy bounces back everybody's going to feel a bit safer about their job. It's just a matter of getting through this little downturn.

If I were ever to lose my job I would go back to school and get my master's degree. I'd definitely continue learning about biology or natural sciences.

Loves dogs

I had a dog named Benji for 16 years. My new dog Oliver is a year and a half and he's with my folks back in Marathon. He's the complete opposite of Benji. He's big and crazy and I just love him. In my apartment, dogs aren't allowed so I miss that companionship.

I would like to volunteer at the Humane Society. I love dogs and I think it would be fun to help out and take them for walks.

My advice

It's fine if you don't know what you want to do right out of high school. I certainly didn't, even though I thought I did. Once you get to university or college you're going to see whether or not you like what you're studying. It's okay to change your mind along the way.

Education and being able to work well both on your own and as part of a team will make you more employable. Employers appreciate someone who is self-motivated and takes pride in their work. If you want to do well and want your company to do well, you're going to work your best.

Job Market Info

The links below take you to federal and regional government information on employment, education, salary ranges and long range prospects for this career.

The official title for Jenny's occupation is "Technicians in Physical Sciences" and its NOC* code is 2212.

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Working in Canada Career Research Tool

*Each occupation has an official name and unique number called the 'National Occupation Classification' code or 'NOC'.

Education

Useful High School subjects

- Sciences
- Math
- Computer-related courses
- English

*Source: JobFutures.ca

For those out of school, Adult Learning Centres can help you get or upgrade your high school diploma, including adding subjects that are required for work or further education. All Manitobans are normally entitled to four free courses.

Below are links to various programs and courses that can help you on the path to a career as a Survey Technician:

Colleges & Universities

Red River College

Civil Engineering technology

Assiniboine Community College - Brandon

Civil Technician

University College of the North - The Pas/Thompson

Course Catalogue
Civil/CAD Technology (p 33)

Essential Skills

The most important Essential Skills* for a Survey Technician and other related occupations are:

- Document Use
- Numeracy
- Computer Use

*For more information on Essential Skills and their importance to this occupation, go to: Essential Skills

Professional Resources

Forward North (Northern Manitoba Sector Council)
Forward North works on behalf of the Northern Manitoba Sector Council, which includes seven mining, forestry and hydro companies that operate in northern Manitoba. Forward North helps match these companies' needs for skilled workers with trained people able to fill those jobs.

Mining Association of Manitoba
Represents all operating mines in the province as well as most firms conducting mineral exploration projects in Manitoba

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of the Province of Manitoba
Leads and facilitates excellence in engineering, geoscience and applied technology for the public of Manitoba

Related Careers

Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (NOC 2231)

Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technologists and Technicians (NOC 2241)

Mapping and Related Technologists and Technicians (NOC 2255)

Supervisors, Mining and Quarrying (NOC 8221)