Are there any downsides, though, such as environmental stuff? Is there any opposition (from the north, not from the south) to this sort of industry, or is it seen as sustainable?

Benefits like this seem pretty good to me:

quote:

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As it stands now, "everyone who wants a job at a mine gets one, if they have the basic lifestyle," said Geoffrey Clark, director of lands, environment and resources at the KIA's Kugluktuk office.

Clark says Kugluktuk is destined to be "the centre of growth for the Kitikmeot." There are already 64 mine workers in Kugluktuk: nine at Diavik, 19 at Ekati and 35 at Tahera's Jericho mine.

At present, jobs are available at three mines as well as 15 to 20 exploration sites around the region.

Over the next five years, the number of jobs is expected to explode with new mines at Miramar's Doris North and BHP's Ulu gold properties, a copper-zinc mine at Wolfden's High Lake, followed by more mines at Miramar's Madrid and Boston gold properties, Wolfden's copper-zinc Izok property and Prize Mining's nickel-copper-platinum property, Muskox.

Miramar is moving ahead this year with the construction of a $14 million port for its Doris North mine.

The 100 workers in its two camps are 30 per cent Inuit, says Alex Buchan, Miramar's manager of community relations in Kugluktuk. In 2006, Miramar hired 42 Inuit beneficiaries from the Kitikmeot, spending $760,000 on salaries.

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"Oh, I hear that wife beaters don't like women's shelters - they say such nasty things about them! I guess we'd better shut them down, then. We wouldn't want to create more misogyny."

I think your logic doesn't fly.

The previous conflicts of cultural lifestyle and economic necessity are mitigated by both corporate acceptance of novel staffing approaches that encompass cultural priorites and increasing local acceptance of workplace realities in isolated environments.

With the huge demand for skilled workers everywhere in the North and West of Canada,the underutilisation of FN and Inuvialuit peoples is finally recognised and addressed.

quote:

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Originally posted by 500_Apples:
Needless to say, I'd recommend against increasing that 30% quota.

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What quota? What kind of privileged nonsense creates the environment that a portion of northern jobs can be reserved for northerners while outsiders consider themselves first in line.

The rationale for most territorial projects is based upon local hire. I don't know how much experience you have in the northern resource industry but the notion that northerners should compete for jobs with outsiders is a non-starter.

I have no idea where you get this quota idea from but the facts are that any native northerner with skills to offer,especially those with a degree in industry required disciplines can write their own contract with industry.

The biggest problem facing northern communities is to acquire the funds for training.Without that access to training,it is impossible to motivate the people because they have heard the empty promises for years and will not bite on more government fairy tales of training funding.

In the early 80s.duing Esso's Norman Wells expansion project,training funds were promised to Mackenzie River residents by government and not delivered on. The result was that the skills required were not available. Esso still hired many locals but they were issued a shovel or grease gun or tiger torch and told to stand out of the way and take a 12 hour smoke break.

quote:

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Originally posted by Michelle:
By that logic, any time any troglodyte makes any sexist or racist comment in response to progressive policies, we should just stop implementing them so that we won't upset them anymore!

"Oh, I hear that wife beaters don't like women's shelters - they say such nasty things about them! I guess we'd better shut them down, then. We wouldn't want to create more misogyny."

I think your logic doesn't fly.

Anyhow, I didn't know the 30% was a "quota". I thought the guy was just saying that 30% of the workforce happened to be Inuit. Which seems to me to be kind of low considering that they're smack in the middle of the land of the Inuit. That's all I meant. I certainly don't want to start a pissing match about employment equity.

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When I was there I was told that many mines had a rule on hiring a certain number of natives, if they were in native reserves. I think the number was 30%.

A lot of problems would include that often the companies can't find the 30%, and the claim that that since the natives knew they couldn't get fired, they would not work. And of course everyone who worked in a native reserve mine might have encountered one such anecdote.

I think the problems have more to do with racial tolerance, and job training. The main bother for me was some mines were below the quota, and they'd have to pay fines because they didn't have enough natives apply.

I think there are other underlying problems, and those need to be dealt with, rather than a blanket quota adjustment.

Jester, I was in the abitibi, it's possible the rules might be completely different.

[ 29 May 2007: Message edited by: 500_Apples ]

http://www.recruitingsite.com/csbsites/IncoCareers/careers.asp

http://www.xstrata.com/jobs.php

http://www.debeerscanada.com/files_2/careers_b.html

[ 18 June 2007: Message edited by: Sudbury ]

[ 18 June 2007: Message edited by: Fidel ]