As a kid growing up on the Driftpile Cree Nation in Treaty 8 in northern Alberta, Deana Chalifoux wasn’t sure what she wanted to do when she grew up. That is until high school when she took part in a program that gave her exposure to multiple trades. Through that program, Deana found her calling as a welder.
Deana Chalifoux pitched the idea of hosting an Indigenous youth tour.
Now a maintenance planner at the Syncrude site near Fort McMurray, Alta., Deana credits her trade for the opportunities she’s had in her career, and she wants other Indigenous youth to have those same opportunities.
“I believe that to see change, you must be part of the change,” says Deana, who helped launch a pilot with the Fort McKay First Nation (FMFN) that saw youth from the community spend a full day at Syncrude’s Central Maintenance Services (CMS) and Support Services in early June.
Called A Day in the Life of CMS and Support Services, Deana pitched the idea of hosting Indigenous youth from a nearby community almost two years ago. While those who heard her pitch supported her vision, it took a lot of logistics and planning to make it happen.
Working with a small team that included members of Suncor’s Indigenous Workforce Development Team, Indigenous and Community Relations and FMFN Skills, Employment, Training committee representatives, Deana developed an agenda that included in-classroom discussions on safety, presentations from leaders, and an interactive day with tradespeople in the CMS shop and Support Services.
“I want to inspire youth and strike a spark for apprenticeship,” says Deana. “Youth deserve to know that there are more career options in our industry outside of being a heavy equipment operator. There are so many opportunities in CMS and I would love to see them filled by Indigenous people.”
One of the youth on the tour, Tayden Shott, felt that spark. He went to site thinking he wanted to be a heavy equipment mechanic but left CMS wanting to be a welder.
“It was a good day in the shop,” says Tayden. “I was surprised by the size of the machines and enjoyed watching the demonstrations. It made me see that there are a lot of trades options out there.”
Tayden enjoyed his day touring Central Maintenance Services at Syncrude.
Tayden, a Grade 12 student from the Fort McKay First Nation, an archery athlete and trapper, spends a lot of time on the land but had never been to Syncrude’s maintenance shop before his visit. Being able to see what a day in CMS is like, meet tradespeople and leaders gave him new insight into what a career in the trades at an oil sands mine is like.
“The students got a VIP tour of CMS and Support Services and met a lot of very skilled tradespeople who were excited to talk about their work. They got to see what a career in the trades can offer, and what a day in the life of a welder looks like,” says Deana. “I look forward to having more students come in and inspiring the next group.”
Deana and the team are already working on the next Indigenous youth tour, with plans to host it before the end of the year.