Emily P.

Emily is a twenty-three-year-old from Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nations in Corner Brook, Newfoundland.

In 2018, she moved to Fort McMurray to make a better life for herself with more work opportunities, and has since participated in the Haul Truck Operator program through Athabasca Tribal Council (ATC).

“It is something I have wanted to do for a long time,” said Emily, “and when my coworkers showed me the link I thought it was the perfect opportunity.”

According to Emily, the program coordinators made the application process very easy, and helped out in any way possible.

A typical day during the program included learning soft skills, basic computer skills, and also earning safety tickets. The highlight for Emily was the simulator.

“It is very realistic and gives you lots of knowledge of what you’re going into and how to handle emergency situations, which was great to learn,” she said.

Completing this program has led Emily to securing a work term with Syncrude to further her training and getting some hands-on experience.

When asked what she would tell someone who is thinking about taking the Haul Truck Operator program or a similar program, Emily said: “I would recommend this program to anyone, it’s very informative and it helps you get your foot in the door!”

The Indigenous Haul Truck program is a partnership between Keyano College, Service Canada, Government of Alberta – Indigenous Relations, and Athabasca Tribal Council. The hiring partners in the project are Syncrude Canada Ltd, Suncor Energy, Tuccaro Group of Companies and Fort McKay Group of Companies.