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AREVA > Home > Our Communities > Impact of the Uranium Mines Employee Rotation System
Community Vitality Program
The present community vitality monitoring initiative arises directly out of the recommendations of a joint Federal-Provincial Panel on Uranium Mining Developments in Northern Saskatchewan. As a result of the Panel review and reports, the revised surface leases for northern uranium mining projects require the companies to participate in a community vitality monitoring program. The original idea of community vitality focused on the social well-being and quality of life experienced by community residents and how a community could respond to changes such as those that may be caused by an industrial project. In general, "community vitality" requires adequate formal services, a strong network of social supports, effective political leadership, and a viable local economy that is both diverse and resilient. Self-sufficiency is also an important part of the definition of community vitality. There are, however, many alternative approaches to assessing a community's vitality, including approaches that assess community health (physical, mental/emotional, spiritual/cultural, and social), community quality of life, community sustainable development, and community wellness. In the case of the CVMPP, northerners helped to define community vitality and to outline the related issues.
It has been observed that fewer residents from the Athabasca Basin are successfully enrolling in and completing their post secondary education. Discussions surrounding this issue present many possible reasons. In the past there has been no formal research regarding this trend. The Community Vitality Monitoring Partnership Process decided to initiate a project to identify some of the challenges faced by residents of the Athabasca Basin in attaining a post secondary education. The project was intended to document, firstly, if the residents from the Basin are less likely to attend post secondary education and if this assumption is proven correct, it, then, was the goal of the study to identify some of the issues that act as deterrents to students in successfully pursuing or completing post secondary education. Independent of this project, Northlands College has initiated a feasibility study to determine if the possibility of constructing a training centre in the Athabasca Basin would be beneficial to the north. This study has not been finalized as of the date of this project. The in-person interviews for the Community Vitality study were completed before the feasibility study commenced. Community Vitality Monitoring Partnership Process was developed as a recommendation from the Joint Federal Provincial Panel on Uranium Mining in Northern Saskatchewan. The steering committee is comprised of representatives from AREVA Resources Canada Inc., Cameco Corporation, the Population Health Unit and the Northern Mines Monitoring Secretariat. AREVA Resources Canada Inc. and Cameco Corporation provide funding for the various projects.
Approximately 54% of Saskatchewan uranium mine site employees are residents of northern Saskatchewan with approximately 49% being of Aboriginal ancestry. Many work with a weekly fly in / fly out arrangement from their community. It is said by various northerners working in northern mines that the best part about the job is the work schedule with 7 days off – the worst part about the job is the work schedule with the 7 days away from family and community. The Community Vitality Monitoring Program Partnership Steering Committee made up of two uranium mining companies (Cameco and AREVA Resources), the Northern Mines Monitoring Secretariat of Northern Affairs, and Health through the Medical Health Officer of the northern health authorities, commissioned a project to look at the social impact (perceived as both positive and negative) of the mine work schedule on the individual northern worker, their family and communities. Working in partnership with representative workers, spouses and community leaders, a project involving extensive interviews in six northern communities was undertaken utilizing a consulting research group and trained northern research assistants. This study explored people's general impressions of the commuter rotation system, the effects of the rotation system on family and interpersonal relationships, the effects of the rotation system on community dynamics, perceptions of the role of the companies (e.g. policies and practices relevant to the work rotation system), and the potential sources of support. |
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