Communiqué

Long Service Awards: It's All About the People

As AREVA Resources' 2009 Long Service Awards were celebrated at dinners at the various sites, we caught up with several recipients and asked about their personal experiences with the company. From relative newcomers with five years under their belts to 35-year veterans who remember names like Amok, Uranerz and Eldorado Nuclear, the one constant is their enjoyment in working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.

For Leona Misponas, a radiation technician at McClean Lake, meeting new people and learning new things is what keeps the job fresh. " I know everybody and everybody knows me. I love that about my job," says the five-year Long Service Award (LSA) recipient.

Leona's history at McClean actually goes back to 1996, when she was part of the house-keeping crew. She remembers those days as exciting times. The place was full of contractors and buzzing with activity. When things quieted down she decided to go back to school. Leona is a Northerner born and raised, so she chose to study Radiation Environmental Monitoring Protection at Northlands College in her hometown of La Ronge. She has now been back at McClean Lake for five years.

"I really like it here," she says. I take samples and readings from all over, from the mill to the Sue pits. No two days are the same. The technology keeps changing so I'm always learning new things, and I'm always meeting new people and talking to people. That's my favourite part of the job."

Ten-year LSA recipient Joe Noonan works as a general maintenance operator at McClean. Over the years, he has watched the site cycle through busy times and quiet times, but he is always surprised when he realizes just how much things have actually changed. "It seems to happen gradually, but then one day it hits you. You notice the mined out pits or the changes on the mill terrace and you think, wow, that happened all of the sudden," he says, "But really, it's progressive, things are always changing."

Joe started at McClean Lake in 1999. It is actually a second job for him; he and his wife run their own business in La Ronge. "My wife says I'm always working, but I like to be busy. I'm not a sit-around kind of guy."

One of the things he enjoys about life at McClean Lake is the close encounters with wildlife – wolves, moose and bears. He says a black bear wandered into the camp kitchen last fall and "stirred people up". But the highlight of his time with the company has been having three of his four kids working at the site too. "One of my daughters was a planning clerk and one is now a power engineer trainee. I had a younger son in the mining department for a few years, and my older son drives trucks for NRT, so I see him up here once in a while. Home is never far away for me."

Mill operator Kelly Daigneault started at Cluff Lake in 1994, making him a 15-year LSA recipient. Back then, he was the new kid on a tightly-knit crew of veteran mill operators. "Lifers, that's what we used to call them," Kelly says. He learned a lot from them and rose to become a lead hand.

When the opportunity to transfer came up in 2003, I was the only guy who moved right from Cluff Lake to McClean Lake. He soon adapted to McClean Lake's higher tech mill and is once again a part-time lead hand. He has also become one of the veterans, which makes him smile. He is now helping pass on what he knows to the next generation.

Even after 15 years (19 years including his four-year stint working security at Cluff), Kelly finds the week on/week off schedule tough. Originally from Ile-la-Crosse, he spends most of his off-time in Fort Qu'Appelle. "It's like you have two different lives. You have your work life and your friends up here, then you have your home life with your family and friends there," he says. "I have five kids and the youngest is 12. You know you're going to miss family things and special occasions, but they're used to it."

Ask Joe Maurice if he has seen any major changes during his 25-years with the company and he will say, 'a few'. The man has a talent for understatement. When he started at Cluff Lake there were up to 300 people onsite; today he works alongside eight other permanent employees.

During the years when the Cluff Lake mine and mill were going full tilt, Joe worked as a non-ticketed heavy duty mechanic. He stayed on after production ended, first as a powerhouse operator and then, when the big generators were pulled out in 2006, as a camp attendant. He is the go-to guy for equipment repair and maintenance as well as various other jobs. "In one day, I might do preventative maintenance on the grader, then get in and go clear snow off the airstrip," he says.

"They gave me the Long Service Award at our annual Christmas dinner. They held the plane back, so both shifts got to sit down together to a steak and lobster dinner. Vincent Martin our CEO was up, and both site administrators Martin Munsters and Rod Gardiner. When everything was over, I got on the plane and an hour later I was home in Beauval."

Andy McLeod is AREVA Resources' desktop infrastructure coordinator, but when he started in 1984 it was in the marshalling yard. Everything was still done by hand, and Andy ended up playing a big role in launching the company's computer revolution. "I liked playing with computers so I created a database for the warehouse on my own time," he says. "It just escalated from there."

Andy's computer database was used for 18 years until it was integrated into the SAP system. In 1998, he transferred over to the Information Systems department as a PC technician. It was his job to troubleshoot all kinds of computer problems. As he moved up from PC network technician to PC administrator to his current job, he has watched computer technology get more and more powerful. "Cloud computing is the next wave," he says, "but we're already doing some pretty amazing stuff. Now instead of flying up to the different sites, we can almost always fix a problem with a computer remotely from our office in Saskatoon."

CADDS designer Nestor Calayan credits luck and timely recommendations from various bosses for helping him land a job with Amok in 1979. Originally from the Philippines, he and his wife arrived in Saskatoon in 1977. Within two weeks of going to the employment office, he got an interview with Uranerz and was hired on the spot as an exploration geologist. When the company began to wind up operations, he got a tip to apply at Amok and was quickly hired on at Cluff Lake.

Nestor has fond memories of his years at Cluff. "I enjoyed being up there. After supper I'd roam around the lake or I'd go fishing, canoeing or berry picking. We'd play softball in summer and volleyball in winter."

Throughout his career, Nestor has enjoyed working with the different geologists and mastering the intricacies of new drafting software. One bonus of his longevity with the company is that one of his two daughters now works as a technical assistant in his department.

Nestor has always been a big supporter of AREVA-sponsored events, from the Dragon Boat Festival to the annual Mine Rescue Competition, he is always there camera in hand. He was present at the official openings of Cluff Lake and McClean Lake, and hopes to be around to see the official openings of Cigar Lake, Kiggavik and Midwest.

When Curt Andrews says he joined the company "at the beginning of time just after the earth had cooled", he really means 1974. The 35-year veteran was part of the exploration team at Cluff Lake and moved into mining operations when production started. He stayed there until the early 1990s, when his career moved in a different direction.

Curt was asked to be superintendent of safety and environment at Cluff. After a few years, he was transferred to the Saskatoon office as a technical manager. His position evolved into manager of analysis and control, which evolved into his current position as manager for uranium contracts, transport and special projects.

Over a long career, it is not surprising that Curt has witnessed major changes both in the company and in the industry. He's seen the uranium industry in the province cycle through highs and lows. Seeing the Cluff Lake operation through its entire life cycle is a career highlight. "Having the opportunity to participate in different roles within the company and in the different stages of evolution, from initial exploration to mining, to decommissioning, has certainly been memorable."

The best part of the job for Curt has always been the people. "Over the years, it's been interesting to work with so many talented people from different countries and different backgrounds."