Conquering both work & home a "wild ride" for mine manager

BY ISABELLE SOUTHCOTT

Texada Island’s Sarah Bond is a pioneer in the Canadian mining industry. As the manager of Texada Imperial Limestone, she is one of only a handful of female mine managers in Canada.

Sarah is 36 years old, married and mother to fouryear-old and six-year-old boys. She also has a 15-yearold stepson and a 12-year old stepdaughter. “Managing a household and a mine has been a wild ride, but it can be done,” she says.

Sarah didn’t plan to work in mining. With a Bachelors in Materials Engineering from McMaster University, she graduated in 2008.

“My degree had more of a focus on an odd combination of metallurgy and biomaterials research,” she says. “By happy accident I ended up in mining and have loved it ever since.”

After graduation she began working for Lafarge Canada Inc. in small sand and gravel pits in Edmonton. When Lafarge hired Sarah, they placed her in their leadership development program, a management training program that exposes employees to all different areas of the business.

Her first job was as a labourer; she also did some quality control and minor maintenance tasks at the Onoway Wash Plant. “That job involved a lot of shovelling,” she said.

She was transferred to Texada Island in 2010 to work as an operational technician for Lafarge at their Texada operation but another opening caught her eye. She moved into the Drill and Blast Supervisor role where she worked for seven years. Her long-time drill and blast crew members helped her gain a wealth of knowledge and experience in this area of the operation.

Sarah continued her journey working in several different departments as she learned more about mining; she’s now worked in maintenance, quality control, land management, drill and blast, production, safety, logistics and resource management.

She’s used her experience from each area she’s worked in to optimize and streamline her current operation, increasing efficiencies and production.

Sarah says she is honoured to be a pioneer in her industry.

“I am very proud of that accomplishment. Being a female leader does bring a different energy to a site. I don’t find that I need to be more “masculine” to lead, which is something many women feel they need to do. I would say there is a time and a place for that, but thankfully I have not needed to.

“It’s also important to be there for your local community, too. I have done presentations and site tours for our local school. The kids see a woman doing this job and they know that they can do it too!” said Sarah.

She has been involved with Mine Rescue programs and competitions and was the coach for the Lafarge Texada operation for several years.

Sarah has maintained her Level 3 First Aid certification and continues to volunteer for Texada Island’s fire and rescue departments.

In 2021, Sarah Bond won the Powell River Women in Business award for Employee of the Year.

MAKING AN IMPRESSION: When Imperial Limestone’s mill manager Sarah Bond speaks to Texada and Powell River school groups, the girls realize that women can do this job, too. Though only a handful of mine managers in Canada are women.

3 questions with Texada Imperial Limestone‘s manager, Sarah Bond

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced?

Sarah • My biggest challenge is having to prove my knowledge first rather than it being assumed given my position.

What advice would you give young women wishing to do what you do?

Sarah • Don’t be afraid to get your boots on the ground, it’s important to learn every aspect of the business. At the same time, you do not have to hide your femininity to be successful in any industry. You can absolutely be yourself and gain respect.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Sarah • My crew is amazing and the sense of family we have on site makes it a joy to come to work each day. I also really enjoy thinking outside the box to implement new technologies or install new equipment to optimize our performance. I like seeing the progress day by day as we grow. As one of the few female mine managers in Canada, I work with several advocate groups to bring more visibility and representation to women in the mining and construction industries. Safety at the site is my number one priority, and I encourage a work/life balance for all employees.

Imperial Limestone

Imperial Limestone supplies limestone into the Pacific North West for applications such as chicken feed, glassmaking, and cement production.

The site on Texada Island has been in operation since the 1940s.

Imperial Limestone is a community partner with the Texada Salmon Enhancement Society and other local non-profit groups.

The Texada Island site has 11 employees who are union members and three staff.