Local mine rescue teams off to provincial competition
Volunteer crews with Vale and Glencore will vie for gold hardhats in Thunder Bay
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Two mine rescue teams from Sudbury will be among eight vying for coveted gold hardhats at a provincial competition in June.
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The teams from Vale West and Glencore SINO Fraser/Nickel Rim South earned their spot in the Ontario Mine Rescue Provincial Championship through a competition held May 8-10 by Sudbury-based Ontario Mine Rescue.
Teams were tasked with retrieving a person from a confined space and treating a diabetic with low sugars, then encouraged to use a state-of-the-art foam generator to eliminate a simulated fire, but with a challenging twist.
“We applied special coverings to competitors’ masks to emulate decreased visibility,” said Shawn Rideout, chief mine rescue officer at Workplace Safety North, in a release. “This prepares teams for heavy smoke conditions present with large underground fires – communication skills and teamwork are vital in these situations.”
The Vale West team is comprised of Captain Chris Charbonneau, #2 Roch Berthiaume, #3 Shawn Barrette, #4 Madison Tracey, vice-captain Dustin McKinnon, #6 Patricia Gagne, BO Lorne Beleskey, and #7 Brian Reeves. Winning technician was Nick Fram from Vale West.
Glencore’s SINO Fraser and Nickel Rim South Mines teams includes Captain Julien Lalande, #2 Aaron Boutet, #3 Neil Poulin, #4 Alyssa Spry, vice-captain Jesse Legault, #6 Shawn O’Brien, BO Bleir Millions, with Dan Rioux of Glencore named winning technician.
The other winning teams were: Alamos Island Gold Mine (Algoma District); Impala Lac Des Isles Mine (Thunder Bay); Evolution Mining Red Lake Operations (Red Lake); Lakeshore Gold West Bell Creek Mines (Timmins); Agnico Eagle Macassa Mine (Kirkland Lake); and CGC Hagersville Mine (Southern District).
The Ontario Mine Rescue Provincial Championship is set to take place June 4 to 7 at Fort Williams Gardens in Thunder Bay, where only one team will win.
“The success of mine rescue competitions relies upon dedicated volunteers and industry professionals, who work tirelessly to organize and execute these events for the betterment of mine rescue operations,” the release noted.
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