Women changed out of their mining gear and into gala attire for the second annual Women in Mining Gala on Thursday. The Sudbury event at Steelworkers Hall recognizes women who are shaping the future of Canadian mining. “Put it this way, the heels are already off because work boots are way more comfortable,” quipped Tammy Russell, the Frontline Experience Award winner. “I’m just going to say that.” While only one of every 10 miners is a woman, many women in mining said that women’s involvement in the industry has grown exponentially in recent years. “(At one time) there would be the occasional woman who I would look up to and they certainly served as strong examples,” said Laura Grover, the Mentorship Award winner. Different landscape “But now when you walk on those sites, it’s just such a different landscape.” Grover said it was an honour to have her colleagues nominate her for the award as she believes them to be role models for her at work. “Now I’m not the only one,” she said. Mining is one of Sudbury’s biggest industries, and the awards celebrate the roles women are playing in the industry. “There are positions that you don’t even know exist, most likely,” said Jennifer Mailloux, Women in Mining Sudbury Chapter president. “It’s about celebrating the women in the industry and, of course, letting women know who are considering a career in this industry that, yeah, there could be a role here for you.” Mailloux said she felt lucky because she had role models who looked like her to inspire a career in mining. Grover said she hopes the awards ceremony inspires other women to consider mining as a career. “There are just so many opportunities out there … whether it’s being an engineer or a project manager or just some other position in the industry,” she said. Georgina Coste-Ramsay, a Student Trailblazer Award winner, said the industry is still male-dominated. “So it’s very, very nice to see a lot of women come out. A lot of women show up, a lot of women in the industry, and have all that support.” The gala began last year in response to the lack of accolades being given to an industry that shaped the community. Organizers wanted to highlight the pivotal roles women play in mining.
