Making mining more feminine friendly.

• Position: IN BRIEF

Four female employees from Hemlo Mines brought the Ontario Mining Association conference session on "How to make the mining workplace more feminine friendly" to life. Aileen Pajunen, employee relations super intendent; Bernadine Colbourne, a level one production miner with 11 years experience working underground; Deborah Hanson, who has worked underground in the shaft and services area for 18 years; and, Allison Craig, a mining engineer currently working as an underground supervisor; all shared their work experiences, ambitions, frustrations, successes and long term goals with participants in the OMA "Demographics, Global Markets and Future Workforce" conference.

Following the panel discussion with the four women, further constructive ideas were discussed in break out sessions. Suggestions ranged from making female-sized gear and...