Former miner’s new career ensures workers have healthy life outside of work
- EFN Staff | May 28, 2018
It’s difficult to find an industry that Felix Merasty hasn’t worked in.
The Ile-a-la-Crosse product started off his career in the Armed Forces in the late 1970s, and several years later he moved on to work as a surveyor assistant at Cluff Lake mine and at Key Lake as a pipefitter’s helper.
He ended up pursuing teaching, influenced greatly by the role models who helped him finish high school. Back in the 1970s, Ile-a-la-Crosse didn’t have a high school so it was a struggle when he had to go away to Prince Albert for school. He credits those teachers with giving him a base to get into the workforce.
While Merasty taught all over the north after completing his education at NORTEP, even influencing two of his own kids to get into the profession, he had another interest brewing.
“I always wanted to get back into the mining sector,” he said.
However, the mining work Merasty did in his younger years didn’t interest him this time around. Rather, he found himself wanting to do the work he’d seen recreation technicians do when he worked stints at Fort McMurray in between teaching jobs.
“They were helping people out, keeping them motivated,” he said. “I kinda thought maybe that’s what I’d like to get into, too.”
The work involves organizing activities outside of work hours that keep mine staff busy, entertained, and active. It was a perfect fit for Merasty, a lifelong athlete and coach who runs marathons, plays hockey, and is going to the Masters Indigenous Games in Toronto to play doubles badminton this summer.
Orano ended up hiring Merasty several years ago to work at the McClean Lake mone. His job is an important one, as the remote northern operations see staff work long shifts for seven days in, seven days out.
There are full-scale events like National Aboriginal Day where Merasty is introducing hand drummers and hoop dancer visits for the first time. It’s easy to get staff together and fill a bus for outings like inter-mine hockey tournaments, curling bonspiels, and picnics.
“Just to get them out of the mine site, get them not thinking about work,” he said.
“It’s just mental health. A lot of people have issues at work or at home and it’s good to instill like a positive mental health and the balance in mental health and just to have fun.”
The mine offers up a lot of amenities to provide that balance: a sauna on site, pool tables, a full-size gym, pool tables, bicycles, canoes, paddleboards, kayaks, and boats for fishing.
“People love to fish in the summer because most of us are from down south and city dwellers,” he said.
Despite the leisurely activities Merasty facilitates, he said it is a lot of work to come up with new ideas, facilitate events, get people to come out, and make sure everything is in working order on site.
“It’s a lot of work. People think we don’t do that much work but” Merasty said he is there from start to finish with things like bingo.
He said this line of work keeps him motivated to stay active with running and badminton.