The Many Facets of Mining: Freda Roberts

Did you know that the Canadian mining industry directly employs more than 373,000 workers across the country in mineral extraction, smelting, fabrication and manufacturing, and indirectly employs an additional 190,000 in other related fields? Mining is also the largest private sector employer of Aboriginal people in Canada on a proportional basis. Here at ABQ we decided it was time to take a look at a few of those individuals with careers that are in some way connected to mining.

Han Hwech’in elder Freda Roberts spent 30 years working as a cultural coordinator and drug counsellor for the Tr’ondek Hwech’in First Nation in Dawson City, YT. Then, three years ago, she joined Kluane Freight Lines Ltd. as their office administrator.

“I wanted to do something different in serving people and to also learn some different skills,” says Roberts. “It’s still working with people, just a different sector.” 

Roberts quickly discovered that working as an office administrator for a freight company is no ordinary office job.

“My position has many factors tied to it. There is regular paperwork, receiving and back-haul paperwork, being on the phone, assisting walk-in customers at the counter, receiving payments for freight, solving freight issues on the phone and in-person when people come into the office.”

But there’s more. Roberts has had to be flexible enough to assist with actual transportation tasks.

“I’m often called upon to be out on the warehouse floor assisting co-workers to sort and arrange freight. I have had to learn how to use equipment like a pallet jack and the forklift to move freight. And I have had to use the forklift to load heavy freight into our customers’ vehicles or trailers when they come to pick it up.

“Heavy items being loaded onto a trailer need to be balanced so that they don’t tip over or fall off. There’s never a dull moment in the freight business. You have to be ready for all kinds of new adventures,” she adds with a laugh.

There is also unusual knowledge required in Roberts’ job.

“I have had to get to know about customers’ special requirements like, for example, diuretic medicines and how to handle that,” she said. “I have also had to learn about various regional and local businesses and how we can work together. All this is to benefit the customers and us.” 

Needless to say, Roberts has challenges as she juggles the many different needs and wants of local businesses and miners, all major customers of KFL.

“I’m often learning how to use equipment and different tools for loading and unloading freight. And I’m doing this while being on the phone at the same time, plus having two or three customers in the office waiting for assistance. I never realized how busy the freight business environment is until I worked in it.”

Roberts loves the people she works with, be they her co-workers, customers or miners and their ever-changing problems. 

“To be able to operate a forklift, palette jacks and other tools, or to sort out and organize freight – it’s all about making people feel good about receiving their freight … This is my favorite thing about my work.” 

Clearly, Roberts gets inspiration from her job. There is a special moment she enjoys on occasion that she describes as, “a satisfied feeling when I know that most of the freight has been delivered, my paperwork is all organized and filed, and I can walk out of the door, shut off the lights and go home knowing I had a good day in the freight business. It’s so much fun.”

Her advice to young people looking to get into the business: “Take a course in industrial science. It teaches you how to move huge objects with minimal effort. It’s just too cool; watching that in the works is so amazing.”