Cheryl

As a young girl, Cheryl would ride her bicycle from her home to the nearby Pickering Nuclear Generating Station while it was still under construction in the late 1960s. Visiting the power plant’s information centre, the curious nine-year-old would be treated to a free bus tour of the site. She would just stare in wonderment at the size of the station while having all her questions answered by the tour guide. At the time, it seemed like a dream job.

“I thought that tour guide had the best job in the world,” Cheryl said. “I swore to my friend that one day I would become the person who did the bus tours.” In 1983, she stayed true to her word when she became the official Pickering Nuclear tour guide.

Thirty-four years later, Cheryl still works at the Pickering Nuclear info centre, serving as the station’s ambassador to the community as the external Senior Communications Advisor. She keeps busy engaging with the community and building relationships through programs like March Break Madness, the area’s Bring Back the Salmon initiative, and Tuesdays on the Trail, a series of fun and free educational activities for kids that take place in Durham every summer.

The latter program is especially close to Cheryl’s heart as it helps raise children to be stewards of the environment. “Giving back to the community is very dear to me,” she said. “I’m passionate about the community programs we do for families. Building programs that are fun, free and educational for families is so rewarding.”