Jamie

For Jamie, working as a carpenter in the nuclear industry means more than just having a job. It means having an opportunity to define a career path of her own.

“I thought about interior design and graphic design after high school,” said Jamie, a fourth-year carpenter apprentice working on OPG’s Darlington Refurbishment project. “But neither of those professions really fit me.”

So she returned to her roots, performing carpentry and helping out her father in his general contracting business in Scugog, which specializes in installation of doors and windows. “I worked with my dad for a couple years, then realized I wanted to be able to support myself and do something different.”

Just over a year ago, Martin was contracted by Aecon to work on the Darlington Refurbishment. She is now working at Darlington Nuclear, building scaffolding to help refurbishment workers access components inside the defuelled Unit 2 nuclear reactor vault.

“It’s a challenge working in a full-body plastic suit and with gloves, but it’s a neat experience too,” Jamie said. “Working on this project is a huge opportunity for me. I really don’t think I’d get this kind of experience anywhere else.”