Journalist Editor Writer – BIS

Please consider me in your search for an Investigative Journalist/Editor/Writer.

You’re looking for a storyteller, so read on to discover why I’m a perfect fit for this position. I’ll begin with a very personal safety story – my own.

In my younger days, I was employed as a laborer for the construction of a natural gas pumping station near Lavoy, AB. Using natural gas for its fuel, this was essentially an engine on a gigantic scale with a radiator over three stories high. Because we were constructing and pouring concrete in the middle of winter, the whole site was housed in a two-by-four structure covered in polyethylene. The task assigned to me and a fellow worker was, in freezing cold, to make our way to the top of this structure and, on our hands and knees while straddling the two-by-fours, pull out the staples to dismantle it. My knees were soon numb from the cold and the poly was dangerously slippery. So much so, that I found myself hanging, three stories high, between two of the two-by-fours looking down as surprised as the employees below were, looking up at me. Never one with incredible arm strength, I believe it was sheer adrenalin and fear that hoisted me up and back to safety. This was before the days of safety meetings and the general awareness of, and education in, the right to refuse work that an employee deemed unsafe. As we sat on our break, I was terrified of going up again. Necessity is the mother of invention, and thankfully, I came up with a solution, and one my fellow employee adopted as well, as we both hoisted up a sheet of plywood to work on as we removed those staples. There’s something about almost losing your life that endears you to safety.

After completing my Education degree at the U of A (major in art education) while also serving as a writer/production editor for the Students’ Union, Gateway, I joined The University of Calgary as a Communications Officer II. In this position, I worked with university administrators to develop and implement strategic communications plans focusing on students, staff, faculty and the public. As co-editor of the bi-weekly, Gazette, I researched and wrote news and feature articles on the activities in all Faculties. This often required me to present complex concepts to a more general audience and I always sought to do so in an engaging way. My article, New ways to slice the mapping pie, which compares advances in digital mapping to an overloaded pizza, is a perfect example. In addition to profiling new staff members, like Beatrice Medicine, I contributed press releases and other materials, such as background research, as required.

After almost five years with the U of C, I accepted a position as a Journalism Instructor at Grant MacEwan, where I taught News Photography, Graphic Design, News Laboratory and Media studies. Moving to Vancouver, I joined Southam Business Communications as Western Editor for Canadian Forest Industries Magazine, providing copy on all aspects of the business including safety, harvesting, and milling. I then settled in Nanaimo writing for The Nanaimo Business Examiner and others. As a reporter for the Nanaimo Daily Free Press, my front-page investigative piece on Sam Struhar’s battle with Workers’ Compensation was one of the longest articles written for the publication at the time.

My story telling abilities aren’t limited to the journalistic world. I’ve written a children’s book and screenplays and produced a documentary, Truck Logging in Africa with my voice over. On the lighter side, consider my video-application for the position of Traveling Ambassador with Air Transat or my foray into standup comedy. Even my songs, which I sometimes turn into videos, tell a story.

As Marketing Manager for forest equipment manufacturer T-MAR Industries, my duties included building brand awareness; conducting customer surveys; producing advertising copy, brochures and videos; and launching the company’s newsletter, The T-MAR Times. I also designed and oversaw the installation of the company’s booth at the Truck Loggers Convention in Vancouver.

A downturn in the industry led to 10 years overseas teaching (primarily art and mathematics) in Libya, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the UAE and Japan.

Returning to Canada in 2012, I worked with a web designer to launch my WordPress website and have continually added content featuring my writing, photography, art, music, graphic design and video production. I have expertise in MS Office (including PowerPoint), Photoshop, Illustrator and a variety of video editing programs.

My return to Canada has proved a period of individual investigation. My first year was spent completing the first semester of the online Hearing Aid Practitioner program at MacEwan University. While I did well in my studies, the light went off when I realized a great deal of my time would be spent administering “beeps” in people’s ears. I wanted something more. Moving to Prince George, I worked in a number of roles, including as a care provider in group homes and, after completing the requisite online course at the Sauder School of Business at UBC, a Licensed Property Manager.

While in Prince George, I was introduced to the safety culture of Canfor while wrapping seedlings for tree planters at the JD Little Forest Centre. Canfor has one of the best safety records in that industry and it was immediately obvious to me why. No work could be done without proper PPE and a rigorous training program took place before we were introduced to the production line. Every shift began with a “tailgate” meeting and was incentivized by the weekly award of a gift card to the employee who came up with the best idea for a safety improvement. To avoid repetitive stress injuries, employees shifted positions in the production line every fifteen minutes. This attention and concern for safety had an impressive effect on me and I often talk about it in casual conversation.

In 2021, I returned to my home city, Edmonton, and that winter I served as a custodian for the Mustard Seed’s homeless shelters, completing the required online WHMIS course. In the spring of 2022, I joined Horizon North, a division of the Dexterra Group of companies that specializes in camp catering. Horizon North is passionate about safety and a positive employee culture, which led me to complete online courses in Bear Aware, Diversity and Inclusion, HSEQ Employee Orientation, Kitchen Worker Gluten Awareness Training, Minor Spill Response, Respect in the Workplace, WHMIS 2015 and Workplace Violence, Harassment and Bullying.

To serve as an Industrial Janitor at the MEG Energy site near Conklin, I completed Energy Safety Canada courses in H2S Alive and Common Safety Orientation as well as an AMA Defensive Driving Course. Our extensive orientation to the MEG site included learning about lockout protocols and, since we serviced washrooms in “live operations” areas, the use of H2S sensors and bump testing was part of daily routine. While with MEG, I filed a daily report on safety issues as per MEG guidelines. Later, having been assigned to the Cenovus Sunrise camp north of Fort McMurray and working as a Second Cook, I completed Cenovus courses in Life Saving Rules and Sunrise Site Orientation. In all these locations daily and weekly “all staff” safety meetings were required.

Horizon North has a “Don’t Walk By” program that uses a QR code scanned on a smart phone and requires every employee to daily identify a safety hazard and submit a report. It also requires employees to fill out a daily form noting the expected tasks for the day and identifying potential hazards. As tasks change, the employee is required to note “what’s changed” and what adjustments for safety were made. Employees are also required to carry a “Stop, Think, Plan” card at all times while on the job and to refer to the card when a new task was encountered. Failure to comply with these requirements could lead to disciplinary action.

Safety is incredibly important. I believe my personal encounter with a life-threatening safety issue; my extensive experience in a variety of industrial settings, and the creative abilities displayed in my work in journalism, marketing and visual communications, combine to make me an ideal candidate to fill the role of Investigative Journalist/Editor/Writer and help BIS share the transformative impact of its safety solutions with the world. Accordingly, let me suggest we meet to discuss the contribution I could make to BIS in filling this role.