Unconventional Path to Mining Career Pays Off

At 54 years old, Edward Clermont has secured his dream position as an underground miner through an unexpected job-seeking strategy: leasing a billboard along Ontario’s Trans-Canada Highway. The career changer’s bold approach ultimately connected him with industry leaders despite entering a physically demanding field later in life.

From Construction to Underground Mining

Clermont, currently based in Kingston, has pursued diverse professional challenges throughout his working life. After stints on Alberta oil rigs and decades in construction, he enrolled in the Underground Hard Rock Miner Common Core program at a Northern Ontario training facility.

“It was quite the experience that really changed me,” Clermont said about his training, particularly recalling his first time operating a jackleg drill in the simulated mine environment. “I’ve always challenged myself with different things, and underground mining represents the ultimate challenge.”

Industry Faces Workforce Challenges

Recent industry data reveals significant staffing shortages in Canada’s mining sector, with only 5% of workers under age 25 and 18% aged 55 or older. Training program enrollments have declined despite growing demand for skilled workers.

Greg Major, a training director at the facility where Clermont studied, emphasized the importance of creative job-seeking approaches. “Having a highway sign declaring your readiness to work is pretty amazing,” Major noted, confirming this marked the first instance he’d witnessed such an unconventional tactic.

The Billboard That Changed Everything

Clermont’s decision to advertise his availability on a Sudbury-area highway billboard quickly generated professional interest. His LinkedIn profile received increased traffic, leading to conversations with mining supervisors nationwide.

Joe Bell, a recruitment manager with a North Bay-based mine contractor, was among those who noticed the signage. “We regularly hire workers in their 50s, 60s and even 70s if they possess the right skills and work ethic,” Bell stated after forwarding Clermont’s resume to multiple mine sites.

Dream Job Realized

The persistence paid off when Clermont received an offer for a nine-month contract as a construction miner at northwestern Ontario’s Musselwhite gold mine. He’ll perform drilling, bolting and blasting operations nearly a kilometer underground.

“I find satisfaction knowing I can accomplish what many half my age couldn’t,” Clermont remarked. The new miner plans to continue in the industry until age 70, living by his personal philosophy: “Keep moving forward, keep learning, and keep doing things people say I’m too old for.”