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It might surprise some people that PIPSC counts registered nurses among its members. Not Valerie Emery though – she’s one of
those nurses.

Valerie never knows what her day will be like when she walks through the door to work. As a registered nurse in the ER at Whitehorse General Hospital, every day is different. “In a 12-hour shift you meet many people that might have sore throats, broken bones, or a motor vehicle accident. The variety of the care that you provide to patients is what makes the job so interesting,” Valerie says.


Valerie has worked at the hospital for almost ten years, but has been in the ER for just over a year. Growing up she always knew she wanted to be a nurse. With her mother and godmother both being nurses, she knew what she was getting into.

“I feel very fortunate that I always knew I wanted to be a nurse, so right from high school I was able to direct my career towards that.”

Valerie sees it as a tremendous privilege to be able to take care of people. “In the emergency room, people come in and it’s the worst day of their lives. So just meeting them where they’re at and being able to help them through their crisis for the day…it gives me joy to be able to do that for them and their families.”

While she loves the variety of the work, juggling competing demands is also the biggest challenge in the job, “It can be very chaotic and you have to constantly change your priorities when new patients arrive in the ER," she says. "The person you are working with is not necessarily the priority anymore so you have to continually redirect your care.”

When a patient comes through the hospital doors, one of the first people they see is an RN who triages them and decides how urgent their care needs are. With only one or two doctors in the Whitehorse ER department, it’s often nurses who provide much of the care. Valerie worries about having enough nurses to provide patients with the safe care they need and deserve. “We’re pushed to our limits of how many patients we have and we’re just bare bones caring for some of these patients, I’m afraid. If we had more staff we could really, really give safe, quality patient care. We really need more nursing staff to give complete care,” she says.

Being a nurse in the North brings the additional challenge of not having all the services and specialists often needed to provide patient care. You need to have much broader skills, wear many hats, and be ready to move the patient to a larger centre.

“If a patient comes in to the emergency room and they’re having a heart attack, you may need to start communicating with your team right away to get the patient a flight to a tertiary care centre to save that patient’s life."

But for Valerie, she’s perfectly happy nursing in a smaller hospital and community. While studying nursing in Victoria she had the opportunity to do a practicum in Whitehorse. She took it and two years later made Whitehorse her home.

“Working in a small community you can be exposed to and move to many different areas, whereas I’d never be able to do that in a bigger centre. In my time here, I’ve been able to work in the ICU, the ER, the recovery
room and day surgery. You have so much room to grow in your profession.” 

“And I fell in love with the midnight sun,” she says, laughing.
 

 

Published on 17 May 2019

Zul Nanji is a retired International Tax Auditor with the CRA. Originally from Kenya, Zul has been working in international taxation since he moved to Ottawa in 1992, and was a tax auditor with the government for 35 years.

“I love getting information and learning, and I thought public service was good place to start as a job,” says Zul.

His knack for puzzle solving was a perfect fit, as he spent his career working with other countries and governments to analyze and assess inconsistencies in corporate tax claims.
 


“We look at taxes as a game – you win some, you lose some. And it’s with the big companies that you want to win. We try and find things that they’ve done wrong.”

But why is that important? Zul knows that “as Canadians, we should all be concerned that everyone pays their fair share of taxes.”

“It’s not fair that a big corporation can transfer millions of dollars out of the country without paying tax and claiming it as an expense, and then bring the money back into the country as a loan or a gift, and not have to pay the tax,” says Zul. “They made all that money in Canada, and they should pay their share.”

It's not just a question of fairness – Zul also knows what's at risk if the CRA doesn't crack down on these fraud or illegal cases. “You can tell your representatives in government what you want, and if there's taxes – great – but if there's no money or funding, guess what, it's not happening, or we're running a deficit and your children and grandchildren are paying for it.”

The files and cases Zul worked on had major implications for Canadians, as his efforts helped to level the playing field for Canadian businesses competing with international imports.

He is incredibly proud to have represented Canada's interests in an international forum. “I used to attend meetings overseas and make sure all the technical issues discussed at the table with all the countries in the world were what's best for Canada and in the interest of Canada.”

And Zul knows it’s critical that the services CRA provides are publicly delivered.

“Here in the CRA, we’re not interested in the profit aspect of anything. We’re interested in doing public service,” Zul says. “We’re trying to make sure that everybody pays their fair share, so you get all your schools, hospitals and all your social services provided for you.” Even in his retirement, Zul is keeping up with public service – volunteering to help seniors with their taxes in Ottawa.
 

Published on 11 April 2019

From hospitals and highways, to courthouses and bridges, Mike Pauley has helped build some of New Brunswick’s most important public infrastructure. As a professional engineer for New Brunswick’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, Mike manages large projects that are usually highly political and controversial.

Being an engineer was a logical choice for Mike when it came time to pick a career. “I like to fix things, and I like to solve problems. I also like to play with big toys,” he says, laughing. As it turns out, Mike is very good at solving problems – the bigger the better. And his current work is as much about diplomacy – listening to and managing stakeholders – as the science of engineering.


“My work begins when people come to me with a concept. For example, we need to build a psychiatric hospital in Campbellton. I would look at that and then go through all of the processes right from concept to completion and make sure everybody gets what they need,” says Mike.

It’s often a tricky balance that involves keeping stakeholders involved and engaged, while making sure environmental and other codes and standards are carefully adhered to. Ultimately, the goal is always to deliver a project that serves the public’s interests.

“When you’re managing these major infrastructure projects, I think the public has to take comfort in the fact that they have a person who works for the province who is going to do the right thing in their eyes,” he says.

Mike’s pride is apparent when he talks about the Petticodiac River Project in Moncton. The $61 million project will see a bridge replace a 50-year-old causeway – undoing decades of environmental damage. The causeway had blocked the river flow – causing massive silt buildup, restricting fish migration, and diminishing one of the area’s biggest tourist attractions – the ‘tidal bore’. It’s taken years to get the project funded, get stakeholders on board and do all of the environmental assessments, but ground finally broke last year. The new bridge and a healthy river will be part of Mike’s career legacy.  

“I feel a great sense of pride in the work. There’s a great sense of accomplishment at the end of a project when you get to see people that utilize the work that you do to actually improve their lives,” he says.

It’s not just the engineering work Mike loves – being active in his union is also a big part of his job satisfaction. He’s been actively involved with PIPSC since 1996, and a steward since 1998. “The reason I became as active as I am is because I really enjoy helping people,” he says. “I like making sure that the employer knows what it takes to keep people happy in their jobs. It’s not always about money. It’s about self-esteem, development and the profession itself.”

For Mike, the union is as strong as its members. “I keep telling people that we are the union, and as long as we keep supporting each other, we’ll have a better time at work.”

 

Published on 12 March 2019

As a Research Scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dr. Cathryn Abbott is actively creating sustainable solutions in the face of climate change. Originally from Kingston, Ontario, Cathryn’s love for biology started back in high school. She went on to specialize in genetics through her undergrad and PhD. Eventually, her passion and skills took her to B.C.’s coast, where she and her team are using ground-breaking testing to monitor changes in our aquatic resources and ecosystems.

“The most interesting part of my work is the forensic element,” says Cathryn. “I take samples from the field into the lab and learn things that you can’t just see in the field. There’s a real puzzle that I get to solve in the lab about things that are happening in the natural environment that you can’t do using normal visualization techniques.”

Cathryn’s testing methods allow her and her team to assess the impacts human activity are having on Canada’s water and marine life. 


“The reality is that humans are relying on our aquatic resources for a lot of things, whether we’re aware of it or not, and we put pressure on those resources. It’s important to monitor how the environment is responding to those pressures to make sure what we’re doing is sustainable over the long term.”

Aquaculture or fish farming is a controversial method of dealing with the increasing demand for fish in Canadians’ diet. But how does that impact our wild fish and delicate aquatic ecosystem, and are the processes we are using sustainable? Cathryn’s team is finding the answers.

“A project I’m working on now uses environmental DNA to test the impacts of fish farming on the seafloor. I really love applying these genetic tools to answer real-world questions on the ground about resource sustainability.” Dr. Abbott's team is bridging the gap, between a fast-changing environment and a fast-paced biotech sector that is trying to keep up. “There are problems and there are powerful biotechnology tools, but there’s a lot of work to get those tools to address the problems. My challenge is to try and bring those two together as quickly and effectively as possible.”

“The environmental needs are real, and are becoming urgent with climate change,” Cathryn says. And while more resources and funding would be an improvement, Cathryn is adamant that this research needs to stay in the public sector.

“Federal research happens over decades, and we really do need to answer questions over long timeframes. They’re not secure if they’re happening in a chop-and-change environment.”

In addition to providing stability, keeping this work public ensures that the raison d'être of this research remains firmly rooted in protecting Canada’s resources.

“All of the work we do in the federal lab is directly tied to our mandate, which is to be of service to Canadians,” says Cathryn. “Really important applied work happens in the labs. And we’re accountable to Canadians. There’s no other agenda.”

 
Published on 14 February 2019

“The work-life balance is a challenge but at the same time, making sure my kids can enjoy the great world that I live in is so important to me. I see it as less of a challenge than as something I need to do.” As a Senior Ecosystem Information Scientist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, Cecilia provides analysis, interpretation and information-sharing on the Salish Sea Ecosystem and Mackenzie River Basin.
 


“Research is important to understand what changes are happening, what’s causing these changes and to better identify what we can do to address these changes if they’re moving in a negative direction,” she says. “Without a better understanding of the challenges, it’s difficult to take appropriate action.”

Cecilia’s connection to environmental science was originally driven by her curiosity of how things work and why. In university she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Psychology and then a Master’s in Resource and Environmental Studies.

“I’ve always been a curious person. My number one passion has always been to understand what’s happening and why, whether in biology or psychology. The environment happens to be the focal area where it all comes together,” she says.

Cecilia entered the public service as a co-op student at Environment Canada. “That gave me the opportunity to explore how to apply what I learned in school. And after completing my Master’s degree, I was able to compete for a full-time position.”

Environmental issues are, by nature, a team effort, and Cecilia’s work requires continuous collaboration, bringing scientists, researchers, non-governmental organizations, Indigenous people and others in the community together to figure out what’s happening in the ecosystem and what can be done to address the issues. And because the Salish Sea Ecosystem is shared by the U.S. and Canada, Cecilia also works very closely with colleagues across the border.

“I feel strongly that we’re in this together,” she says. “How we do things on one side of the border may be different from how things are done on the other side of the border. But access to clean air and water, the health of our species and habitat, and the link between ecosystem health and human well-being are common needs for people on both sides.”

To Cecilia, being a good scientist also means being a good communicator. She believes that you need to be able to collect information and to analyze it accurately, as well as interpret and communicate the information in a way that makes sense to others. Spreading good science leads to informed debate and, ultimately, to helping inform good public policy.

As challenging as protecting delicate ecosystems can be, Cecilia takes pride in knowing her work is making a difference.

“This is my home. It’s also home to over 7 million people in the Salish Sea north and south of the border. My family is here. My kids are here. I feel strongly about working to ensure the sustainability of the Salish Sea Ecosystem for many generations.”

Published on 6 February 2019

But after working as an analyst for four years, Andrew is acutely aware of the critical role the CITT plays in protecting the interests of Canadian industries and Canadian jobs. Born and raised in Ottawa, Andrew started working for the government in the Student Federal Work Experience program at 17. He then worked in procurement in the departments of National Defence and Public Works before joining the CITT.

As a CITT analyst, Andrew’s job is to compile the reports used to determine whether duties will be applied to goods in Canada. The Tribunal sees a range of cases, but Andrew’s focus is on subsidizing and market dumping. Using surveys and gathering data from various players, such as domestic and foreign producers, importers and purchasers, he helps deliver the information Tribunal members need at a hearing. There, they determine whether or not injury has occurred to the Canadian industry and whether duties need to be applied to certain goods coming into Canada.



“It’s a challenge for us to get the most accurate picture. Our Canadian legislation doesn’t necessarily require each group to submit a response but we do our best to get a solid rate of response,” he says.

“You need to know how to approach people and to speak with different people in order to get them to divulge certain information. It takes special people skills.”

For Andrew the most interesting part of the job is getting out of the office and doing plant visits. Through these visits he gets to see how and where the products he’s researching are made and who’s making them. “I really enjoy the one-on-one interaction with people. In everyday life, we don’t necessarily see the people making hot-rolled carbon steel plates in Sault Ste. Marie or coolers down in Brantford. So it’s neat to get a different perspective as to what these people are doing on a daily basis.”

Committed to helping the Tribunal make the most fair and impartial decisions, Andrew sees his role as ensuring Canadian companies are able to compete,  supporting Canadian industries, Canadian jobs and, ultimately, consumers.

“It’s extremely important that we have some protection to make sure our industries are not being injured unfairly by things like price undercutting, price suppression, or government subsidies in other countries,” he says.

Andrew believes it’s critical that the work of the Tribunal be impartial in order to protect Canadian industries and jobs. And that impartiality couldn’t be accomplished by the private sector. “I suspect they wouldn’t apply a lot of duties. They’d give a little more free rein to that.”

“I’m proud to work for the Canadian government. It’s a great place to work, I’ve been here for over 10 years. I plan to continue my career here.”

Published on 3 February 2019

As a network support manager at CFB Greenwood, Eva has seen many changes over her 30 years of service as technology has evolved rapidly. Her current work involves networking systems that allow real-time, high-quality video to be delivered from military aircrafts so decisions can be made promptly on the ground. It’s work that helps the military on missions overseas and helps protect Canadian families here at home.

“In a fire or a flood situation, for example in Winnipeg, we would be able to use that aircraft, fly over and take video, and transmit that video immediately to the decision makers to make better decisions on what needs to be done,” says Eva.
 


Her favorite part of the job is solving problems and troubleshooting, although there can be a lot of pressure when an aircraft is scheduled for a flight and she has to do a fix, fast. “It’s very nerve-racking at times,” she admits.

“The military environment has trained me well over my years. With all of that training, there are pretty much no troubles I can’t solve. I’m pretty confident in the work that I do.”

One of the highlights of her long career was being sent to work in the field, in the Middle East. “As a civilian you’re not used to that environment, so it gives you a sense of purpose and makes you appreciate what’s going on and the importance of your job. It makes you feel proud.” Being a civilian in the military environment is a unique aspect of Eva’s career. Eva sees the challenges but also recognizes the benefits. “You have to learn about military culture and the way military personnel think. Their focus is very different, but very needed. Once you get used to it, you can’t imagine working anywhere else.”

Eva also recognizes the important role civilians play in the military. As military personnel move in and out of the base, it’s up to Eva and her fellow public service professionals to provide the continuity, hold the history and keep things steady.

Between working on a military base and on networking systems, Eva doesn’t have a lot of female colleagues at work.

“You get used to working with a lot of male colleagues, and I find sometimes I have to prove myself a little more,” she says. “Once you’re comfortable in what you do and you’re confident in it, your male counterparts see that competence, and your gender doesn’t really matter.”

Still, Eva finds her work so rewarding that she’d love to see more women get into the field and experience the challenges and fulfillment she enjoys.

Eva believes in her work, and takes pride in being a professional member of the public service. “We have our hearts in it. We’re very proud of the work we do and we want to deliver the best that we can for Canadians.”

Published on 5 February 2019

As the National Film Board of Canada’s Curator for the Photo Library Collection, Claude Lord’s job is to store, preserve and share the NFB’s photography collection. “Canadians discover their country and fellow Canadians through our films,” says Claude. I’m really proud of my work, because I’m helping to preserve the collective memory of Canadian society.”

Yet that’s not the path Claude had chosen as a young person. “In the early 80s, I took off for California with a pack on my back and a guitar in hand, in quest of my dream to become a musician. I’m a reformed rock and roller!” It was through the network of artists he met on that journey that Claude got interested in photography. That interest would serve him well, once he realized after a few years that he was not going to be a Hollywood rock star. So Claude decided to go back to school.

After returning to Quebec in 1992, he enrolled in a digital imaging program at Cégep Ahuntsic. That decision eventually led to a career at the NFB photo library. When he started as a technician in 1999, Claude was thrilled to be part of the organization. “It was fantastic! I was working in a highly stimulating environment.” The NFB’s mission is to create films to familiarize the world and other Canadians with Canada, which is very rewarding to Claude: “We make animated films, as well as documentaries. Just being around the people who create these films is amazing in itself.”



“The world of cinema takes us to places we’ve never been before, and the pictures teach us a lot,” says Claude. Historic events, social problems, day-to-day life and unusual places. “Pictures speak to us; they convey all sorts of information. They tell us stories. A picture is indeed worth a thousand words, as the saying goes.”

Claude and his team receive a great deal of material from the various NFB productions. “My job consists of gathering and storing the photographs in our collection and ensuring that they are available to Canadians.” Managing the collection is no small feat: the NFB collection holds an estimated 600,000 physical items and a few million digital units! “I work long and difficult hours, and the job never ends,” states Claude.

The pictures are on different physical media and saved in huge vaults, which are environmentally controlled and have limited access. Ironically, the explosion in digital photography has made the job more difficult. That’s because the number of items to manage has increased exponentially, with the ease of taking pictures these days. Claude believes the government could do more to preserve our collective memory. “If the resources were available, we could invest further—because a lot of our photographic heritage is gathering dust on shelves.”

All these photographs can be displayed at museums around the world, and at various exhibitions and events, so that people can enjoy them.

Claude also gets requests from publishers of books and magazines and filmmakers and TV producers looking for photographs of a specific event or person. Some people are also looking for photos of their family members.

Claude feels that it’s very important to Canadians that these archives be preserved. “It’s a tremendous cultural heritage. Over the decades, we can see how society has changed. We can see how the film industry has changed. There’s so much information and knowledge in these pictures.” During anniversaries, like the 150th anniversary of Confederation and the 50th anniversary of Expo 67, these materials help us remember. “It’s important to know where we came from so that we know where we’re headed,” explains Claude.

Claude takes great pride in his work in the film industry and in being able to promote it across Canada and throughout the world. “When I watch an NFB film, I say to myself, wow! I work where they make these films! That’s the way most of us feel here. When we see what the filmmakers do, we’re extremely proud of being a part of it.”
 

Published on 4 February 2019

His love of history and education developed growing up in Kamloops, B.C. His parents were teachers, and James says debates about history and politics were frequent at the dinner table. With those early experiences – and James’ years of post-secondary education and professional development that followed – the opportunity to work at the Canadian Museum of History and have his research seen by millions of Canadians was an opportunity he couldn’t miss.

As Curator for post-Confederation Canada, James spends his days developing exhibitions, selecting artifacts, publishing and providing research input, researching the collections themselves and responding to public inquiries.
 


“There are many interesting parts of the work, but as a historian something that always gives me goosebumps is being able to work with the collections and see some of the millions of artifacts we have up close,” says James. “It’s incredible to be so near artifacts that are so key to our history.”

James says he’s most fascinated by artifacts that speak to very personal moments in Canadian history. His favorites include one of Rick Hansen’s gloves, worn during the Man in Motion World Tour that raised over $26 million for spinal cord research. “Every rip, tear and sign of wear in the glove speaks to Hansen’s passion and determination to make the world a more accessible and inclusive place. And the glove also represents the efforts of so many Canadians to improve the world for others.”

Another is the lunchbox carried every day by Nora Gibson, who worked as a factory hand in a Fort William foundry making fighter planes in the Second World War. Again, “it speaks to a very personal experience of a large national event.” In the four years he’s been at the CMH, James has applied his expertise specifically to work on the new Canadian History Hall, a permanent exhibition covering 15,000 years of human history in 40,000 square feet.

“What we tried to do with the Canadian History Hall is to create a story that reflects the richness of Canada, the diversity of it, some of the tensions, some of the losses, some of the struggles, as well as some of the achievements that have shaped Canada,” he says.

One of the principal goals of the exhibit was to show that history is never one sided; there are always multiple experiences around a particular event. To that end, James is extremely proud of the scope of the collaborations undertaken with various communities.

As a researcher in the public service, James says you always want more time and resources. But he’s adamant that the work belongs in the public sector.

“Our job is to tell the story of Canada and the stories of Canadians to the public. I think having an institution like ours that can do the work in a fair, balanced and honest way allows us to be authentic with Canadians.” It’s meaningful work, indeed.

Published on 7 February 2019