Chelsea Williams
Manager, Value Delivery, Coal Processing
Yaletown Office

When did you start at the company, and at which site/office?

I started at Teck in July 2019 when I joined the RACE21™ team in the Vancouver office. 

What other sites/offices have you worked at?

Prior to joining Teck, I was living in Australia, where I worked for a company called South32, a spinoff of BHP. There, I worked at various Coal, Alumina and Aluminium operations. I am a process engineer by trade however have spent the last three years working on innovation projects in the mining sector. 

Could you provide a brief description of what you do in your role?

My role here at Teck is delivery manager within in the RACE21™ team. I support projects across Teck’s coal operations. My primary focus is to partner with site teams to understand what business issues can be addressed through technology solutions. My role is also about sustainment. I want to ensure that when the project teams are finished, people are empowered to continue using that solution in the long run. 

What is your favourite part about your job?

Using technology in ways that it hasn’t been used before is intriguing. As you can imagine, there are lots of challenges that come with this kind of work, but I truly enjoy the problem-solving aspect of my job. There’s been an impressive pace and strong momentum around our work that has allowed the team to quickly deploy new technologies. The culture at Teck is one that invites people to share differing perspectives and address challenges in a constructive way. This has really helped push us along and keep us on track. 

What is your most memorable moment working at Teck to date?

The biggest win has been the team’s ability to achieve our value delivery target by the end of 2019. I haven’t seen progress like this in the mining sector before. In fact, the commitment by Teck to meet this ambitious target was what attracted me to the company. When I saw that target announced, I wasn’t 100% sure that it was achievable in under a year, but we did it. It is a huge credit to the teams at site and Teck for accomplishing so much in such a short time.

What is your favourite activity outside of work, and why?

I love to get out into nature. In the summer, I’m exploring a hiking trail, and in the winter, I’m hitting the slopes. Since moving to Canada, I’ve challenged myself to snowboard on many of the greatest slopes British Columbia has to offer. So far, I have been snowboarding at Whistler, Cypress, Kimberley and Fernie.

Galore Creek 
Gabe Jutras  
Galore Creek Project  
Manager, Social, Environmental and Regulatory Affairs 

What is the area’s point of pride?  

The Galore Creek Project is located 85km south of the community of Telegraph Creek in British Columbia’s expansive northwest region. Currently accessible only by helicopter, the site straddles the crest of the Coast Mountains, offering spectacular views of the rugged terrain and impressive glaciation. The project is located within Tahltan Territory and providing employment and contracting opportunities for Tahltan businesses and people is an important focus for the project. 

Is there anything the area is famous for?  

The area is known for obsidian, which is volcanic glass that is created when lava cools rapidly. Pre-contact, the Tahltan people collected obsidian from a volcanic complex in the area called Mount Edziza. Obsidian was used to make knives, arrowheads, spear points, scrapers and other tools. Obsidian from the area has been traded all over North America, and it was an important source of wealth for the Tahltan people. Much of what we know about this activity was learned from the numerous archeological sites in the region, including some within the project area. 

What is little known about the site? 

Visitors who have not previously been to the site are often unaware of the scale of our helicopter operations. We typically have three to five helicopters on-site during our summer field programs. To ensure our aviation operations run safely, we have highly experienced pilots, dedicated helicopter engineers, an aviation advisor, and air operations and dispatch personnel coordinating all aviation activities. Averaging 20 hours of flight time each day, the project is among the largest aviation programs in Western Canada. Due to the pandemic and related impacts, we have been operating a reduced program in 2020, incorporating COVID-19 protocols, which included procedures around transportation and helicopter use. 

What is your favourite restaurant in the community? 

Those living in the camp look forward to the food provided by Tahltan chef, Crystal Nole. Crystal is an excellent cook, and she keeps the crews happy with plenty of healthy, hearty and delicious fare. Salmon is a local favourite, particularly when it comes from the Stikine River, which flows through the region. The Tahltan people spend time together each summer along the Stikine River to gather as a community and fish for salmon. The Tahltan people use net fishing techniques, and the fish is preserved in several different ways, including drying in smokehouses, freezing and canning. The summer fish camp is central to the Tahltan culture, and I have really enjoyed the opportunity to experience this gathering. 

What is a typical weekend like there?  

People working at Galore Creek typically work on-site for a two- to three-week rotation before heading home for a break. Life in camp is very social and outside working hours and people enjoy working out together, going for walks, watching sports events, shooting pool or playing table tennis. Despite abnormally rainy weather during the 2020 field program, the crew enjoyed going for walks and eating meals outside while physically distancing due to COVID-19. The team anticipates return to a larger program next year with the formal initiation of a new prefeasibility study.