TIMMINS — When Linda Byron started working in the mining industry, environmental issues weren't a priority.
In the 20 years since she opened Blue Heron Environmental, she said the industry has completely turned around.
“When I started, environmental management was like a side hustle – a side hustle to safety and ventilation – it wasn't a full-time job. It wasn't even something you studied in school,” Byron says, “But now, companies like Côté Gold have environmental management teams of 10 to 15 people because it's at the forefront.”
Blue Heron provides environmental services, including environmental management services, assessments and spill management, primarily to the mining sector.
The company has 43 employees, with offices in Timmins, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Red Lake and Sault Ste. Marie, as well as support staff in the Toronto and Ottawa areas.
“We couldn't have done this if we didn't have the tools we have today to work remotely,” Byron said. “We're all across the state.”
She said the switch to remote work during the COVID-19 outbreak was a game changer.
“It completely changed the way I thought about how I managed my business and how I worked,” Byron said.
For Byron, who grew up in Iroquois Falls, basing himself in Timmins made sense.
“I went to school and came back,” she said. “My family is here. My parents are here. My kids are here. My siblings are here. They're all here.”
The 20th anniversary is about recognising the work and growth the company has done and how things have changed.
“To me, it's validation,” she says. “I look back and think, 'How did that happen?' It's kind of surprising and I feel like it validates that I knew what I was doing in the process.”
She is very appreciative of the support she has received from other businesses in the industry.
“Local mining companies always ask us for things, so it's nice,” she said.
— Timmins Today