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Double duty for diamond twins

Gemini is the astrological sign for twins, and gems are one of the things that twins Britney and Shelby Nadli have in common.

Shelby Nadli of Fort Providence at the Diavik mine site with a haul truck, which she operates. Photo courtesy of Dominion Diamond Corporation
Shelby Nadli of Fort Providence at the Ekati mine site with a haul truck, which she operates. Photo courtesy of Dominion Diamond Corporation

Both work at NWT diamond mines.

Shelby has been an employee at Ekati since December 2015, operating a 240-tonne haul truck for most of that time.

"I enjoy it, yeah. It gets me out of town and pays the bills," she says of her job at Ekati. "It's a job I find fulfilling."

The mighty vehicles she drives never really made her uncomfortable, she says.

"My dad always told me: 'You operate the equipment, the equipment doesn't operate you.' I always had that in my thoughts," she says. "I try not to be nervous because that's how you make mistakes."

The enormous haul trucks, although outfitted with cameras on the side, do have blind spots.

"That's why it's really important to use radio communication and always call when you're passing other equipment," Shelby says.

One of the other safety tips she keeps in mind is to be careful while climbing down from the truck because there are often large rocks on the ground that could easily cause an ankle to get twisted and injured.

Prior to taking her position with Ekati, Shelby had been working as a youth co-ordinator but then wound up on employment insurance.

"I was doing nothing. I was just hanging around town," she says. "It was a big change. The (NWT) Mine Training Society changed my life for the better."

She earned a leadership award while taking a 12-week underground training program.

Her parents were pleased when Dominion Diamond Mines hired her at Ekati.

"They were proud of me," Shelby says.

14-week mineral processing course

Britney Nadli, despite posing with a haul truck, works in the process plant at the Diavik diamond mine. "The job that I'm doing now in the process plant was way beyond my expectations of where I thought to see myself," she says. photo courtesy of Diavik Diamond Mines
Britney Nadli, despite posing with a haul truck, works in the process plant at the Diavik diamond mine.
"The job that I'm doing now in the process plant was way beyond my expectations of where I thought to see myself," she says.
photo courtesy of Diavik Diamond Mines

Britney made her conversion to mining more recently, participating in the NWT Mine Training Society's 14-week

mineral processing course in April. The course included safety tickets and Bobcat operator training. But, unlike her sister, Britney wasn't initially brimming with confidence.

"I wasn't going to apply. I was kind of skeptical. I didn't think I could actually do it," she recalls. "I didn't see myself in a trades program at all because I've always been going to school for business. The jobs that I used to work before, I was always working in an office for organizations."

Encouraged by her twin sister, she took the plunge. She was brought aboard at Diavik shortly after completing the course in July.

She's in a six-month term position but there's a possibility of it extending into a permanent role, she says. She spends much of her day working with chemical powder and water solutions to help separate diamonds from small pieces of waste rock.

Because there's a lot of walking, going up and down stairs and occasionally some heavy lifting, Britney says she's regularly working on her fitness after hours at the camp's gym to give herself an edge.

"The job that I'm doing now in the process plant was way beyond my expectations of where I thought to see myself ... they treat us really well. They always push us to succeed and they check on us," she says, adding that she was excited about upcoming crane operator training. "You have to be confident in this work field. You can't really be scared of anything ... I really love this job."

Additional training is something Shelby desires as well. When the opportunity arises, she'd like to learn to operate bulldozers and excavators, she says.

The twins, 25, both say they are treated respectfully by their male co-workers at the mines.

"They're really good. When I'm asking questions, they'll give me answers to it. They're really open and really fun," Shelby says.

Britney added, "I love my crew. They're awesome. They're supportive 100 per cent ... I'm exceeding their expectations with my work ethic."

The Nadli sisters graduated from Paul William Kaeser High School in Fort Smith in 2011, completed three years at the Western Arctic Leadership Program, also in Fort Smith, and then enrolled in training through the NWT Mine Training Society at different times.

There are sacrifices with the job, of course. They spend two straight weeks at site, working 12-hour days. Shelby drives two hours from Fort Providence to Hay River, leaving at 3 a.m. Then she gets on a direct flight to Ekati to begin her next shift.

Britney enjoys the two weeks off following two weeks on the job. She visits family and friends but she also has no qualms about getting on her next flight to Diavik.

"I can't wait to go back. It's a good routine that I have there too, just healthy eating, going to the gym and going to work," she says.