"Right now, I am timbering, which is all handwork and an art in itself."

Before working at Quinsam Coal, Mike May was a glazier working in all aspects of industrial, residential, and automotive glass installation, He also worked at a fish plant. In 2003, desiring a career change, Mike applied for a position at Quinsam, half expecting it to be just another job. Although he hadn’t known it, a passion for coal mining lay dormant in his blood, and going underground was actually going home.

Mike's Story

“I was twenty-four when I started mining. I have been doing it for two years now. I was looking for work, and brought a resume up and was hired on, one of the baby bloomers.

“There is a course above ground where we go through the safety aspect of it. Most of the time they will throw you on the bolter or shovel, where you are just shoveling coal, put you there with a couple of other guys to train you up on the bolter. They go through everything with you. I was fortunate enough to do a mine rescue course there as well. That helped me out with the safety aspect of it and put me through first aid. I find them very safety aware, trying to keep everyone safe, they are very cautious. They always stick you with another guy for a few weeks to make sure that you get the hang of it. I have learned a lot over the two years. You learn something new every day it seems, pretty much just teach you to be aware of your environment.