Indigenous Voices

Devin Hurcombe – Anishinaabe, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg

Devin does preventative maintenance and safety inspections on a cogeneration plant at Resolute Forest Products‘ mill in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The cogeneration plant uses bark and other leftover wood residues to produce heat and power. This helps the company reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Resolute also supports important research into how sustainably managed local forests can be a part of the global answer to climate change.

Resolute Forest Products is an SFI-certified organization and a PLT Canada Green Jobs employer.

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Devin’s story is included in A Guide to Green Jobs in Canada: Voices of Indigenous Professionals.

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DEVIN’S LOVE OF NATURE COMES FROM…

“My family spent many weekends at our cottage. My parents would place me in an Innu hammock, and they would rock me gently while they went about their work. I remember looking at the sky through the tree branches, and I remember how happy I was. I would fall asleep right away, smiling. I also really enjoyed playing in the mud and the leaves. Come to think of it, I was probably creating my own science experiments.”

DEVIN CHOSE TO BE A POWER ENGINEER BECAUSE…

“I was working as a carpenter a few years ago, when the work started to dry up. I decided to go back to school and pursue a second career. I’m a hands-on learner who likes mechanics, math, and science. Power engineering caught my eye. I completed a two-year program at Confederation College. Now I’m studying for my second-class certification and I hope to study to one day become a chief engineer. Once you have a second-class certification, employers seek you out.”

TO DEVIN, BEING INDIGENOUS IN A GREEN JOB MEANS…

“My work in cogeneration ties to my heritage and teachings about being one with nature. Cogeneration is about using what you have and not wasting things. Whether it’s harvesting a deer or a tree, you’re not wasting things. Resolute is using the leftovers like bark, chips and sawdust to create power after making lumber or paper products. Nothing is wasted.”

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Indigenous Voices