Agnico Eagle’s Detour Gold Mine in northern Ontario is a large open pit operation known for hitting ambitious productivity targets on site while maintaining a great relationship with employees and partners.
This reverence shown to their employees was especially apparent during a recent gathering to commemorate Rupert “Mike” Alexander, a driller who sadly passed away after a battle with lung cancer.
Agnico Eagle partnered with Epiroc to make a special modification to the traditional Pit Viper 271 – the tower was painted white for lung cancer awareness and to honour Rupert who operated the same rig during his time at the mine beginning in 2016.
The alteration to the large blasthole drill was made at the Epiroc Surface Division’s Product Company in Garland, Texas and was delivered to the Detour site in time for Rupert’s family, flown in by the Agnico Eagle team, to arrive and commemorate him with his fellow drillers.
The family, including Rupert’s wife, daughter and son gathered in the management offices with drillers as they shared stories about their time working alongside him. Rupert had a great deal of experience, which allowed him to take on a mentorship role in the operation and help teach the correct drilling techniques to other operators.
“Rupert was a great mentor to all the young drillers and even the more experienced drillers he helped out a lot,” said Vince Tessier, a miner on site. “He was great to have on a crew because he was like a father figure to everybody, and he was an all-around great guy.”
It was clear this sentiment was shared by all the workers at the mine as they left their posts to gather around the freshly painted Pit Viper 271 for a photo with the rig as a well-timed blast echoed in the background. The respect and admiration the entire operation had for the late driller was evident in the show of support, which culminated with the installation of a memorial plaque on the machine – “In Memory of Rupert ‘Mike’ Alexander, keep those rods turning”.
“After we learned that Rupert had unfortunately lost his battle to lung cancer, it was important for us to come together as a team and show our workforce how much we care about and appreciate our employees,” said Kevin Sigouin, Drill and Blast Superintendent. “The amount of support towards this project throughout the Agnico Eagle organization and also from our business partners Epiroc and Moonbeam Machine Shop has been nothing short of amazing.”
Rupert made a considerable impact on the organization and was a key contributor to the very productivity the site has become known for. Adding his name on the Pit Viper 271 where he spent so much time honing his skills was a fitting tribute.
“He loved what he did and the people here,” said Chealsie Alexander, Rupert’s daughter. “The outpouring of support, love and care that they gave to him throughout his sickness and this wonderful tribute means so much to our family.”