Terry Malaryk thoroughly enjoyed his 43-year career working at the coal mines in the Estevan area.
In fact, he enjoyed it so much that he鈥檚 gone back to work for the mines as a consultant.
Malaryk retired from the mines on Dec. 31, 2018. And after taking a few months off of work, he agreed to return in the consultant鈥檚 role, with Wednesday 小蓝视频 his first day back on the job.
The mines proved to be the perfect fit for Malaryk. After graduating from the Estevan Comprehensive School when he was 17, Malaryk bounced around to a few different jobs. He worked mainly in construction, and he helped out with his dad鈥檚 farm near Hitchcock.
It was a desire to try something different that steered him towards the mines. It didn鈥檛 hurt that they paid very well.
鈥淚 worked for three months, and then I was laid off for about a week. And then I got back to work, and ended up running those draglines,鈥� said Malaryk, who was 22 years old when he became a dragline operator.
There would be a bidding process for a vacant position at the mine, whether it be a truck driver or a dragline oiler or operator. They posted the dragline operator role on the company bulletin board, and anybody who was interested could apply. Seniority is a big factor in the decision.
When Malaryk was laid off after three months, they had a vacancy for a dragline oiler, so they called him a few days after 小蓝视频 laid off, because nobody wanted to go in that position. He was brought back as an oiler.
A requirement of the job was to learn how to operate the dragline, so that work wouldn鈥檛 be interrupted when the regular operator took a lunch break.
Malaryk pounced at the opportunity to be a dragline operator after one of the operators retired, and he was hired.
鈥淥ne of my favourite sayings was that working at the mines gives me the opportunity to play with the biggest toys in the sandbox, and the biggest sandbox in the province,鈥� said Malaryk.
He entered the apprenticeship program in 1980, four years after starting at the mines, and eventually earned his journeyman ticket in industrial mechanics. He secured his ticket for the hydraulic crane in 1989.
鈥淎t the end of 1991, I was approached by management to become a supervisor. I initially turned it down, because I was unsure if that鈥檚 what I wanted to do, but then I talked to some of the older employees there, and they said go for it, and so I did,鈥� said Malaryk.
He worked as an operations supervisor for about 3 1/2 years, and then he started supervising dragline maintenance and the welding shop. It was a role he had until 2015, when he moved into the planning department to plan and be the project manager for some of the large maintenance projects on the draglines.
Malaryk said he always tried to be a good mentor to the young people at the mines, which is why he believes he was asked to return to the mines and help out a young engineer who has taken on a supervisory role.
鈥淭hey have a large project 鈥� starting 鈥� and they asked me to come back as a consultant, and I opted to do that for the summer,鈥� said Malaryk.
But it won鈥檛 be a full-time gig, as he will have a week at work followed by a week off, ensuring he will get to enjoy the bulk of his first summer as a retired miner.
鈥淚 can also pick and choose (my schedule) if I have some community service that I鈥檓 involved in,鈥� said Malaryk. 鈥淚 already told them that it would take priority.鈥�
Malaryk said he enjoyed the people he worked with, and it鈥檚 the people who represent a big reason why he鈥檚 returning.
鈥淵ou build relationships with the people at the worksite. You see them there, and that鈥檚 basically the only place you ever see them is at the job site, out at the mine. And 鈥� when you retire, that鈥檚 what I started to miss were the relationships.鈥�
When you do something for 43 years, it becomes ingrained in you, he said. Some of his habits still remain; he still can鈥檛 sleep past 7 a.m. because he鈥檚 still used to getting up at 6 a.m. for work.聽
Malaryk decided the end of last year was the opportune time to retire. He鈥檚 63 years old and he wants to spend more time with his family.
鈥淚 just wanted to experience some new things,鈥� said Malaryk.
He鈥檚 also very involved in the community. A Torquay resident, Malaryk has been on the village council for a few terms. He鈥檚 also the vice-chair of the Mainprize Regional Park Board and he recently joined the St. Joseph鈥檚 Hospital board.
He鈥檚 also involved with the 小蓝视频 Central Transportation Planning Committee that is tasked with the operation of highways in that part of the province.
Malaryk is looking forward to 小蓝视频 more involved with those causes.聽
The community involvement continues a trend from throughout his mining career. In 1980, he was elected to the executive of the United Mine Workers of America Local 7606, and served as the vice-president until 1986 when he resigned for personal reasons. He also served as the sub co-chairman of the Bienfait mine for the union鈥檚 safety committee.
But mining was always there for him. And now he鈥檚 looking forward to 小蓝视频 back at the mines.
