Khione is a success story by any measure, but what makes it particularly inspiring is that it is a female success story. Founder April Desjarlais (right) has lived in Yellowknife since she was eight years old, and she got a job at Rio Tinto's Diavik mine during its construction phase after completing her studies. Since April purchased her first business in 2005, her goal has been to break the barrier for women and let them know they belong in any industry no matter how non-traditional their desired role may be.
"After working in a male dominated world for so many years, I developed a thick skin. Women would hear a lot of distasteful things and were made to feel that they didn’t belong in mining, particularly in the early days."
April has seen an increase in female applications for jobs in mining since the time she worked at Diavik, which she credits to a broader global shift of women moving into non traditional roles. Khione works with mines like Gahcho Kué to promote opportunities for women and provide examples of women in non-traditional roles for young girls to follow and say...
"I Can Do That, Too!"
