Mike
Gosselin
WWT Supervisor
Wastewater Treatment IV; Water &
Wastewater Technician Diploma.
OUR POOL OF
PEOPLE &
POSSIBILITIES -
OPERATOR
PROFILE
Why do it?
As an Operator I have been able to move around from Edmonton to Vancouver
to Kelowna. You can go all over - in administration I can make positive changes
to help other Operators & promote health for the community.
Career Sample: Ski Resort Worker, Apprentice Carpenter, Insulation Installer, Wastewater Treatment Operator I,
Lab Tech, Wastewater Treatment Operator II, Supervisor.
Mike’s career started out, you might say, going up and downhill - on the ski slopes of Alberta. It was practical to do
something enjoyable while considering his first steps on a career path. Being good at working with his hands, he took a
position as an apprentice carpenter but was laid off during winter and Mike filled in the gaps with insulating attics. An
unfortunate accident resulted in a fall off a 2 ½ storey roof and exploratory surgery. These early experiences served to
highlight the real benefits of a steady paycheque – a full-time permanent job – with benefits!
Bearing this in mind, Mike signed on for the Diploma Program, Water & Wastewater Technician, at the Stony Plain
Westerra Institute of Technology. It included a Co-op which proved to be very useful. Mike’s Co-op landed him with the
Capital Region Sewage Plant outside Edmonton. The Plant needed a temporary-filler, so Mike trained as an Operator and
was able to fill in for the summer. They liked his work and asked him to stay on in a full-time job as a Wastewater
Treatment (WWT) Operator. This meant working and finishing his courses so that he could graduate with his class.
Working night shifts and going to school all day was a big contrast with the experience of being laid off!
The Wastewater Treatment (WWT) Facility was a new Activated Sludge Plant with a relatively high tech system for the
times. Mike says, “We had one person per shift.” When the Lab Tech went on maternity leave, Mike jumped at the
chance to fill in and learn more. It was hands-on experience with sampling and testing. He could draw on, as well as
build on, what he had learned in school.
During this time Mike had written the WWT Level II exam and received that certification. He also took advantage of the
opportunity to do, as he puts it, “a lot of correspondence courses”. He wrote the exam in BC so he would be qualified if
he left Alberta for BC. That gave Mike a lot of flexibility for job opportunities. So when his parents retired and moved to
Maple Ridge, he was able to apply for a posting at the Greater Vancouver Regional District, GVRD (now called Metro
Vancouver). Mike remembers, “I was flown up for the interview and then they moved me to BC!”
His WWT Operator II job at the Iona WWT Plant happened not to be so high tech. Mike found he was out looking at and
doing a lot more things manually. This turned out to be a really good thing Mike thinks, “…because I could see that side
of things and understand much better the data showing up on monitors.” The GVRD system is the largest in the
province. With a total of 4 years experience Mike went on to write his Level III exam.
New technology and new horizons took Mike to the City of Kelowna WWT Plant as an Operator II. It has the most
advanced Tertiary Treatment in Canada. Although it’s a smaller plant with medium flows, it’s a Class IV facility. When
Mike started there was opportunity to do hands-on maintenance. Mike also had occasion to work on upgrades to their
SCADA system (computerized monitoring system) to give them more control. He says, “I acquired a lot of self-taught
computer skills to work with the Instrument Tech.” He also spent time on day-to-day procedure manuals.
Mike’s next step on his non-stop learning curve was with Westbank Irrigation District as a Water Operator. This was a
brand spanking new Water Treatment (WT) Facility. He helped with completing construction and commissioning the
plant. Oh yes – and while he was doing that, Mike successfully wrote his WWT Level IV exam.
When the Supervisor at the Kelowna WWT Plant retired, Mike applied for that position. In that job now, he is
supervising 2 systems with a staff of approximately 25. There are also 2 concurrent upgrades to the systems including: a
$60 million expansion at the City’s main facility and a multimillion dollar Pre-Treatment expansion at the other facility.
When asked what a “typical” day looks like, Mike says, “The short term day-to-day tasks include human resources
elements like hiring, time cards, approving vacations and training, as well as supervising the Lab, Electrical,
Instrumentation, and Operations, in addition to site-related pieces and the biosolids site. Then there’s just plain
troubleshooting. For the longer term, my job also includes budgeting, reviewing proposals, and promoting changes.”
Speaking of certifications and their value, Mike has come to believe they have provided value both to him and the
profession. As a result, when Mike was invited to become involved in certification processes by running for the
Environmental Operators Certification (EOCP) Board he accepted and ran successfully, joining the Board 6 years ago. In
the last 4 years, as a Director, he has played a role in a majority of the reviews of course applications, in addition to
Facility Classifications. He was Treasurer for 1 year and has been Chair for 1 year. In 2009 under the new Constitution,
he became the President.
In the end, Mike’s fall from 2 ½ storeys meant he landed in some very important places including making key
contributions to the Operator profession and community!
Mike’s Tip: For people already in school, I suggest you proceed and write exams for your certification(s) as soon as you
can. When you are already in training you are used to studying, so it makes it easier. As well, look at manuals – you
learn so much from them!
#201 3833 Henning Drive, Burnaby, BC V5C 6N5
[email protected]