Grey Bruce Kids Fall 2021

Weina Chong was around 10 years old when she
remembers first being exposed to what is commonly
referred to as STEM — science, technology, engineering and
math.
It wasn’t from a book — it was from a toy.
“My parents got me a construction and assembly-type toy that
allowed you to build your own motorized vehicle,” Chong
explained, nearly 25 years after first laying hands on the toy. “My
dad and I would spend hours building and taking apart the cars.”
Chong’s interest in STEM stayed with her as she discovered
more about what it included, and she began taking courses in
machine shop, drafting and computer-aided-design. Through
these courses, she recognized a passion she never knew she had,
which was working with her hands. She also discovered she
was quite good at drawing and visualizing things. She began to
research what university program would best suit her skills, and
she found one in engineering.
Around the same time, Sarah Patterson was also trying to
discover what best suited her when it came to post-secondary
studies and deciding on a career. As a kid, she loved learning
everything, not just STEM-related courses. Her love of learning
is something she still has today.
“I used to spend time helping my dad with construction projects
around the house,” Patterson said. “But I also enjoyed sports,
reading, listening to music, playing video games, and hanging
out with my friends. I definitely did not fit the stereotype of
someone who would go into engineering or another STEM
field, but I’ve found that most people don’t.”
While Chong was building cars with her dad with that
motorized toy, and Patterson was helping her dad with
construction projects around the house, across the province
a woman Chong and Patterson didn’t yet know was blazing a
trail for women – not just in STEM, but in Canada’s nuclear
industry. Tracy Primeau was always good at math and science,
but decided she wanted to be a teacher — at least until she was
attending the University of Waterloo and learned two things.
The first was that she didn’t think she wanted to spend the rest
of her life around high schoolers after all. The second was that
she was really good at working with computers.
“Remember, this was 1986, so programming was a pretty new
item to major in and I was fortunate enough to get a job as a
Teaching Assistant (TA) in that department,” she said.
While Primeau considered her options with her major, her dad,
who had worked in the nuclear industry since his daughter was
three, told her about an opportunity in Operations at Ontario
Hydro. Primeau’s youngest sister also followed their dad’s
footsteps into the energy industry.
“(She) is an electrical engineer and, like me, Indigenous,”
Primeau said. “She has gone from working in the energy
industry at the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO)
to becoming the President and CEO of the Canadian Council
of Aboriginal Business (CCAB).”
While women in Operations roles in nuclear are more common
today, in the late-80s there were no role models for Primeau to
look up to. Going into Operations meant she would be forging
her own path.
“There were not a lot of women on my shift, (just) one other
female operator, a control tech, and a woman in the lab,” said
Primeau, who recently retired after 31 years in the industry. “No
one in the control room or in leadership positions at all. The
construction office we took breaks in was covered in pin-ups.”
Physical strength and height were the two biggest differences
often pointed out between her and her male colleagues. Instead
of focusing on how she didn’t literally measure up in those areas,
Primeau decided to make it an advantage. She could operate
valves using her bodyweight as a lever and fit into equipment
others couldn’t.
“As time went on it became clear that my gender and size was a
win when someone needed to go into a condenser water box or a
steam drum or boiler, and I could fit in and stand up once inside.”
In 2021, it may surprise you to learn that the number of women
in STEM-related fields remains very low, even while women make
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