Brett Williams, P.Geo.

What is your personal background (hometown, schools, family, etc.)?

I was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and attended St. John Community School until Grade 7. Sports have always been a huge part of my life. In 2004 I attended Notre Dame College, located in the small southern Saskatchewan village of Wilcox. This school became my home for the next five years where I played hockey, football, and rugby, then eventually graduated high school in 2009, which was followed by a season of junior hockey in northwestern Ontario. It was in the fall of 2010 when I enrolled in first-year classes at the University of Regina. Shortly after I completed my degree, I moved to Saskatoon where I have lived for the past 6 years.

Why did you choose geoscience and what is your area of specialty?

While I was originally in the College of Engineering at U of R, it wasn’t until my second year that I took a petroleum geology class taught by Dr. Stephen Bend. It was so interesting, and I realized that I could make a career as a geoscientist. Fast forward to 2023, I have primarily worked in hard rock exploration and mining in various commodities and provinces/territories doing a range of jobs. However, the past 6 years have largely been spent working on kimberlite deposits in different developmental stages and locations, drilling and modelling ore resources.

Where and when did you study geoscience/get your degree and how would you describe your experience?

I attended the U of R from 2010 until 2016, where I completed a B.Sc. in Geology as well as a Diploma in Business Administration, all while playing on the U of R Cougars rugby team. The geology program there, although a relatively small department, was of high quality and provided a respectable environment to both learn and network with classmates. It was time well spent and as a result, I made many friends that I keep in touch with to this day.

What jobs/roles have you held as a geoscientist?

Despite having many different part-time jobs during university and a stable summer job at the Co-op Refinery from 2010-2016, it wasn’t until the summer of 2016 that I began my first actual geology job with the Saskatchewan Geological Survey. I spent that summer prospecting and mapping the eastern side of Brabant Lake and Lavender Lake.

In January 2017, I had my first exposure to diamond drilling, where I was core logging for a Uranium drill program in northern Saskatchewan for Rio Tinto Exploration (RTX). The following summer I worked as an Exploration Geologist at Seabee Gold Mine where I got to experience my first helicopter-assisted prospecting and mapping campaign. Later that year, after a forest fire burnt our exploration camp, I was applying for jobs again.

As luck would have it, RTX was hiring for their newly optioned Fort à la Corne project. I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to work on a project so close to where I grew up, hearing rumours of diamonds in Saskatchewan. This project was exciting but also brought a variety of operational and technical challenges, as the new Bauer Trench Cutter was imported from Germany to bulk sample the Star Kimberlite by drilling holes 3.2 x 1.5 meters wide and up to 250m in depth.

In 2020, I would continue working with Kimberlites as I found myself flying up to the Northwest Territories to start working at the Diavik Diamond Mine. Diavik has been a rewarding experience and has had the most significant impact on my career as a geologist. I started out as an Open Pit Geologist in the A21 Pit and currently am the Underground Mine Geologist for the A154N, A154S and A21 kimberlite pipes. So far, a highlight has been the completion of the A21 Pit and the current development of the A21 underground mine where large amounts of the resource and structural work I have completed in the pit and underground has been used to design and develop the A21 underground mine.

What have you appreciated about your career opportunities and experiences?

The thing that I have appreciated the most is the opportunities that seem to arise when you least expect them. I have been fortunate to have valuable supervisors and mentors along the way that have always offered opportunities for further career development and as a result, I have been able to have a range of unique work experiences.

Who has inspired or mentored you in your career? What insight or wisdom did they impart?

The mentors I have had so far with RTX were Tom Elash and Gus Fomradas, and at Diavik, my mentors have been Roger Young and Kari Pollock. All of them have given me many opportunities to develop and learn as a geologist to advance my career. Be willing to try new things and get out of your comfort zone.

What activities or interests do you enjoy outside of work?

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my fiancé, friends and family, going camping, hunting, and playing rec hockey and golf. I also enjoy fixing up older vehicles with my dad and prospecting in northern Saskatchewan.