Heavy lifter

Natasha Nagyougalik receives a standing ovation at the Nunavut Mining Symposium gala in Iqaluit on Wednesday, April 3, for becoming the first Inuk woman in Nunavut to drive a massive Caterpillar 6030 mining shovel. Nagyougalik, who hails from Baker Lake, began working at Agnico Eagle Mining’s Meadowbank mine eight years ago as a dishwasher. Agnico Eagle’s president, Ammar Al-Joundi, said it’s important for mines to be part of nearby communities, so locals can find work and grow with the company. (Photo courtesy of the Nunavut Mining Symposium)