b'CAREER PROFILEDEPARTMENTNICHOLAS SYLVESTRE-WILLIAMSCONTINUED FROM PAGE 21done by pen and paper. When I started insituation. Today, we have noise monitoringassociate industry that exists to support the this field, calculations were predominantlytechnologythatutilizespredictiveprimary aggregate sector.done in Lotus and/or Excel but were quitealgorithmsthatcanincorporateweatherInhindsightitsnave,butnowIlook rudimentary,andnotalotofscenariospredictions and know if therell be problemsaround and realize just how much aggregate could be analyzed. I still remember whenlong before a complaint can even occur. Ingoes into every single thing I see and use. weboughtthefirstgraphicalcomputeranother decade, I believe that all sites willIsupposepeoplestillhavetheimageof modellingsoftwareandcouldtakeweekslikely incorporate monitoring and well doFredFlintstoneandthinktheindustry of work down to days. Today, we can createaway with spot-checks and one-time audits. hasnt evolved much, but thats as far from incrediblydetailedcomputermodelsthatQ:What advice would you give to othersthetruthaswearefromthedinosaurs. canpredictandrefineanalmostinfinitelookingforacareerintheaggregateThe aggregate sector is at the forefront of number of scenarios. industry?technologyfrom using drones for aerial WhatsalsoamazingisthemonitoringThe aggregate industry is made up of anmapping,toactivenoiseandvibration technologythatsbeendeveloped.Intheincrediblevarietyofpeople.Ivehadthemonitoring,toprogressiveenvironmental past,noiseissueswereentirelyreactive,good fortune to work with many differentprotection technologythere is literally a i.e.,yougotacomplaint,andonlythenpeople in all aspects. In school, I had no ideaplace for anyone who wants to be a steward did you try to figure it out and remedy thetheindustryevenexisted,muchlesstheof our environment.ALFIYA KAKALCONTINUED FROM PAGE 22accurately and seamlessly through any formwasanamazingopportunityformeasitpolicycontext,specificallythefunctionof of oral and/or written correspondence. Asallowed me to learn about aggregates hands- the upper and lower tier municipalities and planners, we are often required to balanceon and truly understand the operations sidethevariousministriesthatplayacritical businessneedswithregulatoryrequire- of things. Thats where I had one of my veryroleinlanddevelopmentapprovals,beit ments. This can take the form of negoti- first site visits with the local MNRF aggre- aggregates-related or otherwise.ating conditions of approval or may neces- gate inspectors, which then allowed me to sitate changes to the site design/operation.appreciate the regulatory context and under- Q:Where do you see the industry going in Thus, a typical day on the job for me meansstand the nuances of a typical ARA Licensedthe next few years?ensuringopenlinesofcommunicationSite Plan.With regards to the work that I am directly sothattheprojecthasconstantforwardinvolved in, I believe the role of the planner momentum and key targets and milestonesQ: Detail your past or ongoing educationisgoingtocontinuetobeacriticalone are met.and how it is relevant to your job.becausetheregulatoryrequirementshave I also contribute to the project and theMyeducationalqualificationsincludeabecome quite layered, and despite the best companybyhavingoversightofalltheHons. Bachelor of Arts with a double majorefforts of the present-day government or any reports,drawingsanddocumentsthatin architectural studies and environmentalpotential future governments to lift some of arerequiredforacompleteapplication.studiesfromtheUniversityofTorontothe current regulatory burden, reducing the This entails many hours of report writing,andamastersdegreeinplanningfromcomplexity in the overall approvals process reviewingofothertechnicalstudiesthatRyersonUniversity. will be difficult to achieve. Additionally, I have been prepared to support the proposalMostuniversityprogramsarenodoubtbelieve there is currently a missed oppor-and the preparation of site plans. In this partquitetheoreticalandmaybesomewhattunity to use data to improve the approvals of my work, attention to detail is critical. removedfromtheday-to-daytasksofaprocess. Capitalizing on this is perhaps one professionalplanner.Certainly,technicaldirection that the industry might go in. Q:Howdidyougetinterestedinthisaspects of pit and quarry operations were not field/this work? addressed in my particular course work. ForQ:Whatadvicewouldyougiveto Iwasalwaysinterestedinthebuiltenvi- me, that knowledge has predominantly comeothers looking for a career in the aggre-ronment, which is why I chose to pursue afrom being in the field and on the job. Thatgateindustry? degree in urban planning. I suppose it wassaid, the value and relevance of my formalThe aggregate industry has many potential the combination of policy and design thateducation lies in the report writing, publiccareer paths to offer. And being an urban appealedtome.However,comingoutofpresentationandoverallproblem-solvingplannerisjustoneofthem.Myadvice school I didnt know much about the aggre- skills that it has equipped me with. Equallywouldbetoknowwhatyouwant,be urbanplannerforanaggregateproducerme with an understanding of Ontarios publicfrom anywhere. gate side of things. Working as an in-houseimportant is that university training providedpassionate about it and be willing to start 24 AVENUESFALL 2019'