Our people at work

Meet our dedicated and passionate employees as they share what they are most proud of in their work.

Marcelle Caron
Digital Information Management Team Leader

Carlie Maloney
Cataloguing Librarian

Richard Scharfe
Senior Vertical Transportation Specialist

Yueshuang Zhu
Centre Block Project Manager

Trever Skinner
Crane Operator, Esquimalt Graving Dock

Mélanie Provost
Coordinator of the Centre for GCworkplace Innovation

Ranya El Sadawy
Senior Bridge Engineer

Michael Burke
Sustainable Energy Engineer

Marie-Hélène Roberge
Airforce Acquisition Specialist

Carly Johnson
Parliamentary Interpreter

Marcelle Caron, Digital Information Management Team Leader

As a Digital Information Management Team Leader, Marcelle leads a team responsible for reviewing and preparing veterans’ medical and service files for digitization. Each year, the team digitizes between 10,000 and 11,000 records. Being a former Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer, this project could not have been a better fit for Marcelle.

Transcript: Marcelle Caron, Digital Information Management Team Leader

Start of video

[Music plays]

(Text on screen: Public Services and Procurement Canada)

[Shot of two employees talking at a desk]

(Text on screen: Our People at Work)

(Marcelle Caron speaks.)

(Text on screen: Marcelle Caron, Team Leader, Digital Information Management, Public Services and Procurement Canada)

My name is Marcelle Caron and I’m the team leader for the Veterans Affairs Canada project for Public Services and Procurement Canada in Matane, Quebec.

(Fly-by shot of the Matane welcome sign with a field in the background.)

Military was always in the family.

(Shot of Marcelle’s military tags.)

And since my brothers were already in the Armed Forces, I feel comfortable to join as well.

(Panning shot of multiple service medals and pictures of Marcelle in a CAF uniform.)

My experience in the Forces, in general, was really great. If I had to do it again, I would do it.

(Shot of a picture of Marcelle in an RCMP uniform.)

Being a former military officer and RCMP officer, the job as a team leader for the Veterans Affairs Canada project was really good for me. It was the work I always wanted.

(Shot of a group of employees talking together.)

(Shot of Marcelle placing a box filled with files on a shelf.)

My team and I are reviewing military service files and medical files in order to give the veterans the opportunity to get their financial compensation a lot quicker than it was before.

(Shots of employees operating scanners.)

(Shot of an employee moving boxes filled with files.)

These files are scanned and go through a quality control process and then the images go into the client system. So the compensation agent has access to the images a lot quicker than before.

(Shot of employees working with Marcelle.)

(Shot of paper rapidly passing through a big scanner.)

They can provide compensation within days or weeks now compared to many months or maybe years before, so our work is really important for that and I’m very proud to be a part of this team and my team and I are working very hard so that veterans can get their compensation a lot quicker than before.

(Text on screen: Check us out: facebook.com/PSPC.SPAC, instagram.com/pspc_spac, twitter.com/pspc_spac, youtube.com/PWGSCanada)

(Public Services and Procurement Canada signature)

[Music stops]

(Canada Wordmark)

End of video

Carlie Maloney, Cataloguing Librarian

Carlie Maloney is a cataloguing librarian making use of new technologies to provide access to publications dating all the way back to Confederation! She takes great pride in her work, ensuring information is available and easily accessible to all Canadians and ultimately contributing to our democratic process.

Transcript: Carlie Maloney, Cataloguing Librarian

Start of video

[Music plays]

[Shots of Carlie working in her office space]

(Text on screen: Our People at Work)

I think my job sounds boring. When people ask me what I do, it’s really hard to explain.

Because as soon as you say something like cataloguing or metadata, their eyes tend to glaze over.

[Carlie in a library, picking books]

I think there's a lot of misconception about librarianship in general. I think a lot of people think that librarians are sitting at a desk, shushing kids and, you know, stamping books.

[Text on screen: Carlie Maloney Cataloguing Librarian, Public Services and Procurement Canada]

But librarianship has become a really dynamic profession, and people are working with new technology, and they're doing a lot of outreach and programming.

[Images of documents being digitized]

[Someone using a smartphone]

[Carlie reading a book]

[Carlie looking through a bookshelf]

I wanted to be a librarian when I was really young I think because I thought it would mean I would just get to read books all day.

[Carlie at her desk, reading on her computer]

My normal tasks are mostly based around providing metadata for Government of Canada publications.

[Images of publications.gc.ca website]

Publications.gc.ca is Canada’s centralized access point for federal Government of Canada publications.

[Carlie working at her desk]

We provide the metadata, and our software allows users to search on keyword and find anything they're looking for.

[Someone reading on an iPad]

Government information used to be really only available in libraries across Canada.

[Someone searching old publications]

And now, with everything online, someone in a remote community in Northern Ontario who has internet access can go online and have government information from publications dating back to 1845 at their fingertips with just a simple click.

[Carlie working on her computer with a colleague]

[Carlie reading in a quiet room]

One of the things I'm most proud about is we have these big projects, and we add 140,000 publications from Statistics Canada dating back to Confederation, and people are so excited about this because these things have never been digitized; they've been sitting in, you know, bookshelves and drawers for years. So now people are getting to see them, and so I think that's one of the most fun parts of my job.

[Carlie picking up old publications in a bookshelf]

At the most basic level, it's important to provide access to these publications to Canadians just to ensure the democratic process.

[Carlie smiling at the camera]

(Text on screen: Check us out: facebook.com/PSPC.SPAC, instagram.com/pspc_spac, twitter.com/pspc_spac, youtube.com/PWGSCanada)

(Public Services and Procurement Canada signature)

[Music stops]

(Canada Wordmark)

End of video

Richard Scharfe, Senior Vertical Transportation Specialist

Richard Scharfe, Senior Vertical Transportation Specialist at Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of elevating devices in PSPC managed buildings. Watch this video to learn more about the interesting and important work Richard and his team do each day.

Transcript: Richard Scharfe, Senior Vertical Transportation Specialist

Start of video

[Music plays]

(Text on screen: Every 72 hours, the equivalent of the world’s population is moved on an elevating device.)

(Shot of people on escalators and elevators in operation.)

(Text on screen: Our People at Work)

(Richard Scharfe speaks.)

(Shot of Richard being interviewed.)

Hi, I’m Rick Scharfe. I’m a senior vertical transportation specialist with Public Services and Procurement Canada.

(Text on screen: Richard Scharfe, Senior Vertical Transportation Specialist, Public Services and Procurement Canada.)

Our team has developed a reputation as the go-to people for questions and concerns about elevating devices in the federal government.

(Various shots of Richard and his colleague reviewing log books and inspecting elevator mechanics.)

One of the things that I enjoy about my job is that every day is different. We review contracts, ensuring that maintenance is being performed. We periodically go out and do site inspections, where we actually get into the hoistway and do a review of the condition of the equipment.

(Various shots of elevators in operation, and Richard reviewing paperwork and inspecting elevator equipment.)

We are often called upon by other departments when they are contemplating doing modernizations or performing new installations.

(Shot of old elevator doors under construction, transitioning to the new modernized version.)

The introduction of micro-processors has allowed elevating devices to perform much more efficiently, and in doing so, they’ve become more energy efficient as well.

(Shot of digital screen inside an elevator and elevators in operation.)

The most rewarding aspect of my job is knowing that we have done everything that we can to ensure the safety of the riding public within our managed buildings.

(Shot of people in elevators and sped-up footage of elevators in operation.)

Based on the number of people that are moved on elevating devices, they are considered to be one of the safest forms of transportation in the world.

(Various shots of Richard working, followed by a portrait-style shot of Richard smiling at the camera.)

People ask me why I haven’t retired. I love my job. I like to try to make a difference. It’s rewarding.

(Public Services and Procurement Canada signature)

[Music stops]

(Canada Wordmark)

End of video

Yueshuang Zhu, Centre Block Project Manager

Yueshuang is responsible for administering multiple assessments at Centre Block prior to the start of construction. From acoustics to load bearing tests, Yueshuang must ensure the structure is ready to undergo the restorations planned for the building.

Transcript: Yueshuang Zhu, Centre Block Project Manager

Start of video

[Music plays]

(A man and a woman wearing safety gear talking together.)

(Text on screen: Our People at Work)

(Images of the Centre Block building.)

(Image of a man smiling and standing in front of Centre Block.)

Working at Canada’s parliamentary buildings … I never thought it would be possible for me.

(Text on screen: Yueshuang Zhu, Project Manager, Public Services and Procurement Canada.)

(Yueshuang speaks.)

My name is Yueshuang Zhu, I work as a project manager with PSPC under the Centre Block Rehabilitation program with the assessments.

(Image of Yueshuang and a woman in the basement of Centre Block.)

Assessment, in more descriptive terms, is generally we’re poking holes in the building, making small openings to find out, for example, if a steel beam is exactly the detail that we expected.

(Image of Yueshuang in a military outfit.)

I’m a civil engineer. I was trained at the University of Toronto. I was a combat engineer officer with the Canadian Forces. As a combat engineer officer, I would have been in charge of safeguarding the general national security.

(Image of Centre Block’s ceiling.)

As a project manager for the Centre Block Rehabilitation Program, I feel like it also impacts Canadians.

(Images of the roof of Centre Block.)

The thing that I like most about my job is that it’s quite challenging. I’ve also seen a little bit of everything from all the other engineering disciplines and also conservation architecture. I’ve been able to learn a lot.

(Image of two men standing in front of the Peace Tower.)

This rehabilitation is probably the most important one in Canada because of the nature of the building that we’re rehabilitating. It is the seat of power in Canada and the efficiency of the building use when it’s actually completed … rehabilitation will affect the democratic process.

(Public Services and Procurement Canada signature)

[Music stops]

(Canada Wordmark)

End of video

Trever Skinner, Crane Operator, Esquimalt Graving Dock

Trever Skinner has always been fascinated by machinery. At only 26 years old, Trever joined the team at the Esquimalt Graving Dock, making him Public Services and Procurement Canada’s youngest crane operator. While he is eager to offer the best client service, the safety of those working with and in proximity to the cranes remains his top priority.

Transcript: Trever Skinner, Crane Operator, Esquimalt Graving Dock

Start of video

[Music plays]

(Text on screen: Our People at Work)

(View from the inside of a crane.)

(Text on screen: Trever Skinner, Crane Operator, Esquimalt Graving Dock (EGD))

(Trever speaks.)

At a young age, I always wanted to operate heavy equipment, and naturally I thought crane operator would be a good suit.

(Image of crane operating.)

What I like most about my job is the variety of work. One day we're lifting stuff on to a navy vessel, next day we’re lifting massive tanks. There's definitely not a lack of variety down here.

(Trever inspects a crane.)

So the start of every day, we do a pre-use inspection where we walk around. We're checking our oil levels, we're checking the structural integrity of the crane, checking welds, looking at all our winch lines, just making sure everything's functioning correctly before we start our day.

(Trever operating a crane.)

So a lot of the crane operating we do down here is in very tight areas, down hatches of ships. A lot of guys with their hands in places. And we're swinging loads with only inches to spare, so, you know, having good communication with those guys and overcoming those challenges is key.

(Image of a caution sign.)

(Image of a crane lowering equipment and employees.)

So safety is extremely important. The second a load leaves the ground, it's the responsibility of the crane operator. So making sure you're within your charts of your crane, the rigging capacities, is all very important to make sure the guys on the ground are safe.

(Pan of the Esquimalt Graving Dock.)

So we have a variety of different cranes down at the Esquimalt Graving Dock.

(Pan of the cranes.)

The capacities of those cranes range from 30 ton up to 150 ton for the level luffing cranes. Some of the larger lifts we've done down here is these massive LNG tanks, which weigh 139 metric ton.

(Image of a Canadian flag in front of a crane.)

(Employees dressed in safety gear cleaning the windows of a crane.)

I like my job because there's a strong sense of community down at EGD, working closely with our co workers, and various tasks. It's always a good environment to work in.

(Trever speaking to camera.)

When everyone goes home safe at the end of the day, that's what makes me most proud.

(Text on screen: Public Services and Procurement Canada signature)

[Music stops]

(Canada Wordmark)

End of video

Mélanie Provost, Coordinator of the Centre for GCworkplace Innovation

Diagnosed at a young age with cerebral palsy, Mélanie Provost was told that she wouldn’t be able to walk, talk or even go to school. Today, Mélanie is responsible for overseeing and coordinating activities of the Centre for GCworkplace Innovation.

Transcript: Mélanie Provost, Coordinator of the Centre for GCworkplace Innovation

Start of video

[Music plays]

(Right to left pan on Centre for GCworkplace Innovation workspace)

(Text on screen: Our People at Work)

(Mélanie moving on her wheelchair.)

(Mélanie speaks.)

I have cerebral palsy. I was diagnosed when I was 15 months old. My parents were told that I would never walk, never talk and never go to school.

(Mélanie standing at her desk and interacting with a colleague.)

(Text on screen: Mélanie Provost, Coordinator of the Centre for GCworkplace Innovation)

My name is Mélanie Provost, and I'm the Coordinator of the Centre for GCworkplace Innovation.

In my workplace and with my team, I'm really honest.

(Mélanie interacting with a colleague.)

I'm honest with everybody. I tell them what I have. I tell them, if you have any questions, let me know.

I want them to see me, not the handicap.

(Mélanie riding in her wheelchair.)

A normal day in the life of the coordinator of the centre doesn't exist.

(Mélanie with colleagues at her desk and in a sitting area.)

In a day, I can do guided tours either for clients or PSPC employees. I organize all the workshops that are offered here at the centre, and I do all the little admin things. We do also presentations across the government and in various conferences.

(Images of different modern workspaces.)

(Text on screen: Innovation Centre: GCworkplace put to the test)

The Centre for GCworkplace Innovation is a brand new centre, and our mandate here is to foster innovation, find new ways of working in the GCworkplace

(Text on screen: GCworkplace: A modern workplace for Canada’s public service)

In a GCworkplace, the goal is to give people as much options as possible. That gives people what they need to be able to do their jobs.

(Mélanie working at her desk and interacting with a colleague.)

The most rewarding aspect of my job is definitely to show people a new way of working that is better for them. It's better for their work-life balance, it's better for their health.

(Mélanie smiling and laughing.)

(Text on screen: Public Services and Procurement Canada signature)

[Music stops]

(Canada Wordmark)

End of video

Ranya El Sadawy, Senior Bridge Engineer

Ranya El Sadawy is a senior bridge engineer with Public Services and Procurement Canada. Watch the video to learn more about her job and what inspired her to become an engineer.

Transcript: Ranya El Sadawy, Senior Bridge Engineer

Start of video

[Music plays]

(Text on screen: Our People at Work)

(Woman spins around in her chair, and pictures of bridges are shown on her computer screen.)

(Ranya El Sadawy speaks.)

(Text on screen: Ranya El Sadawy, Senior Bridge Engineer, Public Services and Procurement Canada.)

My name is Ranya El Sadawy, and I’m a senior engineer working for Public Services and Procurement Canada, the Infrastructure Asset Management Group.

(Shot of Ranya being interviewed.)

(Picture of Ranya as an adolescent.)

I arrived in Canada in 1997. I was only 14 years old. My role model was my mom.

(Picture of Ranya’s mother in the 60s in the Middle East.)

She was a doctor in the 60s in the Middle East, in a time and a place that it wasn’t common for a woman that time to be a doctor.

(Picture of Ranya’s mother in Canada at a science fair with Ranya and her brother.)

I saw how strong she was and how she could make it. That’s what inspired me on a personal level.

(Shot of Ranya writing on a drawing plan of a bridge.)

I had teachers who believed in me in high school. There was one teacher in particular, my history teacher.

(Pictures of Julie Payette and the 1992 Canadian Space Agency team.)

She was very impressed, and she even at one point cut out a news clip of Julie Payette and left it on my desk. She said, “That could be you one day.”

(Shot of Ranya and another employee looking over a plan of a bridge.)

(Shot of the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge.)

The two bridges I’m responsible for are the Burlington Lift Bridge and the LaSalle Causeway.

(Shot of the LaSalle Causeway.)

They are both movable bridges. Both of the bridges are vital to the local economy because they serve as access points to the harbours, to allow the passage of ships.

(Shot of a sailboat passing under the lifted Burlington Canal Lift Bridge.)

As a bridge engineer, I’m responsible to maintain the safety and serviceability of the bridges I’m responsible for.

(Shot of Ranya smiling and sitting at her desk.)

(Shot of the LaSalle Causeway lifting.)

(Shot of Ranya wearing a safety vest and hard hat and standing beside the LaSalle Causeway.)

What I like most about my job is seeing my work being realized on sites and seeing the real benefit to the Canadians.

(Shot of Ranya’s university certificate and diploma.)

(Shot of a miniature bridge model and Ranya working on a plan of a bridge.)

I believe women can achieve anything they want when they put their mind to it.

(Public Services and Procurement Canada signature)

[Music stops]

(Canada Wordmark)

End of video

Michael Burke, Sustainable Energy Engineer

The Government of Canada is taking important steps towards reducing its carbon footprint. Senior Sustainable Energy Engineer, Michael Burke, is leading a biomass fuel pilot project in the National Capital Region that could significantly reduce region’s environmental impact.

Transcript: Michael Burke, Sustainable Energy Engineer

Start of video

[Music plays]

(Text on screen: Our People at Work)

(Man walks into building and picks up a hard hat hanging on the wall.)

(Shot of man smiling at camera and wearing hard hat.)

(Michael Burke speaks)

(Text on screen: Michael Burke, Senior Engineer, Sustainable Energy, Energy Services Acquisition Program)

My name is Michael Burke. I’m a Senior Engineer, Energy Systems, with the Energy Services Acquisition Program.

(Shot of Michael Burke being interviewed)

The pilot project I’m working on is a biomass installation at one of our heating plants to test the use of biomass fuel for heating government buildings.

(Various clips from a heating plant are shown including wood chips on a conveyor belt and a technician looking inside a boiler and recording data)

We will be replacing natural gas and number two fuel oil with wood chips. The wood chips will be coming from wood waste, mill residues, wood that would otherwise not be used and be sent to landfill.

I have to be involved on a daily basis to ensure that the project is being built according to specifications and that it will be performing according to specification as well.

(Michael and another employee look over schematic drawings of the boiler.)

Depending how successful we are, the biomass could be used to green the district energy systems such that the carbon footprint will be less than 10% of what it is today.

(Michael and another employee sit in front of a grouping of monitors displaying boiler information, they point to different data and discuss.)

In my job what I’m most proud of is the contribution I’m making towards the better use of energy. So anything I can do, my part, to further the agenda for a lower carbon footprint and more energy efficient operation is the thing I’m proudest of.

(Public Services and Procurement Canada signature)

[Music stops]

(Canada Wordmark)

End of video

Marie-Hélène Roberge, Airforce Acquisition Specialist

Buying specialized aircrafts to protect and serve our country is no simple task. Enjoy this clip with Marie-Hélène Roberge our Airforce Acquisition Specialist as she tells us about her job. PSPC procures goods and services on behalf of departments and agencies at the best value for Canadians.

Transcript: Marie-Hélène Roberge, Airforce Acquisition Specialist

Start of video

[Music plays]

(Pictures of four people and the following text appears on screen: Our people at work)

(Marie-Hélène sitting in front of a dark grey background and talking to the camera. The following text appears on screen: Marie-Hélène Roberge, Senior Director, Major Projects Directorate – Air, Public Services and Procurement Canada)

My name is Marie-Hélène Roberge, and I’m in charge of procuring major military equipment for the Canadian Forces and men and women in uniforms.

My directorate works on procuring aircraft fleets. We buy helicopters and planes, along with training services. We’re buying specialized services as well for the air force.

(Marie-Hélène standing in front of an airplane and smiling at the camera)

I have contributed in multiple projects. I’ve worked on buying the C17 Globemaster aircraft, the 130J Hercules aircraft. I’ve contributed to the Chinook planes. So these are all the brand new helicopters and aircrafts that the air force is operating.

(Military personnel loading supplies into helicopters)
(Military personnel boarding an aircraft)
(Military personnel looking at a map)
(Military personnel exiting an aircraft)

The projects in aeronautics and procurement, they are long-term projects. We will buy equipment that will remain in service for 20, 30, 40 or even 50 years in some cases, so we must ensure that we make the right decisions.

(An aircraft that has just landed)
(An aircraft driving on the tarmac)
(A helicopter getting ready to take off)
(A helicopter flying close to the water)
(A helicopter flying over snow-covered mountains at sunrise)
(Close-up of 2 pilots inside the cockpit of an airplane)

(Marie-Hélène sitting at a table in a boardroom and discussing with 5 colleagues)
(Marie-Hélène discussing with a military member)

I’m proud to have the opportunity to really make a difference in the lives of men and women in uniforms, by buying them the best equipment they can get.

(Military personnel assembling pieces of a helicopter)
(A helicopter flying over snow-covered mountains)

I’m really proud to see these equipments being used for humanitarian reasons around the world and disaster relief, as these are the first-line assets to get our people there and try to help when people are in need.

(Military personnel transporting sandbags) (A helicopter taking off)
(A flooded residential area)

(Public Services and Procurement Canada signature appears on a white background)
(Canada wordmark appears on a white background)

End of video

Carly Johnson, Parliamentary Interpreter

Learn more about parliamentary interpretation and view Carly Johnson’s video. Carly is a parliamentary interpreter whose job it is to simultaneously translate the daily proceedings on Parliament Hill, from parliamentary debates to prime ministerial speeches.