Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 36
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CANADA’S TOP EMPLOYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE (2026)
Young employees find a sense of belonging at EPCOR
F
rom her first day on
the job, as part of an
EPCOR Utilities Inc.
team preparing to open
its new state-of-the-art
demineralized water treatment
plant in Clarington, Ont., Victoria
Donkers has felt welcomed,
inspired and a part of something
big.
An environmental technician
graduate from nearby Fleming
College, Donkers appreciates the
importance of working at a facility
that provides ultra-pure water
for the steam systems at Ontario
Power Generation’s Darlington
Nuclear Generating Station. It's
all part of helping produce
enough electricity to serve two
million homes in Ontario.
I learned a lot since I
started here. I could
honestly see myself
staying until I retire.
— Victoria Donkers
Operator, Darlington
Demineralized Water Plant
“Being part of a team of people
— many of us all starting our
careers at EPCOR together —
was an exciting experience,” she
says. And her engagement and
excitement about working at the
plant hasn’t stopped.
As an operator at the facility,
she works on lab testing
and has received training in
forklift operations, first aid and
environmental audits to ensure
water from the plant is clear and
clean.
In addition to the formalized
training she’s received through the
utilities company, Donkers is also
grateful for the workplace culture,
Victoria Donkers, operator at the Darlington Demineralized Water Plant, an EPCOR Utilities facility located in
Clarington, Ont.
where she always feels comfortable asking for advice.
Donkers says she feels
supported, too, by the company’s
commitment to employees’ mental
and physical wellness, which goes
beyond coverage for dental and
allied health providers.
Employees, for example, can
claim expenses for equipment
and activities that contribute to
emotional or physical wellbeing. Donkers bought camping
equipment, while other employees
have been able to pay for a gym
membership, a canoe, sports
equipment or even veterinary
expenses because of the joy pets
bring to people’s lives.
And there is a focus on physical
and mental health on the job that
Donkers appreciates. The company encourages her team to do
stretches at the start of every shift
and holds seminars with experts
who talk about mental wellness.
Ian MacNeill, senior vice president of corporate services, emphasizes that safety and a welcoming
workplace are top priorities at the
Edmonton-based company, which
operates across Canada and the
United States.
“We focus on ensuring our
employees really feel that sense
of belonging and that they are
respected, valued and supported
within EPCOR,” he says.
Along with the benefits Donkers
highlights are the company’s nine
employee-led resource groups.
They include one for people of
colour and their allies and one to
focus on reducing stigma around
mental health and wellness,
