Grads in western Manitoba village of St-Lazare face pull between post-secondary school, working at mine

The only student leaving the high school in the western Manitoba village of St-Lazare with a diploma this year says he's planning to go work at a nearby mine come September — but not for long, he hopes.

Christian Simard plans to work at the potash mine in Rocanville, Sask., for a while, "to make money quickly and be able to pay for my education," he said.

But working at the Nutrien-owned mine — just over the provincial border, less than 20 kilometres west of St-Lazare — isn't a long-term plan for Simard.

"I'll give myself a year at the most. I don't want to get stuck at the mine. Most of the people who work there stay there," he said.

Before making his decision, the 18-year-old considered post-secondary school — he thought about enrolling in kinesiology or physical education at university, or electrical engineering at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon, or the college's agri-business program. He was accepted into all three programs.

But the pull between further education and working at the mine is something graduates in St-Lazare face every year, says Laura Audet, a teacher who has helped students navigate their future prospects as the guidance counsellor at École Saint-Lazar for the past 10 years.

"The most natural choice for our students is to go to work rather than to school," said Audet. The closest university and community college to the village are in Brandon, more than 100 kilometres to the southeast.

"The mine, where several of their relatives work, offers very good wages and benefits, and they are well aware of this. They see others driving around in nice vehicles, then having lots of material things. It's hard to fight that."

She's clear that there's nothing wrong with taking a job at the mine. The starting wage is around $30 an hour, she said — "a very good salary for a student, when you consider that the minimum wage is $15.30 an hour. It's not a difficult choice for them."

But she also wants to make sure students have options, so she encourages young people graduating from the school — which had 68 students from kindergarten to Grade 12 this year — to work toward a diploma or certification. 

"We know it can open doors for them, and if the mine closes one day, at least they won't be left with nothing."

St-Lazare has a population of just over 200, according to the latest census data. Just over 10 per cent of the population between the ages of 25 and 64 doesn't have a high school diploma, Statistics Canada says, and for just over 40 per cent, the highest level of education is a high school diploma.

Among the École Saint-Lazare graduates who have gone on to post-secondary education is Noah Lemoine, the new physical education and English teacher at the school.

After graduating from École Saint-Lazare, he got an education degree at Brandon University. He's fulfilling a childhood dream by landing a job at his former school, he said.