Victoria Donkers, operator at the Darlington Demineralized Water Plant, an EPCOR Utilities facility located in Clarington, Ont.Supplied
From 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.
“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, 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, among others.
To ensure that the company keeps up to date on the needs of its employees, it surveys them every two years. “We put a high value on employee feedback,” MacNeill says of the most recent survey’s 10,000 employee comments, which the company is now analyzing.
Community involvement is also encouraged. “Our employees are always eager to give back to their communities,” says MacNeill.
In 2024, for example, 930 employees in Canada and the United States volunteered over 2,300 hours, he says. And EPCOR invested over $4 million to support charitable partnerships and community events that year.
All of that adds up to a package that attracts young employees — and keeps them.
“I’ve learned a lot since I started here,” says Donkers. “I could honestly see myself staying until I retire.”
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Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.