Shawn J. Allaire, Manager of the Atikokan Mining Attraction

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Shawn Allaire and Heather Schmutzer in front of the "Cutting Edge" mural at the entrance of the Mining Attraction.
May 2000

From the Atikokan Progress, Jan. 17, 2000:
"Mining Attraction gets funding to hire manager"
and June 5, 2000: "AMA welcomes Manager"

Valuable Skills and Characteristics
Highly motivated Highly creative, lateral thinker Exceptional organizational abilities Optimistic, resourceful, flexible	Self-starter, adaptable, multi-tasker Experience in a high-intensity resource centre Initiative, energy and persistence to attain goals
Recognized for exceptional customer service 20 years' experience in library management and operations Ability to proactively identify and solve potential obstructions to goals and objectives Excellent computer skills, including HTML, word processing and graphics programs

Employment History

2000-2002	Atikokan Mining Attraction Atikokan Progress, reporter	Manager Website Designer Fundraiser
1999	Lakehead University	Sessional Lecturer
1998-99	HRDC Resource Centre	Client Assistance
1998-99	Thunder Bay Public Library Digitization Project	Project Coordinator
1988-1996	Old Fort William Resource Library	Librarian
1980's	Lakehead Board of Education	Head of Circulation
1980's	Chancellor Paterson Library Lakehead University	Cataloguing / Acquisitions

Educational History

Diploma:	Library Technology	Lakehead University Thunder Bay
Degree:	Bachelor of Arts, Psychology Major	University of Waterloo

Websites created for information / fundraising purposes

Personal Websites

Where, Oh Where is Melody Allaire?
"Adventures of a Freespirit" (website for daughter in Thailand)

twosox on the web (my personal site)

Newspaper Articles from The Atikokan Progress

"Mining Attraction gets funding to hire manager" by M. McKinnon
Jan. 17, 2000

The Trillium Foundation has awarded the Atikokan Mining Attraction a special grant of $41,600.00 to hire a manager for one year.

"I'm thrilled", said AMA Chair, Heather Schmutzer. "My volunteers are getting older...and we've taken this about as far as volunteers can. We need a professional."

The group wants a person with enough experience and / or training to handle the curatorial functions -- how to properly save and record the history of the mines -- as well as the marketing and fund-raising functions of the project.

"We want him or her to develop an effective marketing and fund-raising strategy" she said. "At the end of a year, if the job has been done well, we should [have the funding] to fire the person again for future years. That's our hope."

Right now, the AMA plans to start looking seriously for someone in March, to interview candidates in April and to have someone in place by May.

"AMA welcomes manager" by M. McKinnon

The Atikokan Mining has hired a manager.
June 5, 2000

"I'm learning everything I can about the exhibits, the program, the history of Atikokan and how it all fits together with the mines", said Shawn Allaire, who started with the AMA late last month. (The AMA is now open Monday through Friday, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Allaire's background is in library science. She worked eight years at Old Fort William resource centre, and has also worked with the HRDC resource centre, the Thunder Bay Public Library, the Lakehead Board of Education resource centre and the Lakehead University Library. She has a B.A. (University of Waterloo) and a library technology diploma (Lakehead University).

She already knows the community some, having hosted a recent web page workshop at the Atikokan Public Library.

John Wiens introduced her to the mine sites. She is impressed with the way they are returning to nature, but distressed at the way they've becoming a dumping ground for old fridges.