Millwright apprentice Ivy Ireland painting a bright career path with OPG
At a glance
- Ivy Ireland is a millwright apprentice currently working on unit refurbishments at OPG’s Otto Holden Generating Station.
- While honing her skills with OPG, she is also putting her experience to paper through her other passion—painting.
- An outspoken advocate for millwrighting and the trades, Ireland says she can’t picture herself doing anything else.
Ivy Ireland has found her true calling as a millwright, a career path that once seemed unimaginable for her.
“I never thought I’d be a millwright. But now I can’t picture anything else,” she said. “Before I joined the trades, I had no idea what a millwright was. I had to Google it.”
Now nearing her fourth and final year as an apprentice millwright, Ireland is currently a temporary worker at OPG’s Otto Holden Generating Station. She has been part of refurbishing the station’s G8 unit, a project that has built her skills, confidence, and perspective.
You kind of stumble upon something you enjoy doing in life. It works out that way sometimes.Ivy IrelandMillwright apprentice
“What millwrights do, we’re a fundamental part of our industry and Ontario’s economy,” she explained. “We maintain and install all sorts of machinery and overhaul entire generating units, including the bearing shaft and turbine. And we put it all back together. We’re a jack of all trades—or, as I like to say, doctor of mechanics.”
While honing her skills at OPG, she has also found time for her other passion—art. Through beautiful and vivid watercolour paintings, she captures scenes from the varied sites she has worked as a millwright, including OPG’s hydro facilities.
Her paintings include close-up perspectives of hydro components as well as recreations of OPG’s hydro dams.
“It’s something I like to do on my lunch breaks to keep me busy,” Ireland said. “I like to start a small watercolour book one week at a time. Then, when I’m home after work, I just try to focus on my painting.”
Before she found the trades, Ireland was studying fine arts with a minor in history.
Her original plan was to go into politics or archiving.
Then she struck the idea of becoming a millwright. As her mom is also in the trades as an ironworker, she already had a glimpse of what a life in the trades could offer.
“You kind of stumble upon something you enjoy doing in life. It works out that way sometimes.”
Before long, she began her journey with the millwright union, working across a variety of industries, including mining, automotive, manufacturing, paper and pulp, and now energy.
It’s that diversity of experiences that has made her career such an adventure so far, Ireland said.
“I’ve had the chance to visit and work at so many different sites across industries. The variety that you’re exposed to on a daily basis, it’s pretty amazing,” she said.
“Now that I’m at OPG, every day I’m doing something different. I had never been on a plant crew before, and I’m becoming familiar with power generation. There’s still a lot of adventure to be had here.”
To explore opportunities with OPG, and learn how you can help electrify life, visit opg.com/careers.
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