A pavilion that opens horizons

The Rio Tinto IOC Research and Innovation Pavilion, developed in partnership with the Cégep de Sept-Îles, was created to support applied research, training and innovation in areas that matter to Quebec’s North Shore. For the local community, it also creates opportunities. 

For Nazaire, a railway operator at the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC), the Rio Tinto IOC Research and Innovation Pavilion in Sept-Îles, Canada, is more than a facility. It’s a practical investment in local skills, stronger communities, and provides opportunities for people to build careers close to home. 

“I joined IOC in September 2025 and today I work as a carman at the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Station workshops. I’m from Maliotenam, an Innu community near Sept-Îles in Quebec, so building a career close to home matters to me. It matters for my family, for my community and the kind of future I want to help create,” Nazaire said. 

“When I look at the new Pavilion in Sept-Îles, I don't just see a building. I see what it can make possible for the people here.” 

Opportunity starts with access

For Indigenous communities, access to local opportunities and experiences is important to opening career pathways. 

“If a place like this had existed when I was younger, I probably would have discovered the railway field much earlier. Today, I use the skills I built through my studies in welding and diesel mechanics, along with the training I have completed since joining IOC. What this pavilion can do now is help more people see those kinds of paths sooner,” he said. 

“It can give young people in the Sept-Îles, Maliotenam region a clearer view of what’s possible. It can help them explore industrial and railway careers, build practical skills and prepare for work without having to leave the region to do it. That kind of access matters. It helps create opportunity locally, strengthens skills and supports communities over the long term. 

Being able to learn and work closer to home helps people stay connected to their families, culture and community while building a career. In my case, one of the most important parts of my job is being able to come home every night. Many regional roles mean long rotations away from home. Working at IOC gives me a balance that works for me. 

It also helps that I work in an environment where safety, structure and support matter.”

“Since joining IOC, I’ve felt welcomed by my team and supported by both leaders and colleagues. That has helped me keep learning and growing in my role. Safe work, strong training and a structured environment - opportunity matters most when people have the support to succeed in it. 

I’m proud of the path I have taken so far. I’m also proud to think that others may now find their path a little earlier, and a little closer to home. If it helps more people do that over time, then it will have done something even more important: it will have helped strengthen the future of this region through people.”