Skip to content

Business owner loves engaging with people, bringing out the best in them

'I certainly knew I wanted a career where I had that opportunity to work with a team or with people'

Melanie Verreault always knew she wanted a career where she could engage with people and bring out the best in them.

Verreault, 46, is a business owner in Timmins and the president of the Timmins Chamber of Commerce.

“I think my biggest skill set is really connecting with people on emotional and intelligent levels and trying to see how we can bring out the best in each other,” she says. “I certainly knew I wanted a career where I had that opportunity to work with a team or with people.”

Born and raised in Timmins, Verreault says she loves living in the north. She enjoys public speaking, professional development projects and working with people from all walks of life.

“It’s about celebrating the talents we have in our community and the real diamonds here, that we do have a lot of talent and a lot of resources that we need to be tapping into,” she says. “This place is an amazing place to live in.”

Since a very young age, Verreault was into performing arts like singing and dancing, so she says she's used to being in front of people. Although Verreault doesn’t sing as much nowadays, dancing is still a part of her self-care routine. Teaching spin is another way for her to engage with people.

Verreault is the owner of Trimeda Consulting Inc. firm. With her brother, she also co-owns G. Verreault Fuels Ltd. and Kreb Enterprises Inc., overseeing gas and retail stations.

Her experience running a business has been motivating, she says, because she is able to drive it in the direction she wants and she can help other people.

“The journey of being a business owner is exciting in terms of capacity you can uncover. You learn a lot about yourself and your own talents. Your success is based on what you’re putting in,” she says.

Verreault has been a Timmins Chamber of Commerce board member for the past five years and became its president last August.

Being a business owner helps her in her role as the chamber's president, Verreault says. She’s owned the consulting firm for 10 years and says women in business need to support each other.

“We need to be for each other, not working against each other, and supporting each other for that win-win. And start having more women in top positions in our community or just managing their own businesses,” she says.

Her career also included working for North Eastern Ontario Family and Children's Services for 14 years as well as with Laurentian University and Northern College.

At Laurentian, where she has been a part-time faculty member for 20 years, she helped develop Indigenous studies courses in French, thus helping bring more awareness about Indigenous culture and history to French-speaking students.

Verreault is also a part of the City of Timmins’ Indigenous Advisory Committee and sits on the board of the Timmins and District Hospital.

She says she’s passionate about Indigenous issues and how she can bridge relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

“I know it’s changed now but when I went through elementary and secondary systems, the real stories of Indigenous cultures weren’t really portrayed or brought to light the way than it is today,” she says. “For me, it was important that I knew that because it’s part of our history as Canadians as well. If we really want to know the true Canadian history, we need to visit that side and educate ourselves, whether we’re Indigenous or not.”

She views challenges in life and at work as opportunities to grow and learn what’s she capable of. Ten years from now, she hopes to see the fruits of her labour and how she's impacted the community with the work she’s doing nowadays.

Verreault says she’s most proud of her 18-year-old son and she looks forward to seeing what he will achieve in the future.

“I’ve had a very fortunate life where I’ve had the ability to be able to go to school and be supported that way, so I’m very blessed in that sense,” she says.

“I’m happy with where I am at in my life in terms of staying true to who I am as an individual and in wanting to be someone who can help other people.”


Dariya Baiguzhiyeva

About the Author: Dariya Baiguzhiyeva

Dariya Baiguzhiyeva is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering diversity issues for TimminsToday. The LJI is funded by the Government of Canada
Read more

Reader Feedback