This documentary takes a deep dive into the lives of N.L.'s mobile workers - Action News
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This documentary takes a deep dive into the lives of N.L.'s mobile workers

A newAbsolutely Canadian film offers an intimate look into the daily reality of mobileworkers in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Three women on the move star in a new documentary following the lives of Newfoundland and Labrador's little-known mobile workforce. (Director: Lian Morrison)

A newAbsolutely Canadian film offers an intimate look into the daily reality of mobileworkers in Newfoundland and Labrador.

But director Lian Morrison turns her camera toward a different sort of employeethan the typical Fort McMurray oil labourer.

Set in Motiontraces the story of three women who areconstantly travellingwithin the province to earn a paycheque.

Sara Anne James is a truck driver on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula. (Director: Lian Morrison)

Sara Anne James' alarm clock usually sounds at 5 a.m. She's a truck driver, in motion all day long, delivering goods on the Avalon.

Even though she's proud of her profession, has always loved carsand even relaxes at the Avalon Speedway not to mention beingone offew women with aClass 1 license in the province it's a solitary life.

Pharmacist Kara O'Keefe travels to Bell Island to work five days a week a trip that depends largely on ferries running smoothly. (Director Lian Morrison)

Kara O'Keefe is a pharmacist who works on Bell Island, but lives in St. John's.

Her daily work routine is often impacted by the vagaries of the weather and ferry breakdowns.

"When I get up on Monday morning, the first thing that is going through my mind is that I have to deal with the ferry for the next five days," she says.

"So that can sometimes make me more hesitant to get out of bed."

When she's unable to get to the pharmacy on time, it candelay treatment for some of her patients.

Beatrice Clowe misses a lot of family time due to her job at a Labrador mine. (Director Lian Morrison)

Beatrice Clowe is an underground minerat Voisey's Bay.

She and her husband alternate work schedules at the mine,flying to Labrador from Torbay.They are two of the 800 workers who remain at the mine site for two weeks at a time before heading home again.

She loves her job, but says the rotation sometimes means she misses family milestones.

WATCH | Find out what life is like on the road for workers who have become accustomed to travel. Click below to see the full documentary, Set in Motion:

Leanna Butters of Memorial University's On the Move Partnershipsays mobile workers like James, O'Keefe and Clowe are the vehicles thatsustain rural communities in Newfoundland and Labrador.

DeatraWalsh, a researcher with the partnershipwho's married to a rotational worker, says acknowledgingtheir struggleswill lead to better policies to support workers whether it'saccess to child care or better mental health supports.

Set in Motion will debut this Saturday at 8:30 pm on CBC-TV and will be on the CBC Gem with theAbsolutely Canadian documentaries.

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador