Guy Labine credits serendipity with landing him his dream job as CEO at Science North. But the Azilda-raised executive shares that credit with his parents and other mentors, and the work ethic they helped him to develop.
“Serendipity had a lot to do with it. I was fortunate to have a strong network of folks that I knew, and the phrase is overused — you need to be in the right place at the right time — but I think I put myself in those positions too,” said Labine.
Labine’s father worked in the maintenance department at Laurentian University until the early 1980s. His mother, a homemaker for most of her seven children’s lives, went back to work in her late 40s and worked for Canada Post until her retirement.
Labine said his parents were his first mentors, and raised him and his siblings with a strong sense of direction.
“My parents always used to say, get post-secondary education,” said Labine. “Because that degree, or that diploma, gets your foot in the door, and after that it’s how you perform and who you are as an individual that will get you someplace in life.”
Labine started at the University of Ottawa in 1982, but transferred to Laurentian University after two years to care for his parents, who fell ill at the same time. Despite the change, he finished his degree in physical education and administration on time, in 1984. His choice of programming was influenced by the man he considers his second mentor, his high school gym teacher, Jean Gauthier.
“He was my guide through high school and university, and we’re still friends today,” said Labine. “I knew early on – while I admired the teaching professions – I knew it wasn’t something I necessarily wanted to do, but I continued with my degree.”
His parents’ advice to get a degree proved helpful, and Labine got his foot in the door working at an Employment and Immigration student centre in the summers between academic years. When he graduated, a supervisor position had opened up, and Labine landed the job where he met his third mentor.
“My third mentor was my first real boss, Mary Bernardi, an area manager,” said Labine. “She was a very smart, enterprising lady, very direct, but later on as I got to know her, she had a great sense of humour and great wit.”
She inspired him to continue working in the public service. After his supervisor contract ended, Labine took a role at Statistics Canada conducting the 1986 census for the Algoma region. After the census, Labine bounced back to Employment and Immigration to work as an employment counsellor.
By 27, with an unusual amount of experience for a man of his age, Labine decided to run for town council in Rayside-Balfour, a suburb of Sudbury. He won, and served until 1993, when he formed the town’s economic development office.
In 1997, Labine became the manager of the Sudbury Regional Development Corporation and left for Science North in 2001 after amalgamation.
Labine’s experience makes for a packed résumé, and a packed Rolodex. He’s maintained close relationships with his mentors, while forging new connections. Change has driven his career, and it drives him at Science North, too.
“Change is a constant here, and the capacity to change is driven by programming and exhibits,” said Labine.
Even before his first day at Science North on Jan. 6, 2001, Labine joined former CEO Jim Marchbank on a trip to Cleveland, Ohio for the annual conference of the Association of Science and Technology Centers. He was impressed by Science North’s international recognition.
In the past 15 years, Labine has worked that international angle, and Science North now produces and exports exhibits and expertise around the world. He recently returned from a trade mission to China with Premier Kathleen Wynne.
Along with his excitement about Science North’s expansion overseas, he is passionate about the centre’s offerings and partnerships closer to home: the science communication program between Science North and Laurentian University, Science North’s new night events for adults called Nightlife on the Rocks, and summer camps offered across Northern Ontario.
“Sudbury is big enough that it is a city that offers a lot, but small enough that you can bring like-minded people around the table for a common cause, a common vision, or to deal with a common problem that we all have,” said Labine.
And if there’s anyone who can bring those people around a table, it’s Labine.
