Saskatchewan's Top Employers (2025) Magazine - Flipbook - Page 14
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SASKATCHEWAN’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2025)
BHP Canada invests in local talent and communities
L
ike many who grew up
in Saskatchewan, Maury
Simoneau travelled west
after university to work
in the oil, gas and construction
industries in Alberta and B.C. But
13 years ago, an exciting project
with the Saskatoon-headquartered
mining company BHP Canada
Inc. brought him back.
“BHP gave me the opportunity
to come home to Saskatchewan
and work in the province I
grew up in,” says Simoneau,
who was initially hired as a site
superintendent for the BHP
potash mine in Jansen and is now
infrastructure and services manager for potash.
Simoneau, who lives with his
family in nearby Humboldt, appreciates the fact that he can work
on a huge project and still be close
to home. “It’s a unique experience
to work on a mega project like
this and yet in 45 minutes I can
be home to coach my kid’s hockey
team,” he says.
He also values the efforts BHP
has made to support and engage
with the communities surrounding the mine. “They’re creating
meaningful opportunities in those
communities, and in the local First
Nations,” he says. “They’re giving
back in lots of ways, like sponsoring sports and wellness initiatives
that help make the communities
better places to live.”
Karina Gistelinck, BHP’s Potash
Asset president, says that helping
local communities thrive is part
of the company’s social value
framework, which also includes
pillars around decarbonization,
nature-positive plans and
Indigenous engagement.
“We have opportunity agreements with six First Nations, and
we embed targets on spending
with Indigenous companies
and have a goal to have 20 per
cent Indigenous representation
in our workforce, reflecting the
community,” she says. “We are
also investing in things like hockey
rinks and medical facilities, and
working with a community group
to support housing and child care
in the region.”
It’s a unique experience to
work on a mega project like
this and yet in 45 minutes
I can be home to coach my
kid’s hockey team.
— Maury Simoneau
Infrastructure and
Services Manager
An employee at BHP Canada overlooks the project model for the Jansen potash site.
Professional development is also
a priority for BHP. “They’re really
focused on development plans for
employees,” says Simoneau. “Each
year, we set our development
plans and work with our leaders to
meet these goals and aspirations.
Development isn’t just a box
that gets ticked; BHP offers great
training that helps people achieve
their goals.”
Gistelinck points out that
BHP offers all employees
comprehensive training on the
business and the qualities of
leadership when they are first
hired.
