Cover Story

Image courtesy of BHP Potash

The euphoria linked to this latest announcement is multifold. First, for BHP and its employees, it represents the company’s largest single onetime capital investment to date in the parent company’s 170 years in existence.

It is a validation of BHP’s Saskatchewan’s teamwork over the past 15 years since the company first came to Saskatchewan. For the province, it is also the largest mining investment to date.

Aside from an influx in future taxes and royalties, it comes with the promise of increased opportunities for Saskatchewan contractors, consultants and suppliers. And it offers prospects for approximately 3,500 jobs during construction and about 600 during operations. That’s something to be excited about, particularly given the gloomy socio-economic climate of the past 19 months since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Jansen Stage 1 project, which proposes to produce 4.35 million tonnes of potash per year starting in 2027 is the largest mining project in Canada today, states Giles Hellyer, president of BHP Potash from his office in downtown Saskatoon. “This announcement marks a new chapter for our company and for the province. It took us some time to ‘de-risk’ the project and now we’re ready to move forward and produce potash for up to 100 years on this site and do it sustainably and responsibly,” says Hellyer.

The project, which started as an exploration project back in 20052006, currently employs a total of approximately 1,000 people, including about 200 people in Saskatoon, nearly 600 people at the Jansen site - for the most part involved in construction – and nearly 200 people in their Ontario engineering and design division. The company anticipates it will take approximately six years to build the infrastructure needed to be fully operational. At the peak of construction, about mid-way through the process, Hellyer anticipates that they will require upward of 3,500 workers. To ensure that Saskatchewan businesses and individuals have the opportunity to be part of the project, BHP is splitting its construction project in multiple packages and capitalizing on the specific expertise of several local engineering firms, services providers and suppliers. In construction and in ongoing operations BHP will continue to enable local and Indigenous businesses with its procurement opportunities.

“We would like most of the construction staff to be local, but that depends on the availability of certain trades and the job market at the time. During construction, the bulk of our workforce will be mostly labour and trades jobs at the Jansen site, but we will also require many professional and technical positions to be filled to support the project and future operations from Saskatoon,” explains Hellyer. “Our operating model for the day we enter production, relies on staff in Saskatoon being directly involved in the operations from Saskatoon rather than being right on site. This is one of the ways we try to ensure we have a diverse workforce,” he adds.

Today, BHP counts 37% of women in its workforce (compared to 17% in Canada’s mining industry*) and is committed to achieving gender parity at the Jansen project once the mine commences operations. Workforce gender diversity is part of the mine project design, which also includes a plan to employ 20% Indigenous people to be representative of Saskatchewan’s population make up in the coming years.

“We are increasing the use of technology and automating many processes and tasks and allowing them to be performed and monitored from Saskatoon rather than on site. This is one way to allow people who cannot be away from home for work to be able to apply and secure a job with us without compromising family life for example,” says Hellyer.

With thousands of people to hire, BHP is taking a multi-step approach to recruitment. They are spreading the recruitment process not only over the six years and various phases of the construction project, but also over two years to increase their operational capacity

Image courtesy of BHP Potash “ This announcement marks a new chapter for our company and for the province. It took us some time to ‘de-risk’ the project and now we’re ready to move forward and produce potash for up to 100 years on this site and do it sustainably and responsibly.

Giles Hellyer, president of BHP Potash

during the ramp up leading to operation. And they are working with their construction partners, such as trades suppliers, to recruit the qualified workforce for specific packages.

Hellyer notes that “although we put the emphasis on hiring local, we don’t discount global talents who can also contribute greatly to the project, gain experience and skills from local people and help develop other skills for the local workforce. We have the advantage of being part of a large multinational group, with vast experience in mining so we also need to capitalize on that. And we pay particular attention to having a workforce that shares our values and that is respectful of our company’s culture and that of the region where we operate.”

“And of course, health and safety are always at the forefront of everything we do. For example, for the past 19 months we have learned to operate with the COVID-19 pandemic and have implemented measures to protect our people. Aside from enforcing the use of proper PPE (personal protective equipment), social distancing measures, and offering testing and vaccination programs, we are also learning and implementing best practices from our global operations. And we apply all relevant protection measures to our recruitment process too.” Although the number of positions that will need to be filled over the next six years may seem daunting, BHP takes it in stride and its recruitment process is not unlike anyone else’s, capitalizing on online recruitment via platforms such as LinkedIn, their website, trades and professional associations’ portals and other recruitment avenues such as co-operative programs, apprenticeships, new graduates and summer employment programs. BHP is also being proactive in its discussion with local communities and Indigenous business and employment organizations to build capacity.

“We hope that our commitment to having a diverse workforce, our focus on innovation and our use of technology in every phase of this project from construction to operation appeals to people. The fact that we have various positions to offer in administrative, professional, technical and operational roles in our offices, on surface and underground at the site provides opportunities for a wide range of applicants. And the fact that we offer opportunities and the flexibility to be part of a global team also has its appeal,” says Hellyer. “Most importantly we continually strive to offer an environment where everyone feels safe to come to work and can bring their whole self. With attractive jobs, excellent employment benefits and a culture built on respect, we hope people will respond favourably to the opportunities we will be offering.”

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been devastating for many businesses and individuals in Saskatchewan, BHP’s Jansen project is bringing hope. Its massive requirements in goods and services are exactly the type of positive news so many in the province were waiting for. It is the promise of construction and many other jobs available for years to come on site and in its Saskatoon office.

BUSINESSVOICE SASKATOON FALL / 2021 21 Image courtesy of BHP Potash