From the sea to soft rock- Zoe Belanger is living her dream job

Zoe Belanger beams when she talks about everyday life at Nutrien.

“It’s amazing that even though it feels like a big warehouse around me you remember that this is all rock and there is no infrastructure here. It is just rock, and we have learned how to cut it,” Belanger says with a smile.

After graduating with a degree in geology from the University of Saskatchewan, Belanger has elevated her career at Nutrien. She joined the company in 2013 and is Mine Operations General Foreman at our Allan mine.

“I get to interact with the operator that’s experiencing things in the field and listen to them and then make change. I’m in a role where I’m empowered enough to make change, but then still able to listen to them daily, so I like that,” Belanger said.

Geology wasn’t her first interest, but when she started studying marine biology she fell in love with geology after taking some classes. Today she is driven by her interest in potash.

“A highlight is going underground, but I think what excites me the most about my job is that there is an array of different work that’s going on and problems to solve,” Belanger said. “Operation folks are so passionate about what they do here and getting to work with them on a vision that they see as making an improvement and making that become reality is what I love the do the most.”

Her peers praise Zoe’s contributions.

“Zoe is highly action-orientated, energetic, and driven by a strong commitment to continuous improvement. She collaborates and communicates effectively, earning the respect of her teammates, and possesses tremendous potential for growth and leadership,” Les Frehlich, GM Allan added.

Being surrounded by the 360-million-year-old potash deposit daily is always amazing but it’s the cutting practices we’ve evolved to that keeps Belanger in awe. She tries to get underground as much as possible, but admits it is never enough.

Belanger’s day-to-day is to lead service crew operation teams filled with responsibilities focusing on continuous improvement and reliability in the mine. She has advice for anyone looking to follow her path.

“Being a curious individual is a really big asset in geology as a lot of it is detective work in a sense. It’s an amazing career because there’s so many ways you could go, you could spend a lifetime after lifetime just learning about all these different deposits,” Belanger explained.

Outside the mine, Belanger stays busy as a mother with two young daughters. She spends her free time hiking, running and traveling and is a part of the Canadian Navy reserves. She has been in the Navy since she was 16.

Her passion for mining goes beyond geology and extends to safety. Belanger is now a mine rescue coach.

“I used to be on a participating team and that was one of my big passions when comes to working with Nutrien. Now on the coaching side, developing those teams is. It has been very rewarding so I will continue to do it.”

She will also continue to lead and elevate those around her at Allan.