Bruce Goddard: Five decades with the Sussex Sawmill

For Bruce Goddard dedication and taking pride in his work are part of an ethos that has defined a career spanning five decades.

The stockroom administrator at J.D. Irving, Limited’s Sussex Sawmill can often be seen wearing his years of service pins — all eight of them — up and down his shirt collar. In July 2026, Bruce will celebrate 50 years with the company.

This wasn’t the plan all along, but then he reached 40 years, then 45.

“Once I hit 45, I decided I would see what happens. Time when by and here I am,” he said.

From Apohaqui, N.B., a village just below Sussex, Bruce comes from a family with a long history of working in the woods. His grandfather, dad and uncles all made a living that way, so it was only natural that, in 1976, Bruce started his career at the Sussex Sawmill.

In the early days, Bruce worked in the sawmill yard, preparing, piling and shipping lumber among other duties. In the early 1990s, Bruce moved to the stockroom. The stockroom plays a vital role in a sawmill and is where millwrights go to pick up the parts that keep the mill running.

“You have to look after your stockroom. We make sure it’s top notch,” Bruce said. “If I don’t do my job here, the millwrights can’t do their job. Then your sawmill can’t run.”

Over the course of his career, Bruce has also spent 42 years on the mill’s safety committee, at times serving as co-chair. For this commitment milestone, he received his gold hard hat, another symbol of his years of dedicated service.

Over the years there are memories that stick out, like his involvement in the mulch sale in Sussex and Saint John to fundraise for the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation’s Rally of Hope — something he did for 15 years. He’s also enjoyed helping deliver and hand out the children’s gifts at the Sussex Sawmill’s annual Christmas party for 30 years.

Earlier in his career, Bruce was involved in fire brigade competitions between the mills in the 1970s and 1980s.

But what stands out most of all to Bruce is the people he’s met and worked with along the way.

“The different people I worked with was the key,” he said. “There was a period of time where there was, I think, 30 or 40 of us that worked for at least 25, 30 years together. We’re more a family than just people, which made a difference.”

And of course, through it all there’s been his wife Jo-Ann by his side for 47.5 years. His career at the Sussex Sawmill enabled the couple to live, work and raise a family in their hometown.

Reflecting back on his career, Bruce can be proud of a job done well, with diligence and dedication. In July 2026, four days after he hits his 50-year mark, Bruce is planning to take a well-deserved retirement.

“As you notice, I do wear my pins now and again, so it means a lot to me. I know that to be able to achieve what I’ve achieved over the years and to put these pins around my neck means quite a bit,” he said.

“I’ve worked a lot of years, but it’s been satisfying years.”