Engineering Month is an annual celebration encouraging students to consider engineering as their chosen career path. Over 500 events across Canada will expose students to different engineering professionals and disciplines.

For JDI, the skills of our 445 engineering graduates are vital to our continued growth, modernization, and improvement. To promote the profession and showcase our excellent engineers, below are the stories of just a few of our engineers working in pulp and paper, construction and equipment, and shipbuilding.

UNB Engineering Grads Ben Mills (UNB 2013) and John Cummings (UNB 1985) are two of many engineers involved with one of the largest Pulp Mill modernization projects in Canada since 1993. The Irving Pulp and Paper Mill Modernization is a $450 million dollar project. Ben has been with the company for two years and John has 25 years of JDI experience which includes several major projects within the Pulp & Paper Division. There are currently 74 UNB Engineering grads working across the JDI organization.

John Cummings, Project Manager, Irving Forest Services; Amanda Vautour, Planning and Rigging Engineering Coordinator, Irving Construction and Equipment; Kathy Stull, Michelle Boyer, Intermediate Projects Engineer, Irving Forest Services; Ann Mellema, Director of Program Governance for the Halifax Shipyard; Susan Coulombe, General Manager White Pine Division, Sawmills; Kyle Graves, Junior Engineer, Irving Pulp and Paper.

Kathy Stull began her career as a nurse. In her thirties she made a big career change - deciding to go back to NBCC for Power Engineering. Kathy worried the career change would mean a move out West, but she now has a career in the trades at Irving Paper without having to leave her Saint John home.

“UNB got me started with a great engineering program. Now I work on huge, complex projects with some of the newest equipment in the world.” Amanda Vautour, Planning and Rigging Engineering Co-ordinator, Irving Construction and Equipment.

“There is so much going on at JDI. The opportunities and challenges are limitless – which is just the way I like it.” Michelle Boyer, Intermediate Projects Engineer, Irving Forest Services.

It takes world-class people to build world-class ships. From big lifts to assembly hall construction, to ship design, engineers are an important part of the team building ships for Canada at the Halifax Shipyard.

Ann Mellema is Director of Program Governance for the Halifax Shipyard. In 2015 Ann was named one of Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winner by the Women's Executive Network. Ann is a leader in her  field of Engineering as well as a local and international volunteer. 

Ann was part of a team of ten women from the Halifax Shipyard who built a home with Habitat for Humanity in East Preston, Nova Scotia this past October. The Women Build initiative is part of Habitat for Humanity’s global campaign that brings women together with the goal of helping families in need of affordable home ownership.  

“Thirty-six hours after my last exam, I started full-time with JDI.” General Manager White Pine Division, Sawmills, Susan Coulombe.

“We’re making big investments in the latest technology and focusing on growth.” Kyle Graves, Junior Project Engineer, Irving Pulp and Paper.

JDI is proud to support future engineers with co-op work term placements and class tours such as the recent NBCC power engineering tour.

“Tours are imperative! Classroom time does not always paint an accurate picture of the work and day to day tasks a Power Engineer does in the field,” says Jean-Francois Goguen, CRU training coordinator at IPP and NBCC Power Engineering Class of 2012 Alumni. “Students need to see and draw their own opinion and feelings of that particular industry where they are touring.”

To all of our engineers across our divisions: THANK YOU for your continued hard work and dedicated service.

We’re hiring engineers. See openings at jdijobs.ca.