Congratulations to Aiden Martin, Utilities Operations Specialist on earning his well-deserved Spark Award. Aiden’s nomination is for his tireless work on inspecting and repairing technical safety equipment within the mill and successfully managing a boiler outage.

In his role, he oversees a team responsible for steam supplies, generating power to support mill operations, and the effluent department. “Part of my job is to make sure that we are not polluting the community by treating all the effluent before we discharge it into the environment,” says Aiden, emphasizing the importance of environmental responsibility in his work. “We need to support this mill by not causing harm to its surroundings.”

Aiden is enthusiastic about his job and has a passion for combustion, steam power generator processes and power boilers. He also finds joy in developing individuals who are just as passionate. The opportunity to mentor junior engineers or operators and to witness their career growth is very rewarding for him.

He believes that the Spark Award program is important. “Seeing your name on the company newsletter makes you understand that the efforts and sacrifices of going above and beyond have been recognized.”

Aiden began as a third engineer in Newfoundland and moved to Port Alberni to join Paper Excellence in April 2021. He appreciates the diverse professional interactions at Paper Excellence, where his current position allows him to travel and collaborate with other mills, gaining knowledge and retaining communication across the country.