Born just south of Esterhazy in the Ochapowace First Nation, Anthony Sparvier spent his early years in Ochapowace and Cowesses First Nations, and several small towns in the Esterhazy area. In 2007, he graduated from the University of Regina with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electronic Systems Engineering. Today, Anthony, or “Tony”, is the K3 Mine Automation Superintendent. He resides in Whitewood, a neighbouring town of Esterhazy with his wife Jenna and his two young children, Emerson and Camdyn. 

“Our K3 automation team looks after the automation, control systems and their components on the mining machines and auxiliary equipment. We work closely with other groups in the mine striving to make our operation as safe, reliable, and productive as possible. We are a group that is constantly innovating,” explains Sparvier.
 

Anthony Sparvier, K3 Mine Automation Superintendent working underground at K3 Esterhazy.

Behind that constant innovation is a talented, diverse team of engineers and automation specialists from all over the world, including countries China, Nepal and Nigeria. Each member brings a diverse set of technical skills, work experience and cultural background to the automation team. 

One of those team members is Aayus Subedi, an Automation Electrical Engineer in training at K3 Esterhazy, who was born in Nepal and moved to Saskatchewan in 2012.  

“Agriculture is a part of everyone’s life in Nepal, so I had always known about the challenges in yields on our farmlands. I was looking for opportunities to bridge my education with an organization that supports my values. Mosaic gave me that opportunity and introduced me to a career focused on innovation, inclusive growth, and safety-first culture,” says Subedi. “We have an inclusive work environment where everyone can contribute fully, knowing their individual differences are valued and respected.” 

For Sherman Tan, Automation Engineer - Esterhazy, these differences are what allows the team to solve complex problems in unique ways. “We have different approaches to problem-solving, which helps us pursue solutions from multiple angles." 

While diversity is certainly a factor of success for the automation team, Sparvier insists it’s not the only driving force for success. “People might look at the different ethnicities, lifestyles, and stages of life we have present within our team and say, ‘yeah this is a diverse team’. While certainly it’s true, our team was not formed based on these qualities alone. Every member is a part of this group because of the skills they have. The variety of personalities and life experiences, age difference, and job experience gives our team a great team point of view on many of the challenges we face.” 

Members of the automation team are proud of the work they do. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Aderopo Adesola, Senior Mechanical Engineer - Esterhazy, or “Addy” as the team calls him, talks about what his work means to him: 

“I am proud to be a member of the Mosaic K3 Automation team. I love what I do working on new and revolutionary machines and technologies. The most gratifying part is seeing all our efforts pay-off with improved production and all workers go home safely at the end of every shift. My favourite thing about the work that we do is the working environment, and the innovation involved.”

Take a quick look back at the Esterhazy K3 mine.