Grow For Life: Vancouver Island empowers employee growth

At GFL Environmental, our Grow For Life philosophy emphasizes the significance of personal goals while actively supporting employees in shaping their desired careers. Our Vancouver Island team models these values by empowering its employees to thrive. 

In recent years, the branch has focused on fostering employee development to meet the demands of larger contracts and the increasing need for drivers.

"I’ve always been an advocate for developing our people, so it was natural to reach out to those already on our team who were interested in advancing to driver roles," said Operations Manager Heather Baumann.

The Victoria branch has established a collaborative partnership with CSTT Driver Training, a driving school based in Sidney, British Columbia. CSTT provides comprehensive air brake courses along with personalized, one-on-one instruction for class 3 driving.

The program usually spans five days: four days of personalized driving instruction, followed by a final day dedicated to the road test at ICBC. Once employees pass the test, they will undergo on-the-job training alongside an experienced driver, gaining hands-on experience until they meet GFL's standards and are fully signed off.

“Having GFL's support in my professional growth and pursuit of my class 3 license has been incredibly rewarding for my career,” said Residential Driver Olyn Kuzyk. “Learning to handle the larger trucks has been an exciting adventure, and I’ve truly enjoyed navigating my new route!”

This support not only enhances individual careers but also strengthens GFL’s workforce, ensuring quality service for the community.

Below we highlight seven Vancouver Island employees who have embraced GFL’s Grow For Life philosophy and successfully completed their driver training.

Mike Laughlin
Hired in February 2024 as a class 5 jitney driver, Laughlin completed training at CSTT Driving School in July, where he obtained his class 3 license. He is currently training to become a front-load driver.

Scott MacNeil
MacNeil was hired in August 2023 with a class 3 learner's license. He registered for the CSTT program in October 2023 and earned his full class 3 license. He is now working as a full-time residential recycle driver.

Olyn Kuzyk
Hired in August 2023 as a GFL swamper, Kuzyk attended CSTT Driving School and obtained his class 3 license in October 2024. He is currently assigned to a full time residential route.

Corey Barkhouse
Barkhouse joined GFL in March 2022 as a swamper. He attended CSTT in March 2024 and has since begun driving as a commercial driver.

Brandon Rushton
Hired in May 2021 as a class 5 mini roll-off driver, Rushton completed CSTT training and upgraded his license to class 3 in June 2023. He has progressed to become a tandem axle roll-off driver.

Sean Phair
Phair was hired by GFL in March 2021 to drive a class 5 mini roll-off truck. He later transferred to the Chemainus branch, where he had the opportunity to acquire his class 3 license through in-house training. He became a class 3 licensed roll-off driver in July 2024.

Nathan Holliston
Starting at GFL in July 2022 as a swamper, Holliston obtained his air brake certification through CSTT in March. He now works as a relief driver on a commercial class 5 air route and plans to obtain his class 3 license before the end of the year.

When it comes to supporting staff, Baumann emphasizes that an open-door policy and being available for her team have always been a priority. She added that clear communication is essential for fostering a healthy work culture and supporting employee growth.

“As leaders, we can learn a lot from our employees. By learning from each other, we can strengthen our team and continue to enhance GFL’s operational effectiveness,” Baumann said.

Are you looking for a career at GFL? Visit: https://gflenv.com/careers/

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