Community and conservation
As CBM Aggregates’ Land and Resource Manager, Mike Le Breton loves transforming landscapes and building community relationships.
Tell us a bit about your job and your responsibilities.
As the Land and Resource Manager, I oversee license applications, site plan amendments, and compliance with license conditions. I am also the main point of contact for community relations, including addressing public concerns through community groups, open houses, and site tours. Additionally, I work closely with our Operations team in the planning for stripping and rehabilitation projects, land use tax assessments, resource assessments, and special projects.
Describe a typical day on the job and how the work you do contributes to the company.
Every day is different, which makes my job enjoyable. Mornings might involve meeting with contractors to plan new licenses or discuss upcoming activities. Afternoons could include meetings with neighbors to address concerns, or with consultants reviewing studies for license applications. In between, I attend various meetings on acquisitions, taxes, and lease renewals. The variety keeps each day unique and fulfilling.
What do you find most challenging in your work?
Dealing with the public can be challenging but also satisfying. Emotions play a big role, but I consider myself a good listener who can generally find middle ground. Building relationships with our neighbors is crucial and something I take pride in.
What do you enjoy most?
I love developing internal stripping and rehabilitation projects with our Operations group. Transforming a depleted area into its final after-use is highly rewarding. Being able to be part of that life cycle and interim land use is very satisfying. I can show the public tangible examples of what we are doing as a company to create new habitats, or restore farmland etc. Not many industries can point to this kind of positivity with respect to land use.
How did you become interested in this work?
I have always enjoyed the outdoors and hoped for a job that would allow me to be connected with the natural environment. My job allows me to work in a big sandbox with a great bunch of people on projects that I enjoy, including most notably rehabilitation projects. The fact that we as a company rehabilitate land in such amazing ways really provides that connection in a unique way to nature that I would be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
Education and Advancement
Is your current position the same as when you started in the company?
No, I started as the CBM Environmental Coordinator. Since then, I moved up to Land and Resource Supervisor and now Manager. I accredit my advancement to continued learning, being a team player and showing the company that I am a reliable employee that can achieve success with hard work. I believe that I have also shown integrity in my position, which I believe the company values greatly.
Detail your past and ongoing education and how it is relevant to your job.
I graduated from Trent University with a degree in Environmental Studies. I also attended Fleming College and graduated from the Ecosystem Management Technology program, both of which have tied in nicely with the job. University provided an understanding of environmental policy, while College gave a practical hands-on experience in resource management. Within our organization I have had the opportunity to take various courses offered to me, including, as an example, ones related to finance and conflict resolution.
If you could start over, would you change your career path?
Honestly, the answer to that would be no! For the most part, I feel I have the best job in the world. While there are challenges to be sure, I love going to work each day and wouldn’t change the path I have taken.
Industry and Advice
What advice would you give a high school student unsure of the opportunities in the aggregate industry?
I would encourage them to visit an aggregate site through an open house or community event and talk to the people that work there. Learn about the industry and see if it’s the right fit for them. Our industry is the best kept secret. There is such variety and opportunity to be involved in amazing projects and tasks—the typical person wouldn’t imagine such a place to work has been near them their entire lives.