Supporting the community with Pride

Well before Zach Landry joined J.D. Irving, Limited’s Transportation & Logistics division as a communications coordinator, he encountered the company’s welcoming and inclusive team while still a business student at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S.

Members of the division had attended an event at the university that celebrated women in business. The support for the community stood out to Zach. In October 2025, after joining the division himself in Saint John, N.B., Zach found the same welcoming and supportive team in his new workplace.

“Since joining the team, I’ve felt nothing but a surplus of support, not just for me, but for all members of the community,” Zach said.

Zach soon became involved in supporting his community himself by volunteering with PALS (Partners Assisting Local Schools). Twice each month during the school year, he visits the local Hazen White-St. Francis school to read to an elementary class. These parts of his workdays are among the most fulfilling, he said.

Outside work, Zach continues to find ways to give back through his involvement with the Saint John Fundy Pride board of directors. As the board’s Director of Social and Digital Engagement, Zach is playing a role in the Saint John Pride festival, his first official celebration.

Taking place July 17-26, JDI is proud to sponsor the annual festival year after year and encourages employees to take part by walking in the Pride parade.

“I think I’m most excited to not only have my first proper celebration of Pride, but to also bring that to other people,” Zach said.

Growing up in small town Miramichi, N.B., Zach said there was limited visibility for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. He found community at university and, through his involvement with Saint John Fundy Pride, he is helping to build visibility for the community in his new home of Saint John.

“Even for me, it took me a little while to truly find myself and become comfortable with myself,” Zach said. “And Pride is about visibility and celebration, which helps people to feel more comfortable to be their true, authentic selves in the community, at work, everywhere.”

At JDI, Zach says he has found a workplace that truly values the diverse backgrounds, ideas and experiences its employees bring to the table while supporting the communities where employees live and work.

“Showing up to work each morning is so much more meaningful because I know that the work is helping to do good,” he said.

“I am incredibly grateful to work for a company that supports the things that matter most to the home team.”