About the Company

Purple Rock Inc. is privately held and based in beautiful Victoria, BC. Since 2006, the company has worked with more than half of the government geological surveys across Canada, as well as a number of non-government organizations and private mining and exploration companies. We have experience working with documents and data from across North America.

Nicole Barlow, P.Geo., founded the company in 2006. Throughout its history, Purple Rock has seen priority shifts in mineral exploration and technological evolution in data and document management. Purple Rock Inc. is embracing the potential to use old data to drive the future of geoscience, especially to fuel the green economy.

From 2006 to 2011, the company operated under the name Purple Rock Editing. James Barlow, P.Eng., joined the company as a director in 2011.

Environmental and Social Responsibility

Purple Rock Inc. is a registered firm with Engineers and Geoscientists BC, and is committed to upholding the EGBC Code of Ethics. As geoscientists, our work directly impacts the places and communities that we work with, and maintaining environmentally and socially ethical practices is key to sustainable geoscience. The climate crisis poses an existential threat to humanity, and decarbonization requires vast quantities of critical minerals, which must be ethically mined. Using historical geoscience data can reduce the carbon footprint of mineral exploration and mining through better targeting and can prevent the repetition of previous work.

Our people are our biggest asset, and Purple Rock Inc. is committed to supporting our employees and maintaining a diverse and equitable workplace where everyone contributes a unique and valuable perspective to the challenge at hand. We hire exceptional people from all backgrounds. With our head office in Victoria, British Columbia, we use the technological advantages of remote work to engage staff from across Canada. This allows us to employ talented individuals no matter where they are located.

Meet Our Team

Our team is young and innovative, and always up for a challenge!

Nicole D. Barlow, P.Geo.
Nicole D. Barlow, P.Geo.President
Nicole Barlow (BSc, Earth Science/Geography) founded Purple Rock Inc. and now serves as its President. She mentors and manages the team, coordinates efforts and liaises with external organizations and other contractors to complete multi-year projects for multiple clients simultaneously. She has a passion for helping geologists clarify their message and connecting problems with solutions. When she’s not working, Nicole uses her scientific background to conduct baking experiments with her daughter.
James R. Barlow, P.Eng.
James R. Barlow, P.Eng.Director, Technology
James is a professional engineer (BEng, Electrical: Digital Signal Processing). He worked for six years at an engineering technology firm, where he designed electronic devices and software algorithms to digitize and process data. He has provided support for geoscience projects at Purple Rock Inc. since joining in 2012 by developing new technology to assist in digitization projects. At the age of 9, James started teaching himself computer programming with a pen and paper before his family had a computer.
Karl Flower, GIT
Karl Flower, GITGeoscience Information Analyst
Karl (BSc, Earth Science/Geography) has worked with Purple Rock Inc. since 2008, prior to which, he worked for industry and for government. He has an uncanny ability to georeference archival documents with only snippets of geographical information. In his spare time, Karl enjoys fishing, panning for gold, and exploring BC’s natural wonders.
Moretta Shuert
Moretta ShuertProject Coordinator
Moretta (BSc, Biology) has been with Purple Rock Inc. since 2012. She uses her expertise and attention to detail to edit technical papers and ensure consistency and accuracy in our digital document databases, and always jumps at the opportunity to undertake a new layout project in InDesign. Moretta enjoys gardening and spending time outdoors with her husband and son.
Ginny McLane
Ginny McLaneGeoscience/GIS Specialist
Ginny (BA, Earth Sciences/Geography) began with Purple Rock Inc. in September 2019 and has brought significant GIS experience to our company. She has extensive attention to detail and is able to juggle complicated datasets while pinpointing locations with great accuracy. Ginny is an avid trail runner and a professional equestrian, and also hopes to continue pursuing graduate studies in volcanology and geomorphology.
 Grayson Soetaert
Grayson SoetaertGeoscience Information Analyst
Grayson (BSc, Earth and Ocean Science) joined Purple Rock Inc. in July 2021 and has worked on multiple facets of the digitization process including georeferencing and processing of archival documents. His interest lies in being an “office geologist” working to use his skillset to provide the relevant information needed for field geologists to have a successful season. Outside of work Grayson spends his time on the water around Victoria, paddle boarding to see views not accessible by land.
Lindsay Richards
Lindsay RichardsGeoscience Information Analyst
Lindsay Richards (BSc, Geoscience, 2024) Started working with Purple Rock Inc. in February 2022 and brings expertise in greenfield exploration, predictive mapping, and marketing to the company. An experienced prospector, Lindsay has also worked with NASA, the Luxembourg Space Agency, and other organizations to develop technology for space mining. He is passionate about early-stage exploration and the opportunities presented by integrating “lost” data with exploration programs. Outside of work, Lindsay enjoys fishing, hiking, and restoring vehicles.
Travis MacLean, GIT
Travis MacLean, GITGeoscience Information Analyst
Travis MacLean (BSc, Earth Science/Geography) joined Purple Rock Inc. in November 2022. He uses a broad range of skills in his work, from georeferencing and digitizing to diving deep into geological research and data analysis. When not at work, Travis likes to trade his computer for a surfboard, or a pair of running shoes, and spend time outdoors

If you think you would be a great fit for Purple Rock Inc., please reach out and connect with us. We are always looking for new talent!

Unlocking the value of paper archives