The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor Tiny Cranberry Portage has never offered many job opportunities, but now it has become a place where in-demand careers are launched. Last Thursday, Sept. 13, Frontier Collegiate Institute marked the grand opening of its expansive new Northern Technical Centre for trades training. 'Education is the equalizer,' Nancy Allan, provincial education minister, told 120-plus guests from a podium. 'You give someone an education _ you give them that piece of paper in their hands _ and you give them the ability to participate in our society, you give them the ability to follow their dreams, you give them an opportunity to open doors for themselves.' Based in a towering former airport hangar, the centre offers courses in building construction, power mechanics and cosmetology. The technical-vocational facility provides training to students from the Cranberry Portage area as well as from the remote First Nations that utilize Frontier Collegiate for high school programming. 'This centre will introduce young people to the world of trades, industry and entrepreneurial opportunities,' said Cathy Fidierchuk, regional superintendent of the Frontier School Division. 'These opportunities available to young people in northern Manitoba are at an historic high, and we dream that for every student there will be a path to a productive and fulfilling future.' Vision Taking her turn at the podium, MP Niki Ashton recalled how Fidierchuk first articulated the vision for the centre a few years back. 'To see this day come to reality, to see the students here be part of this new cutting-edge phase of what it means to be part of an advanced education here in our part of the province, is truly magnificent,' she said. Ashton called Frontier Collegiate 'a role model' for the country in showing that no matter where a student comes from, they should be able to access a quality education. Standing on a wooden stage, she and the other guest speakers looked out at a sea of faces lit up by sunshine pouring in between the massive doors through which airplanes once entered. Frontier Collegiate is based on a Cold War-era Royal Canadian Air Force radar base that closed in 1964. The property was then transformed into a school campus to serve, largely, northern First Nations that lack high schools. The hangar become a makeshift dorm and, later, a facility to produce homes for relocation throughout northern Manitoba. It was also used for heavy-duty mechanics. Now, following its latest conversion, it is a myriad of state-of-the-art shops and classrooms, though much of it remains wide open space for use by the building construction program. See'Students...' Pg. 3 Continued from pg. 1 The construction program gives students knowledge and hands-on training to learn the facets of the building construction trade. Students learn to build ready-to-move buildings (RTMs), which will help to address housing needs in the region and equip students with skills to upgrade and maintain existing buildings. They learn to operate industry-standard equipment such as table saws, radial-arm saws, planers and a varietyÊof hand tools. They also learn about current, energy-efficient construction methods and high-tech materials. The power mechanics program, meanwhile, introduces students to the mechanical trades, allowing them to work on a variety of equipment, from cars to small engines and outdoor products.Ê Here students learn to use up-to-date equipment such as on-board computer diagnostic engine analyzers, power and hand tools, and other shop equipment like hoists and parts washers. Then there is the cosmetology room, where students learn to cut and style hair using dummy heads as well as other facets of cosmetology. 'Enhancing skill-based training and knowledge in trades occupations is a win-win, especially for those students in northern and remote communities,' Allan said. That comment rings true for Alex Knight of Moose Lake. Though the centre has only now officially opened, it has already offered programming to students. Knight, 23, a graduate of the construction program, said he received quality instruction with an attention to detail. He is currently working as a jail guard but aspires to use his carpentry skills in the northern construction trade. Yes, Cranberry Portage has never offered many jobs, but it's where many careers will now be launched.
