September 13, 2000 - 5:00pm
Malaspina Carpentry & Residential Construction graduate Jessie Chalmers proved that he is the best apprentice carpenter in Canada by winning the National Carpentry Apprenticeship Contest held in Montreal September 7-9.
In an arduous three-day competition Chalmers showed that he had both the theoretical and practical skills to take the contest over the best carpentry apprentices from Canada's other nine provinces. To get to the national contest he won the Provincial Carpentry Apprenticeship Contest held in Victoria, last May.
Chalmers has worked continuously at bettering his carpentry skills since he began Malaspina's 10-month certificate program in September 1996. In his graduating year, 1997, he took his Occupational Level 3 exam at the same time. Since then he has worked on various construction projects on Vancouver Island, and each year he has taken courses as part of his four-year apprenticeship leading to journeyman status, which he achieved this year.
Upon receiving the news about Chalmer's win, Malaspina carpentry instructor Ross Ballard, said, "Jessie was one of those special students that you knew would do well. His carpentry skills were top-notch, and he has a positive helpful attitude that will take him far. I said all this in a letter recommending him for the $500 Jack Brodie Memorial Scholarship honouring the top-trades student that he won four years ago. I'm really excited for him, this is great news!"
Since the news of his National win, Chalmers has already had several job offers and has been recommended to take Foreman training. He said, "The awards night in the casino in Montreal was fantastic and to be named best in the country was even more amazing. Now that I'm home, I want to do some odd jobs for myself while I wait for a call from the Union Hall to go to work on the Island Farms Dairy expansion south of Nanaimo. It's been quite a week!"
Tags: In the Community
