Over 60 competitors from across the NWT travelled to the Yellowknife Multiplex Arena to compete for gold at the 21st Annual Skills Canada NWT Territorial Competition on Friday, May 3rd.
High school and post-secondary students, as well as apprentices, faced off in an Olympic-style skills competition, with Gold, Silver and Bronze medals being awarded to the top placing competitors. Over 20 competition categories were on display at this year’s event.
The Territorial Competition saw over 750 visitors to the event, including students from local schools, industry leaders and family members. The territorial competition welcomed both secondary level and post-secondary level competitors.
Ali Kincaid, Executive Director of Skills Canada NWT noted that this was the NWT’s biggest Territorial Competition ever.
“We managed to get all of our skill competition categories under one roof at the Yellowknife Multiplex, which was great for students visiting the event. This allowed all visitors to see every single event, which was our goal.”
Medalists from the Territorial Competition include:
Automobile Technology – Secondary
- GOLD Reece Pineo – École Sir John Franklin High School
Automobile Technology – Post Secondary
- GOLD Justin Poitras – Aurora Ford
Baking – Secondary
- GOLD Magen Rabesca – Alexis Arrowmaker School, Wekweeti
Cabinetmaking – Post Secondary
- GOLD Isabelle Normandin – Ideal Woodwork
- SILVER Evan Gathercole – Ideal Woodwork
Cooking – Secondary
- GOLD Spencer Gerwing – École St. Patrick High School
- SILVER Naokah Bayha-Washie – Chief Albert Wright School Tulita
- BRONZE Sierra McDonald – Mackenzie Mountain School Norman Wells
Cooking – Post Secondary
- GOLD Devon Burgess – Twisted Ladle Inuvik
Carpentry – Secondary
- GOLD Paul Reid – École St. Patrick High School
- SILVER Jack Willoughby – École St. Patrick High School
Carpentry – Post Secondary
- GOLD Matteo Bertolini – Northwest Builders
- SILVER Bradley Shaw – Northwest Builders
Electrical Installations- Post Secondary
- GOLD Jayde Lafferty – Dominion Diamond Mines
- SILVER Christopher Stephenson – Gap Electric
Fashion Technology – Secondary
- GOLD Kaylin Harder – East Three Secondary School – Inuvik
- SILVER Elizabeth Meesters – Liidlii Kue School – Fort Simpson
Graphic Design – Secondary
- GOLD Dylan Harker – École Sir John Franklin High School
Hairstyling – Secondary
- GOLD Lotti Dixon-Wiest – École Sir John Franklin High School
- SILVER Cheyenne Jones – École St. Patrick High School
- BRONZE Emma Taylor – École St Patrick High School
Hairstyling – Post Secondary
- GOLD Jillian Riles – Blunt YK
Heavy Vehicle Technology – Post Secondary
- GOLD Maxwell Hyde – Aurora Ford-Ekati
- SILVER Matthew Lafferty – Aurora Ford-Ekati
Job Skill Demonstration – Secondary
- GOLD Zakary Mohamud – École Sir John Franklin High School
Outdoor Power and Recreation Equipment- Secondary
- GOLD Branden Jumbo – Liidlii Kue School – Fort Simpson
Public Speaking – Secondary
- GOLD Peo Boitumelo – École St Patrick High School
- SILVER Tanisha Kelly-Harris – Liidlii Kue School – Fort Simpson
Photography – Secondary
- GOLD Daniel Manalo – Liidlii Kue School – Fort Simpson
- SILVER Lodina Martin – École St. Patrick High School
- BRONZE Carmen Kuptana – Mangilaluk School, Tuktoyaktuk
Plumbing- Post Secondary
- GOLD Joshua Baker – Great Slave Mechanical
- SILVER Adam Nitsiza – JR Mechanical
Traditional Sewing – Secondary
- GOLD Naomi Klengenberg – Helen Kalvak School – Ulukhaktok
- SILVER Fredi Anne Inuktalik – Helen Kalvak School – Ulukhaktok
Video Production – Secondary
- GOLD Archer Collinson & Joshua Chua – École Sir John Franklin High School
- SILVER Braeden Cordero & Markus Cluff – École Sir John Franklin High School
Welding- Secondary
- GOLD Jaslynn Menton – École St Patrick High School
- SILVER Hunter Verheul – École St Patrick High School
Welding- Post Secondary
- GOLD Riley Coombs – Aurora Ford-Ekati
- SILVER Christopher Shaver – Aurora Ford-Ekati
- BRONZE Reece Head – Aurora Ford-Ekati
Workplace Safety – Secondary
- GOLD Ava Wynn Erasmus – Liidlii Kue School – Fort Simpson
Kincaid stated that the top placing competitors will represent Team NWT at the 2019 Skills Canada National Competition.
“We are very excited to be taking a team of 22 skilled young competitors to the National Competition. Last year the NWT brought home 4 medals, and our goal will be to match or exceed that this year.”
The national competition will be held at the Halifax Exhibition Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on May 28th & 29th.
