Building Character One Board At A Time

Posted on Monday, June 8th, 2015

Twenty Algonquin College Construction Trades pre-apprenticeship students will spend several weeks this summer working in the spotlight of one of Pembroke’s most treasured public spaces. The students are being given the opportunity to re-build Pembroke’s aging and heavily used boardwalk that runs along the shores of the Ottawa River.

Algonquin College President, Cheryl Jensen, who helped announce the partnership with the city of Pembroke and its volunteer Waterfront Committee, called it an extraordinary learning opportunity for the students. “Students learn by doing things that are applicable to their field of study, and this project will not only teach them carpentry skills, it will also expand their teamwork, time management and organizational skills. It will also inspire them to be good citizens through volunteer work,” added Jensen.

The Ontario government is investing more than $13-million into pre-apprenticeship programs over the next two years to help more young people enter the skilled trades. It’s a great deal for students, who don’t pay tuition fees to participate in the six month long program, limiting their financial risk and rewarding them with a great opportunity to secure employment within a skilled trade.

The program is structured into three parts. Students begin by upgrading their English, Math and computer skills, as many may have been out of school for some time and require additional preparation for the apprenticeship curriculum. Students then spend hundreds of hours in the classroom and shop, or working on projects such as the boardwalk rebuilding, as they dive deeper into the trade. The final component of the program is a paid work place experience within the construction trades, an opportunity that allows students to network with a prospective employer that would consider registering them as an apprentice.

The students will begin working on the boardwalk in mid-July and plan to have the structure fully replaced in time for the Civic Holiday weekend in August. At that time, the city of Pembroke is planning to throw a party to celebrate the many donations that have made to the project, including the labour contribution made by Algonquin’s students.

The original boardwalk was built by volunteers as part of a millennial project facelift that was given to the waterfront in 2000. It was made of cedar, and after fifteen years of being walked on by thousands of people, the boards are showing their age. Nails are popping and the wood is warping and starting to rot. The old walkway will be replaced with a pressured treated wood that is environmentally friendly and is designed to last at least twenty years.

Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs

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