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In Alberta, the skilled trades are traditionally seen as male-dominated occupations, but Leduc Composite High School Career and Technology Studies teacher Jessica Chisholm and welding technician Tracey Meaver are developing new ways to encourage female students to get involved.

Although Jessica enjoyed the welding trade, in 2017 she decided to take the next step in her career and began working toward her Bachelor of Education Degree at the University of Alberta. She wanted to share her skills and passion for welding with students, and to teach them how to work safely.

“I run the fabrication/welding program here at the high school,” said Jessica Chisholm. “During 11 years in the welding trade, I worked toward achieving my Red Seal Journeyman Welding Certification and my B-Pressure Welding Certification. I spent the last several years of my welding career as a TIG Welder.”

“Also, being a female in a primarily male-dominated industry, I strive to be a role model for females interested in pursuing a trade,” she said.

Tracey Meaver has been at the high school for 17 years, most of which has been in the welding program. “I participated in training at CLAC Career Development College’s welder training facility where I achieved my Canadian Welding Bureau certification,” said Tracey. “Over the years, I have completed my Alberta Health and Safety Certification in order to ensure the safety of the students in the welding shop and as they transitioned into the workplace.”

“I cannot imagine doing anything else as a career, and I very much enjoy coming to school every day,” said Tracey. “We are seeing a greater number of females enrolled in the welding program than in previous years, and we are both extremely proud of this.”

This year, with the help of Women Building Futures and a generous donation from PCL, Jessica and Tracey introduced a very successful lunch-hour program – Girls Try Welding.

The goal for this program is to build the confidence of the girls who were interested in registering for the welding program, but felt intimidated by its perceived macho ethos. They also want to raise awareness of the career opportunities in the skilled trades for women.

“We had much more interest than we initially expected, with 14 girls signing up,” said Tracey. “We taught the group welding safety, GMAW welding, and then they used their individual creativity to complete small projects they were able to take home.”

“Our goal has been to create an inclusive welding program where all students feel welcome,” said Jessica. “Offering this program ensured that female students from our school community had a chance to learn a little about welding in a safe environment and build up their confidence with the tools. One of our students even created a metal sculpture that was showcased in the high school art exhibition!”

“We were fortunate enough to have a few of these girls enroll in the welding program in the second semester,” she added. “Moving forward, since we received such great feedback about this program, we will be offering it again in the fall.”

The dream

The plan was to do a Thanksgiving weekend hike with friends (‘Friendsgiving’), enjoying all of the Fall colours on the trees, the crisp smells, and the moderate temperatures.

The reality

However, the blizzard began shortly after we departed Edmonton…

After the concerning drive, the group all met for the night at a hostel outside of Jasper. A lengthy discussion ensued on whether or not to proceed with the hike the next day. There were a few people in the group who had done the trek before which was very helpful, but no one had done it in the amount of snow that we were facing. We were all prepared for cold weather and decided that we had to try! Everyone set their alarms for earlier than expected and prepared for the day ahead.

A risky start

The plan from the start was to eliminate 7 km of boring fire road at the start of the trail by canoeing across the Athabasca River. We stuck to this plan but it became riskier with the snow and colder water. The river was also flowing very quickly. If anyone fell in, they would not be able to proceed. There was one canoe to take twelve people and their packs across the river so the process would not be quick. After the canoe was brought down to the river bank, ropes were attached to be able to guide the canoe against the river flow. The first group set off and while it was a very bumpy ride, it was successful! The paddlers went back across and made the trip several more times. There was a triumphant celebration while the canoe was stashed away in the woods for the return.

Perhaps the most stressful part of the day was over but there was an enormous task ahead: 16 km in fresh snow including the finale of the ominous headwall as well as a decent amount of elevation gain. But we were all energized to start and get to the reward of the Sydney Vallance Hut for warmth, food, and beverages (that were weighing down our backpacks).

And off we go!

The fresh snow was covering the usually clear trail to follow so we had flagging tape and used it quite frequently to mark our route. Given that it was currently snowing and the forecast did not show it stopping, this would help us if we needed to turn around but also for our hike out in three days when our path might be gone. We took turns leading as it was quite exhausting trudging through and breaking trail. It was a long 8 hours of walking with a few stops to have lunch, filter water, and rest, but those could never last long as the chill would swiftly set in once not moving.

The work was hard but the views along the way were incredible!

We even made it up the daunting headwall! It was a steep 200-meter climb that was slippery in the snow and especially challenging with tired legs but we all knew the reward at the end was close.

We made it!

And finally, just as dusk was arriving, we made it to the long-awaited ACC Sydney Vallance Hut. A fire was immediately started and fun treats and drinks were cheerily passed around. We celebrated surviving the tough hike and watched the snow fall some more before we chose our bunks and fell fast asleep with exhausted bodies.

We now had two full days to spend hanging out and exploring the world around our new home. One of the first activities was sledding down the hill just behind the hut.

We wandered the area around the hut and found the snow really beautiful now that we had a safe and warm retreat close by.

Too soon, on the way home

Everyone had a great time and soon enough it was time to do the whole hike again but in reverse! Surprisingly, the headwall proved to be trickier on the way down. It was slick and with sharp rocks under the snow we had to take it slowly.

Once that part was completed though, we really picked up the pace. Everyone was determined to get back to civilization and we did our best to hustle through the 16 km. At times that was easier said than done but in the end, we made it out! And also got to enjoy some more beautiful (snowy) views as we did so.

I’d like to say I’ve always been a reader, but that would be a big lie. Remember those reading logs in elementary school that teachers would have your parents sign for reading 2-3 hours a day? Yeah, I forged my parents’ signatures on ALL of them. I despised the idea of sitting all day reading words on paper, but then I discovered an exception: Percy Jackson.

The Moment My Obsession Began

I recall the exact moment my obsession with Percy Jackson began. My two older siblings both read the entire series and couldn’t stop talking about how amazing it was. Of course, as the youngest child, I felt a little left out, which gave me the opportunity to discover the wonderful world of Greek Mythology and literary indulgence.

I don’t think there’s a number for how many books I’ve read in my 19 years of life, but it’s a lot. I have definitely experienced my fair share of crazy plots, settings, and adventures in fiction, ranging from historical fiction to romance and fantasy to thrillers- and I thank this journey to my 12 year old self who decided to pick up Percy Jackson.

What Reading Means To Me Now

I quit reading for a while, not because I lost interest, but rather because I was too busy. It was a pretty long break. But, I definitely caught up with my years of slacking.

Since 2021, I’ve roughly read 5-6 books per month. The ability of books to take me to new worlds, locations and points of view offers an escape from the difficulties of everyday life. Reading opens doors to other realities where the ordinary gives way to the mythical and the mundane to the magical. I’m able to escape the constraints of reality and lose myself in the beauty of fiction while I am wrapped up in a beautifully crafted book.

Truly- reading an exceptional book is an unexplainable experience that should be exposed to everyone at least once in a lifetime. Here’s a video I crafted that takes on that sort of feeling of reading a breathtaking story:

https://www.veed.io/embed/4d8a888f-a6bc-4d95-9a07-69ded4a96c82

So… What Now?

I don’t think I’ll ever get bored with reading. There are a ton of new books published each year, which means there are a ton of diverse plots and memories to cling to. Additionally, the books I have already indulged in will definitely hold an everlasting connection to me that I hope I will never forget.

Check out my top 10 reads of 2023 here:

Embarking on a cryptic odyssey into the core of a digital riddle, Sean’s pixelated avatar navigates the mysterious land, an embodiment of algorithms and code concealing hidden truths. This virtual stronghold, seemingly dormant, harbors a tale of veiled perils and encrypted conspiracies.

Through holographic passages, Sean traverses the fortress, surrounded by dormant algorithms. The virtual ambiance is thick with echoes of a forgotten narrative, murmurs of secrets and betrayals encrypted within the force of code.

An inactive terminal flickers to life beneath Sean’s fingers, unfurling haunting melodies that echo through the digital abyss. The notes unlock passages to encrypted files lingering within the digital labyrinth.

Delving deeper, Sean uncovers a tale of concealed truths and betrayals, a digital conspiracy encrypted within the stronghold of code. The virtual whispers speak of veiled motives and encrypted data trails, creating an atmosphere laden with suspense and the promise of impending revelation.

An anomaly in the code captures Sean’s attention—an anomaly, a key to unraveling the mystery. An ancestral connection seems to guide Sean through a digital quest, an unraveling of the data, leading toward the core of the cryptic conspiracy.

The truth unfolds as Sean confronts the spectral forces guarding the bastion’s dark secret—an encrypted key. Turning the key unlocks not only a hidden digital chamber, but also the revelation of a cyber-conspiracy that has lingered in the shadows of the digital landscape.

As Sean confronts the guards of the fortress’s secret, a revelation unfolds—the very algorithms guiding Sean were crafted with purpose. The encrypted key, once turned, reveals not just hidden chambers but the orchestrator behind the digital ruse—a malevolent force steering Sean’s journey.

The mysterious landscape, unmasked as a charade, stands as a testament to the enduring suspense woven into the digital realm. Sean, manipulated by calculated algorithms, emerges changed, the digital secrets etched into lines of code. The resolution leaves a trail of questions, though, echoing in the virtual abyss. Who orchestrated this deliberate ruse?

The guards present another key, a strange string of numbers and letters. He clicks it: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C05rJ7uR9nt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

I am a big believer in community engagement and giving back. It starts with signing up for a board, volunteering a bar shift or helping with hot lunch at school. I want to teach my kids it’s important to make time for these things. Yes, as annoying as it might seem at times, many hands make light work. And if everyone had the same attitude, our long term volunteers wouldn’t be so burned out.

A few years ago parents would actually cook the meals at home, come to school and assembly them and offer foods like taco in a bag, pizza, subs and lasagna and much more. These days we order from local restaurants, take the food to the school and hand it out. It takes 45 min tops. And yet, sign up with dwindling. We can’t even get parents to commit to 45 min once a week. Or once a month if you consider taking turns. So why is that?

I had this conversation with a friend and she recently read an article by Anne Helen Peterson on “How Millennials became the burnout generation“. The article takes a historical look at how previous generations have set up our generation to be burnt out and run dry.

Yet here I am, telling you, together we can do it! If we all pitched in, it wouldn’t be so hard on any of us! We have 200 families with kids in the school. Imagine each family taking one turn. We would have enough volunteers to run hot lunches for almost 5 (!!) years if you consider school breaks and a summer off.

While I understand it takes two incomes in todays world to make ends meet, a lot of work places would support you spending a lunch hour helping, or taking 45 min off to volunteer for a good cause. Please consider taking part in the hot lunch program! We cooked hot dogs earlier this week, made a little video and show you how easy it can be! And FUN! Check the video out on our Instagram page! JOIN US! We would love to have you on our team and be a valued member!