Anishinabek Employment and Training Services unveils new elevator lift
By Rick Garrick
THUNDER BAY — Anishinabek Employment and Training Services (AETS) celebrated the unveiling of their Park Avenue location’s new elevator lift with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 15 in Thunder Bay.
“The lift was funded by the federal government, and we were able to have our class of students from the [Construction Craft Worker and Cement Finisher Pre Apprenticeship Training] Program under LiUNA help with the concrete work,” says John DeGiacomo, Executive Director at AETS. “We have several clients who require accessible entrances but were coming up against a barrier when visiting us. We’re so pleased to be able to offer an accessible way to enter the building while also creating an opportunity for apprenticeship students to get hands-on experience.”
AETS’s Construction Craft Worker and Cement Finisher Pre Apprenticeship Training Program provided students with foundational skills, safety training, and practical experience in the construction trades to help prepare them for careers in the industry while connecting them with apprenticeship opportunities.
“This project gave us the chance to apply what we’ve been learning in a real-world setting,” says Sheldon Nobis, a student in the Construction Craft Worker and Cement Finisher Pre Apprenticeship Training Program. “It’s rewarding to know that something we helped build will make a difference for people in the community.”
Aidan Johnup, a student in the Construction Craft Worker and Cement Finisher Pre Apprenticeship Training Program, says the project enabled him to see what it was like on an actual worksite.
“I got to learn a few tricks — it got me more confident in working in a trade,” Johnup says, adding that the program was good. “[We were] learning how to use different equipment and different concrete techniques.”
Anita Thompson, an AETS client and Red Rock Indian Band citizen, demonstrated how the elevator lift operated by taking a ride in it during the ribbon cutting ceremony.
“I’m retired and now I have trouble with climbing stairs, so that’s why I use my walker,” Thompson says. “It’s going to be easier access into the building [with the elevator lift] and come to programs and be part of the groups — it works awesome.”
Amber Ogima, Operations Manager at AETS and Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek citizen, also stressed the importance of having an elevator lift for people with accessibility needs.
“We’re happy to finally have an elevator lift here for accessibility for not only our Elders but our young parents with strollers as well as anyone that’s struggling with accessibility needs,” Ogima says, adding that they had a group of eight Construction Craft Worker and Cement Finisher Pre Apprenticeship Training Program students who worked on the project to create the concrete structures and slopes at the bottom of base of the elevator lift. “So, they got hands-on learning experience while they were in their training program.”
AETS received funding from the federal government’s Enabling Accessibility Fund for the elevator lift project.
“We are breaking down barriers so that everyone has a real and fair chance at success,” says Thunder Bay Superior North Member of Parliament Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario. “Through programs like the Enabling Accessibility Fund, we are creating accessible spaces for Canadians with disabilities, spaces made possible by the skilled workers in northern Ontario and across our country. Together, we are building Canada strong and making sure no one is left behind.”
A ceremonial plaque featuring the names of the students who worked on the project was unveiled during the celebration, and a custom painting, Wellness, created by artist Kevin Belmore was also revealed.
“This image depicts a family unit seeped in culture,” states Belmore in a note accompanying the painting. “The idea is to promote growth, wellness, and strength in the family. The flowers and leaves envelope the family, which shows close ties to old traditions that still have meaning today.”