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March 2004 IBEW Journal

The 2003 Ontario Technological Skills Competition, held at RIM Park in Waterloo, scored a great success. Ontario also hosted the Skills Canada National Competition immediately following the provincial event in May. Both competitions highlight careers in the skilled trades and technologies while celebrating the achievements of young people who display mastery in their craft.

Some 10,000 visitors, including students and educators, attended the Ontario events to learn about careers in the various trades, said IBEW First District International Representative Gerald R. Wilson.

Approximately 1,000 studentsincluding top prize-winning IBEW electrical apprenticesparticipated in more than 50 contests in fields such as construction, manufacturing, communications and transportation. The IBEW and the Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario (ECAO), through the Joint Electrical Promotion Plan (JEPP), are active supporters of the events and sponsored the electrical wiring and network cabling contests.

JEPP also sponsored an award-winning IBEW-ECAO booth at the Ontario Construction Secretariats exhibit area showcasing careers in the construction trades.

Terrific teamwork on the part of IBEW and ECAO event organizers helped create the great success of the Ontario competitions, said IBEW First District International Vice President Philip Flemming. Congratulations to the organizers and to all our expertly skilled apprentices on an excellent showing.

It has been our experience that our best apprentices become quality tradesmen who rise to the top of the IBEW by taking on leadership roles within their local unions, Vice President Flemming added. These apprentices are our leaders of tomorrow.

We Build OntarioIBEW Interactive Display
Wins 1st Prize

Thousands visited the IBEW-ECAO booth set up at the We Build Ontario exhibit area, including students, teachers and the general public. Visitors talked to IBEW apprentices and journeymen about the electrical trade and explored interactive modules. Participants could try their skill at making wire joints, bending conduit and splicing communication cables, or try a light bulb identification quiz. Displays also featured traffic control systems and advanced residential wiring. The IBEW-ECAO team won 1st prize for Best Interactive Display.

Months of preparation culminated in the successful electrical wiring competition. Mark Kuehl, assistant business manager of IBEW Local 804, Kitchener, chaired the provincial Electrical Wiring contest as well as the National Technical Committee. Kuehls 17-member IBEW-ECAO committee included IBEW Training Directors Clarke Hurley and Ed Nott, from Local 105 in Hamilton and Local 353 in Toronto, respectively. Kuehl credited the fabulous support of all the committee members, the IBEW and the ECAO for the great success of the event.

IBEW Apprentices Win Silver, Bronze and Gold

A mix of union and non-union students from across Ontario participated in the provincial post-secondary Electrical Wiring contest, Kuehl said. Competition was tight and all IBEW apprentices did a great job!

Two IBEW apprentices won the gold and bronze medals at the post-secondary level. The gold medalist was DNS Electric apprentice Dave Powell, from IBEW Local 586, Ottawa. Ryan Rawn, a Sutherland & Schultz apprentice from IBEW Local 804, Kitchener, won the bronze. The silver went to a student from Conestoga College. Guild Electric apprentice Ryan Cooper from Local 353 competed in the provincial Industrial Wiring contest and won a silver medal.

As Ontarios gold medalist, Dave Powell went on to compete in the Skills Canada National Competitionand he took home the national gold. This is the second year in a row that an IBEW apprentice won the Ontario event and the nationals.

The IBEW congratulates these fine young apprentices, who will go on to excel in their craft and serve the trade well, said International President Edwin D. Hill. They represent all the top-notch IBEW apprentices acquiring state-of-the-art skills through superb apprenticeship training programs across Canada and the entire continent.