It was a proud moment for a number of students and staff from Regional High School last week, when six of the participating students took home medals during the North East Regional Skills Canada competition in Lac La Biche on March 21.
The event brings high school students together at Portage College each year, and allows students to show off their talents in a variety of CTS areas. This year, St. Paul students in welding, construction, hairstyling, culinary arts and baking proved that they were among the best in northeastern Alberta by offering strong performances.
Foods teacher Connie Landsiedel said she had the opportunity to go with students to Lac La Biche, and noted that it was “fantastic” to watch her students compete.
“The entire team represented the school very impressively.” A total of 12 students from St. Paul Regional took part in the Skills Canada Alberta competition.
In welding, Devan Bailey brought home a silver medal, while Noah Villard took home silver in construction. Hairstyling students also brought home medals, with Shelby Bailey taking silver, and Haley Henderson Ward taking home a bronze medal.
As for Landsiedel’s students, two of them netted the coveted gold medals. Emily Shapka competed in culinary arts, and Emily Bouchard took part in the baking category.
For Shapka, who plans to pursue a career in the culinary arts, the competition offered her the chance to experience cooking in a high-stress situation.
“I love it just as much as I did going in,” says Shapka, when speaking about her experience. She says that this year’s competition was her time attending a Skills Canada Alberta competition.
“I love cooking, so it’s always been on my bucket list to go to Skills,” she says, adding, she spent a lot of time in the kitchen preparing for the event.
Culinary arts and baking students get their recipes ahead of time, which allows for students to do test runs, and perfect their skills prior to the big day. This year, culinary arts students had to prepare an appetizer place of ricotta cheese and spinach ravioli, with a main course of poached salmon and rice pilaf.
On the baking side, students had to make a five strand braided bread, six dinner buns, 18 piped shortbread cookies, and ice and decorate a three-layer cake.
“Any time I could, I just practiced,” says Shapka.
For Emily Bouchard, it was her second time competing at the Skills Canada Alberta event in Lac La Biche.
“I kind of knew what to expect, but it was still an amazing experience,” says Bouchard. She credits the positive experience not only to the fact that she received a gold medal, but also, “being able to go with an amazing teacher . . . and two other awesome girls.”
Students are chosen to compete at Skills Canada Alberta not only because of their talents, but also their willingness to continue competing, as the competition now moves into a provincial showdown for those who took gold and silver, explains Landsiedel.
“They have to prove to us that they’re really serious about competing,” says Landsiedel. Students are also sometimes chosen because they have shown an interest in pursuing a specific career in the chosen field, and the competition allows for them to hone their skills, while continuing to learn.
The students only have a specific amount of time to complete their work, which adds to the competitive nature of the event.
Students who received silver or gold medals will now move on to the provincial competition, set to take place at the Edmonton Expo Centre on May 10 and 11.
