Up to 16 job seekers will gain valuable work experience and contribute to the ongoing restoration of the North Pacific Cannery National Historic Site in the Port Edward/Prince Rupert area, through a Job Creation Partnership with the Province of British Columbia.

The Province has committed $233,986 to the Port Edward Historical Society’s North Pacific Cannery project to provide up to 16 E.I.-eligible participants living in the Port Edward/Prince Rupert area with up to 38 weeks of work experience and skills training in carpentry, marine construction and heavy construction.

Another 48 participants gained similar work experience over the last three years thanks to previous Job Creation Partnership projects with the North Pacific Cannery which received $335,668.28 in funding.

North Pacific Cannery is a local heritage site with regional, national and global significance situated in scenic Port Edward, where the Skeena River meets the tidal waters of the Pacific Ocean. Visitors to the heritage site can experience historic boardwalks and buildings and the coastal wilderness while learning about British Columbia’s salmon canning industry through guided tours, exhibits, displays and local cuisine.

The restoration work completed by the up to 16 participants will improve access to historical buildings including a working dock that dates back to the late 19th century. It will also provide a boost to the local economy as North Pacific Cannery is expected to increase the region’s profile and increase tourism. The project will also provide the community with a heritage site where local events can be hosted, including the 50th anniversary of the District of Port Edward, which will be held at the North Pacific Cannery site this June.

Participants will showcase their work to local and regional industry partners, local contractors and industry representatives at an event held at North Pacific Cannery this spring, providing them with excellent networking opportunities with prospective employers.

Job Creation Partnerships are part of the Employment Program of BC’s Community and Employer Partnerships, which fund projects that increase employability and share labour market information.

The Community and Employer Partnerships program is featured in B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint and provides more support to people who are struggling to gain a foothold in the job market. It helps build stronger partnerships with industry and labour to connect British Columbians with classroom and on-the-job training, while making it easier for employers to hire the skilled workers they need – when and where they need them.

To date, more than 1,000 job seekers have benefited from work experience and over 200 projects have been funded throughout the province.

The blueprint was launched two years ago to help British Columbians get the skills they need to be first in line for the almost one million job openings that are projected by 2024 and to re-engineer our education programs towards a data-driven system focusing investments toward training for in-demand jobs.

Quotes:

Michelle Stilwell, Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation –

“We are proud to support the participants involved in this project as they build their skills and get the work experience they need to gain a foothold in the job market. It is equally exciting to be investing in a project that will strengthen the local economy while ensuring this vital part of B.C.’s heritage is shared and preserved.”

Steve Milum, conservation manager, North Pacific Cannery –

“It’s very rewarding to see this crew building skills, experience, and self-confidence through a group effort to restore and preserve North Pacific Cannery, an amazing historic site that represents the North Coast fishing industry. I see subtle changes on a weekly basis – to the buildings, and to the workers – that accumulate into large changes to the site and to the individuals over several months. The site represents a huge part of the region’s history and therefore supports the local community through preserving its identity and pride while acting as a major tourism draw to the area, so our efforts build and restore community as well.”

Kirk Gladstone, project participant, North Pacific Cannery Jobs Creation Project –

“I’m learning something new every day and helping repair a historic site. There’s a good atmosphere here with a great crew to work with. Plus my girlfriend’s mother was born near the Company Store and in the 1960’s my father was running a packer boat and came here a lot so I'm pretty connected to my work.”

Casey Brown, project participant, North Pacific Cannery Jobs Creation Project –

“I spent over 10 years in construction when I was younger and loved it, but for the past ten+ years I've been a dock hand at a fishing lodge and a flagger. The hands-on training and work experience I’m getting here will give me a brush up on power tools that I used to use and help me towards my apprenticeship.”

David Gladstone, project participant, North Pacific Cannery Jobs Creation Project –

“Today was my first time working with scaffolding and I really liked that. I'm getting a good mix of experience with power and hand tools and am actually making use of my certificates and tickets – for example, fall arrest, CSTS, H2S Alive, chainsaw safety, First Aid, WHMIS, forklift and lock-out.”

Quick Facts:

• Salmon canning has been an important economic and cultural driver in British Columbia since the mid-to-late 19th century.
• North Pacific Cannery is a national historic site and one of Prince Rupert’s key tourism destinations. It was built in 1889 and is situated in the pristine coastal area where the Skeena River meets the Pacific Ocean.
• North Pacific Cannery has completed nearly $2 million in conservation work with support from public and private-sector funders over the past three years to stabilize and restore buildings and structures on the site, including a working dock that dates back to the cannery’s earliest years.
• North Pacific Cannery tours include live demonstrations of cannery machinery, a glimpse into the unique living experiences of workers of First Nations, Japanese, Chinese, and European descent and exhibits that show the earliest days of salmon canning, as well as modern methods.
• In 2015-16, the ministry will invest $331 million in employment and labour market programs under the Employment Program of BC.
• The Employment Program of BC is funded by the Province of British Columbia as well as the Government of Canada through the Labour Market Development Agreement.
• Funding supports 84 WorkBC Employment Services Centres throughout the province and the four components of the Community and Employer Partnerships fund:
  • Job Creation Partnerships
  • Labour Market Partnerships
  • Project-Based Labour Market Training
  • Research and Innovation
• Job seekers and employers can contact their local WorkBC Centre for more information on eligibility and application processes for Job Creation Partnerships and other streams of the Community and Employer Partnerships program.

Who is eligible?

• Businesses
• Non-profit organizations
• Crown corporations
• Municipalities, agencies or territorial governments
• Bands/tribal councils
• Public health and educational institutions

Learn More:

To learn more about North Pacific Cannery: http://www.northpacificcannery.ca/

For more information on Community and Employer Partnerships: www.workbc.ca/CEP

Find a local WorkBC Employment Services Centre: www.workbccentres.ca

Learn more about the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation: www.gov.bc.ca/sdsi

For more information on B.C.'s Skills for Jobs Blueprint: www.workbc.ca/skills

To find out more about the BC Jobs Plan: www.engage.gov.bc.ca/bcjobsplan/