A partnership between LiUNA (Labourers’ International Union of North America) Local 607 Training Centre, Lakehead District School Board, Superior-Greenstone District School Board and Matawa First Nations is delivering industry-recognized safety training, hands-on skilled trades experience and certification for Indigenous youths across Northwestern Ontario through its Indigenous Skilled Trades Training (ISTT) program.
On Friday, ISTT program students from Nipigon-Red Rock High School visited their counterparts at Hammarskjold High School for a joint certification session and a celebration of their work. A framed tiny house, constructed and donated by LiUNA Local 607 training members, was delivered and positioned by crane on the school campus during the drumming ceremony.
Andy Nieweglowski, the training director at the LiUNA Local 607 Training Centre, said Indigenous students at Hammarskjold have been building homes through this program for the past three years, with designs and materials being supported by Smart Modular Canada.
“Nipigon-Red Rock District High School and Geraldton Composite High School began offering the same programming in 2024 and 2025, and after the homes were completed, they are sent to participating Matawa communities,” he said.
Lisa MacLeod, vice-principal and Indigenous Skilled Trades Training program lead for the Superior Greenstone District School Board, added that Matawa First Nation provides the majority of the program’s funding.
“We’ve started to build skills and certifications that are going to prepare our youth to go into careers and trades,” she said, adding that’s where LiUNA comes into place.
“We’ve started to work with them to offer learning things like chainsaw training and working in heights, the skid steer and excavator.”
MacLeod said the program is not a typical trades class.
“It’s really focused on Indigenous youth and on land and cultural connections as well. It’s done more holistically,” she said. “Some days they’re working on the house construction and other days they might be out doing a ceremony, or maybe working with an elder to harvest moose or ice fishing.”
Bill Bolton of Smart Modular Canada said they have been happy to supply the program with materials, drawings and knowledge.
“Not only does this help the students out, but it also helps us out in the long run to take that knowledge back to the communities,” Bolton said.
“When we’re in the communities, we’re always looking for people with talent, and this is going to create some of that for us too.”
Paul Capon, with Matawa First Nation, added, “We have been mandated to support our students and our young people, and this really is for our young people to give opportunities to them.”
He said it provides skills to learn and also promotes culture, peer support and mental health support in some of their communities.
“Kids come from circumstances, and this really gives them an eye-opener and an opportunity to see what they can be,” said Capon, adding that ultimately, this is a springboard for them to move forward.
Terell Waboose, a Grade 12 student at Hammarskjold High School who is in the program, aspires to “find a good job” in the construction industry.
“I learned how to build, how to cut wood with a chainsaw and I can drive a skid steer,” said Waboose, who also tested and was certified on the equipment on Friday.
Sadie Ruth, a Grade 12 student visiting from Nipigon-Red Rock High School, aspires to be a fish and wildlife technician and values the land-based work she does in the program, as well as learning equipment skills.
“We learned how to use chainsaws and skid steers, and we learned how to stock like fish in the lake with the Ministry of Natural Resources,” she said.
Ruth’s classmate, Draven Haskell, added, “I like doing all of this because it’s something new and it’s super fun.”
He said it’s information that he could use when he is done school and sets out for building jobs and to build his own home.
