Northern Lights College Enhanced Carpentry Foundation students are raising the roof this winter, but not on a house.
Through a partnership with the Dawson Creek Exhibition Association (DCEA) and the City of Dawson Creek, this class is building a barn on the exhibition fairgrounds.
Enhanced Carpentry Foundation students learn the entire process of building construction, from framing the walls to installing the roof trusses. Over a dozen homes have been built in Dawson Creek through the program.
The idea for the barn build came from a partnership between the Northern Lights College Foundation and the DCEA, which grew into this unique opportunity. Something Lindsey Borek, the Executive Director of the NLC Foundation, is really excited about.
“Working with the Dawson Creek Exhibition Association to build a shared vision … has been truly remarkable. We are grateful for this partnership for Northern Lights College, our students and our community.”
A barn is built the same way as a house, just without things like internal wiring and plumbing. This reduces the need for outside contractors to complete parts of the project that aren’t part of the curriculum. By building a barn, the students still meet the required learning outcomes, and the DCEA gets a new event space.
After discussions with the DCEA and the City, a deal was struck, and they broke ground on December 12.
The DCEA is thrilled with the partnership and how it will help them continue the “Greatest Show in the Peace.”
“On behalf of the Exhibition Board of Directors and its members, I would like to thank Connie Patterson, NLC and their Trades Program, all the sponsors and donors for all the preparation and planning to make this barn build come to realization,” said Murray Pratt, president of the DCEA. “The addition of this new horse barn will complement our fairgrounds and the rest of our new buildings. This new barn will provide available boarding for our arena users and light horse shows since the previous barns were lost in 2018.”
Rod Cork, Dean of Trades and Apprenticeship Programs at NLC is both excited about contributing to such an important space in Dawson Creek, and having students create something they can show off for years to come.
“Working with the DC Exhibition Association to replace the horse barns is an amazing opportunity! Building these barns will create a legacy which will be visible to the public for years to come. The barns will be used at rodeo and community events as well as provide shelter during emergency evacuation situations in and around our region should animals be in need. Our students will be able to show their families their hard work and do so knowing that they have provided a service for an amazing community non-profit!”
The City of Dawson Creek is also looking forward to seeing the construction of the barn completed.
“This is a fantastic initiative and partnership between Northern Lights College, the Dawson Creek Exhibition Association, and the City of Dawson Creek. Through true collaboration, we’ve worked together to find creative and innovative ways to expand our community’s infrastructure, particularly at the Exhibition Grounds,” said Darcy Dober, Mayor of Dawson Creek. “When large organizations come together with a shared vision, it’s these kinds of partnerships that truly move projects forward and drive meaningful change. This project will enhance the capacity for hosting events at the fairgrounds, and we are excited to work alongside all parties involved to achieve this milestone, which will benefit the entire community.”
