Shayne Morrow, Alberni Valley Times

Published: Friday, February 04, 2011 

The first all-aboriginal Conductor class from the B.C. Institute of Technology will take to the rails on Feb. 12. 

 

Members of the Industrial Heritage Society will be hosting and instructing these groundbreaking students on the Alberni Pacific Railway, according to BCIT program co-ordinator Monica Serbanescu. 

"We started talks with a couple of aboriginal societies, VanASEP (Vancouver Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership) and the First Nations Employment Society," Serbanescu said, adding that the aboriginal class is running in parallel with a mainstream Conductor class. 

 

"We have another group that is going to be heading your way at the beginning of April," she said. 

 

This is a select group of 10 students, who will undergo practical railway work experience in two flights of five, starting on Feb. 12 and Feb. 16. Serbanescu said that, like most BCIT conductor students, these candidates are already being actively recruited by the big railways. 

 

"Six already have employment with Canadian Pacific. They've all interviewed with CP, and Canadian National will interview them before they graduate," she said. "Our placement rate is close to 100%. And it's good, solid employment. They can make a railway career for their whole working life if they chose." 

 

IHS president Kevin Hunter said he and his members are excited about the new class. 

 

"We go over to Vancouver twice a year for advisory meetings," Hunter said. "I was over in December and this class had already begun. They seemed like keeners." 

 

Hunter called it an honour to host the new class, and hopes to involve local First Nations while the students are here. 

 

"When I met with them, they peppered me with questions about what we have in Port Alberni," Hunter said. "They wanted to know about our railyard and what we have set up." 

 

On the Lower Mainland, BCIT has access to about 400 metres of track and one locomotive, and there's not a lot of room to maneuver. Hunter said he always enjoys advising new students about what they can expect to experience when they do their practicum on the Alberni Pacific, and this time was no different. 

 

"I told them about the run out to McLean Mill," he said. "I told them 'you'll be running your own train 10 kilometres up the hill and all the way out to the mill." 

 

For the students, as always, it's going to be real-life training, and they'll be working at all hours of the day, just as they will when they join CP or CN. The first flight of five starts at 6 a.m. on Feb. 12 and wraps up at noon on Feb. 16, and the second flight starts at 2 p.m.. 

 

"It's a long day for our guys," Hunter observed. 

 

All told, IHS anticipates up to four BCIT classes in 2011, starting with the all-aboriginal class, followed by more groups in early spring, early summer and in the fall.