Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Media Release
This year marked the sixth season of the First Nations Youth Experience Program in Dryden. The summer was filled with valuable learning experiences for all participants!
The program is run through Dryden District under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Stewardship Youth Ranger Program, in partnership with Domtar and the communities of Eagle Lake First Nation and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation.
Eight students and two team leads are employed with the ministry for the summer and participate in projects and training focused on natural resource management, community support, and learning about First Nation culture. The students are divided into two teams.
The team lead for Wabigoon Lake was Sheena Harrison. This was Sheena’s fourth summer with the program, bringing with her immense cultural knowledge. Throughout the summer she taught her team (and local ministry staff) about cultural practices and traditions of Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation.
Working with the Wabigoon Lake Small Business Centre, Sheena spearheaded a project this year to map traditional wild rice harvesting areas. Clayton Chisel (with the business centre) remarks that, “Educating our youth on the importance of wild rice will help safeguard our traditions and having them learn how to preserve it will ensure it doesn’t become lost as time goes on. I think the more youth are exposed to this, they will start regaining their cultural identity.” The project involved canoe training and GPS technology – a tool many participants hadn’t used before.
The team lead for Eagle Lake was Sheldon Adams. His focus was bridging natural resource management skills and community activities. Sheldon’s team engaged in work such as brushing, hauling and canoe training for natural resource management, which supported community projects.
Sheldon arranged for the team to work at Eagle Lake First Nation helping out during Family Wellness Week, setting up the community cultural camp, and putting together the arbour for the annual Eagle Lake Pow-Wow.
Participants appreciated the chance to connect with this First Nation community. Team member Stefan Pitchenese noted that interacting with community members and learning about their culture was something he enjoyed. Event organizer Marlene Landon from the Eagle Lake community health centre thanked the teams for their help, noting it was “appreciated by the staff of the Eagle Lake Health Centre and the Elders of Eagle Lake”.
The program provided many opportunities for outdoor work with projects that included sign installations, access trail brushing, site clean-ups, shore line restoration and invasive species removal. Outdoor skills were put to the test, while opportunities were given for developing teamwork and problem solving skills.
Projects were complemented by learning opportunities. For example, Domtar hosted participants at their pulp mill for a morning of learning about how the company sustainably produces pulp for many everyday products. “We are pleased to be a partner supporting this program,” said Bonny Skene, regional public affairs manager.
Additional learning opportunities provided by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, Ontario Power Generation, the Experimental Lakes Area, the Dryden Fire Management Headquarters and the Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung Historical Centre ensured that participants obtained a well-rounded understanding of some of the industries, opportunities and cultural connections in northwestern Ontario.
The ministry is pleased to provide this employment opportunity for youth, which would not have been possible without support from Domtar and the communities of Eagle Lake First Nation and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation.
All of the partnering agencies sincerely thank local industries and organizations who participated this summer and offered youth a chance to learn and apply new skills.
With so many different perspectives and uses of natural resources, it is important to come together to share ideas and points of view – the program looks forward to many more successful seasons and opportunities to do just that!
Additional Program Information:
There are 45 Stewardship Youth Ranger teams across Ontario. In the northwest, teams were based in Fort Frances, Armstrong, Atikokan, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, Dryden, Thunder Bay, Terrace Bay, Nipigon and Kenora.
For the 2016 season, rangers must have been born in 1999 (turning 17 before December 31, 2015 but not 18), been a student and a resident of Ontario. Next year, students born in the year 2000 will be able to apply. Team leads and assistant team leads can be any age, and are usually hired for their mix of natural resource management and leadership skills.
