What an NCAA rule change might mean for junior hockey in Sask.
Nov 18, 2024
Previously, WHL players were declared ineligible to play NCAA hockey in the U.S.
Abigail Scott seldom picked up a hand tool or offered her help when it came to operating power tools, but all that changed with her experiences in the past week.
Scott, 12, is one of a dozen girls aged 12 to 15 attending the Girls Exploring Trades and Technology camp at Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
The seven-day camp teaches girls all about a variety of trades to get them thinking about prospective careers all while disproving gender barriers in the largely male-dominated fields.
“I am a super feminist, and I think girls rule, so I was really excited to try this camp,” Scott said. “And I wanted to know about different jobs that girls could become a part of that not everybody always thinks that girls could be (involved in).”
The girls are introduced to careers like plumbing, carpentry, and even coding during their week. There are also guest speakers, like female members of the Saskatoon Fire Department, to take questions and possibly inspire the girls to consider alternative careers.
All of the programming is led by female instructors to further drive home the message that women belong and work in these industries every day.
“I think it’s just really letting them know that these are viable career options, and just because they may not necessarily see a lot of women in them doesn’t mean that it might not be a very good fit for them,” said Brittany Grismdale, the provincial facilitator for women in trades and technology at Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
Grimsdale, a plumber by trade, taught the group some basic plumbing and soldering on Wednesday. She said getting the girls to be comfortable with a blowtorch proved to be a challenge at the start.
“A couple of the girls were adamant they would not touch the torch, that they were scared that it was fire,” she said. “With a little bit of prompting and a lot of support, we got them to have the torch in their hands, they soldered some joints.”
Seeing the girls grow some extra confidence in a matter of minutes was extremely rewarding for Grimsdale.
“One girl went from tears because she was scared to seeing the exuberance on her face when she finished soldering and seeing what she did,” Grimsdale said. “It was a really good moment of feeling that empowerment from them.”
Julia Johnson, 13, was taking part in her third year of the camp. She originally had no interest in the trades, but sees herself as an aspiring architect thanks to her prior experiences at the all-girls camp.
“It kind of just made sense to be comfortable with the tools and to learn how to use them. It was just a learning experience, and it was hands on,” Johnson said. “And you get to keep the product in the end, so it’s something to be proud of.”
Johnson’s brag-worthy project this year is a small bookshelf made out of wood pallets.
Next year, the camp will celebrate its 30th year of empowering women with the confidence that trades careers can be a viable path moving forward.
While Scott may not see herself pursuing those careers just yet, she certainly has a new appreciation for the trades.
“I think that it’s pretty cool that they’re trying to get women into this stuff and trying to show children our age that these are jobs that you could look into,” she said.
A Girls Exploring Trades and Technology Camp was also held at the Sask. Polytechnic campus in Regina.