Pilot project certifies six new CFN heavy equipment operators

Six members of Caldwell First Nation were able to get their heavy equipment certification through a pilot project over a recent five-week period.

The new heavy equipment operators were part of a ceremony held at the Caldwell Reserve on Friday, October 11, where Caldwell Education Manager Darlene Marshall introduced them to the media and those in attendance from the public.

The event featured a demonstration of skills learned during the course, as well as a smudging ceremony and prayer.

The project was in conjunction with Canada Heavy Equipment College and is the first program of its kind locally, offering on-site heavy equipment training to select members featuring an Indigenous lens.

“What makes this different and better is that our Caldwell First Nation operators understand the importance of working with the land,” said Marshall. “We have an innate responsibility as far as being stewards of this land.”

The new operators spent about 30 hours on each piece of equipment during their training. A luncheon followed at Best Western Plus.