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4 FOCUS - JUNE 2016 I come from a family of car- penters he explains. My grand- father started his own business Gerr Construction in the late 60s and eventually my dad and my uncles joined as well. Ive been immersed in it since I was a kid so it wasnt hard to learn. I had great teachers. But to advance from talented amateur to certified professional Chad required a four-year appren- ticeship to earn his tradesmans ticket. You need 7200 hours of practi- cal experience working alongside a fully-licensed guy to complete your apprenticeship. You do the same work he does youre just under a watchful pro. And theres a classroom component as well. The lure of independence soon steered him westward. I did a couple years of practical and my first academ- ic block in Ontario but decided to finish up in Alberta. There was good snowboarding there too Prior experiences helped Chad in both facets of his program. In high school I framed houses in a co-op place- ment. Gerr did a lot of commercial work and I was on a few industrial sites out west. The classroom part of the apprenticeship ensures youre comfortable in those different settings so I was fortunate Id already had ex- perience with all of them. That was a great advantage. Chad graduated with his ticket and a Red Seal qualifying him to work anywhere in Canada other than Quebec. A brotherhood founded on a tradition of skill and craftsmanship the Canadian Carpenters Union takes pride in its young talent. In an annual competition which celebrated its twenty-second year in 2015 the Union showcases the best of newly-graduated journey- men first on the provincial level and ultimately on the national stage. Chad Gerrits proved to be a powerhouse in both winning Albertas competition then placing third in the national finals held in August at Torontos Roundhouse Park. Both were structured the same he explains. There was a three-hour written exam a pair of building-site skills competitions and on the second day a hands-on construction project. Not surprisingly the first days practical tests drew on skills basic to construction. We used a Builders Level and a Theodolite Chad explains. They both look similar to a survey transityouve seen pairs of guys doing that one at what looks like a small telescope on a tripod the other holding a vertical rod a dis- tance away. The Builders Level determines elevation at the beginning of the project to help determine how deep to excavate so that when its finished the building will be level. The theodolite ensures the project is built square. On the second day the rub- ber truly hits the road for the competitors. First thing that morning we were led to individual piles of wood and given a set of drawings which we hadnt seen in advance of the same project. We each had eight hours to complete it. The organizers supplied power saws to each station and the jour- neymen were allowed to bring their own hand tools. Completion of the project demanded skill organization as well as a brisk working pace. You had to go flat out for the full eight hours. In Alberta six people finished the garden shed we had to build. In Toronto I was the only one who finished the project. But completion under pressure wasnt the only cri- terion in determining a winner. To be a craftsman you also have to be precise. If you were out by more than a millimetre the judges deducted marks. I finished the garden bench that was our project in Toronto but had a couple errors while the two guys who finished ahead of me had incomplete projects but no errors. In the end our three marks were within a half-percent. In spite of the pressure Chad enjoyed the day. A couple dozen members of my family came to watch so it was a great experience. But Chads days in Alberta he knew were numbered. When oil prices dropped the writing was on the wall. Business dwindled so I decided to come home. The result of that homecoming was Gerrits Contracting a self-owned business that Chad describes as well-rounded. I do home renos garages additions custom cabinets door and window installations sheds decks and out- door structures. His newly created enterprise he reports has gradually ramped up. Of course it was slow at first. But now Im busy every day and looking toward expansion. And what differentiates Gerrits Contracting from other similar services Customer serviceand quality. In other words the craftsmans touch. By Scott Mercer Focus on Scugog Building continued from page 3 Today Chad now owns and operates his own business. Definitely keeping it all in the family