Program prepares Pictou Landing residents for remediation project
Eleven people from Pictou Landing are better prepared to pursue work associated with the cleanup of Boat Harbour when the remediation project begins thanks to a course they just took from the Maritime Environmental Training Institute.
A graduation was held on Nov. 1 for participants in the Safety Certified Laborer Program which was held at Pictou Landing.
Speaking at the graduation celebration, Chief Andrea Paul congratulated the students on their hard work.
“We’re really excited about the opportunities you guys have coming forward. We have a huge legacy piece of cleaning up Boat Harbour.”
She said it’s important that people from the Pictou Landing First Nation Community have the skills they need to be part of the cleanup.
“We hope to see you all working in some capacity on the cleanup piece.”
Michelle Francis-Denny is Boat Harbour Remediation Community liason and was involved with helping arrange this program.
“It was a six-week program with 11 participants,” she said. “Eleven started and 11 finished.”
R.J. Moore is one of the students who took part and said he enjoyed it. He said they covered everything from how to properly handle hazardous material to basic tool safety during the course.
He hopes he’ll be able to apply those skills when the Boat Harbour remediation project begins.
“It seems like it’ll be a nice long job to do,” he said.
The remediation is expected to begin in 2020 once the current Boat Harbour Treatment Facility is closed.