Young people around the Strait area are really stepping up, making a difference in their communities and taking advantage of the new opportunities around them.
On October 29, over 80 high school students and 30 business representatives from across Cape Breton met in Baddeck for the 2019 Business Youth Symposium.
Participating Strait reginal centre for education centre schools included Canso Academy, SAERC, Dalbrae Academy, Richmond Academy, and Cape Breton Highlands Academy.
Hosted by the Cape Breton Partnership – in collaboration with the Business Education Council and Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development – the symposium was a day-long event was held to promote awareness of career opportunities for students and to have young people consider living in Cape Breton.
Cape Breton Partnership president and CEO Carla Arsenault noted that the world has changed from her high school days when students were encouraged to move away for education and career opportunities.
Arsenault noted that private sector employers talked about different career options that are available and were available to have a dialogue about the career options available at home.
For the symposium to be a success, businesses and government departments volunteered their time and expertise to talk about what employers are looking for in future employees and the labour market. Through a number of panel and roundtable discussions, networking opportunities and some healthy high school competitive spirit, topics covered included strong work ethic, resume skills, attention to detail, industry specific requirements, portfolio building, and managing an on-line presence.
Then on November 2 in Antigonish, Cpl. Kate MacEachern and her son, Cadet Sgt. Tyler MacEachern received Commendations of the Federal Minister of Veterans Affairs. This was the first time in the history of the award that it was presented to a mother and son.
Commendations of the Minister of Veterans Affairs are awarded to Canadians each year based on two qualifications: in service to the community of veterans where they may live, or by being a veteran who serves as a role model for other veterans.
While the older MacEachern’s involvement with the Soldier On Foundation and Military Minds is well documented, not as well known in the story of her son.
According to his mother, “Tyler has known true sacrifice before he was old enough to pronounce it.” Barely a toddler when his mother joined the Canadian Armed Forces, Tyler had to cope with his mother’s absences, but despite those challenges, the MacEacherns made it work.
When Tyler was five, his mother was seriously injured in a training exercise, “and Tyler began his transition from being cared for to being a fire team partner for me,” Katie MacEachern said. When her son was seven, Cpl. MacEachern was diagnosed with severe PTSD, her brain injury and her physical injuries were now deemed permanent. At eight, her medical release had just started from the army.
When Tyler was nine-years-old, she started the organization “The Long Way Home”which took her away for weeks at a time. At 10, it was a month-and-a-half, and at 11, it was a planned three-months.
Through it all, Tyler never asked for his mother and never asked for anything more.
She allowed her son to come with her to walk the first leg of her last journey. Her son provided her with comfort and inspiration, keeping up with his mother every step and refusing to stop.
After finishing his 500-kilometre trek, Tyler went on to begin speaking with youth, parents, and guardians with PTSD and translated a language most adults, let alone children, can understand.
Not far away, at East Antigonish Education Centre in Monastery, local education students, under the direction of their teacher, gave Mi’kmaq songwriter George Paul’s most famous spiritual song a reprise.
To celebrate Mi’kmaq history month, the students agreed to their teacher’s suggestion to record their own version of the “Honour Song.” After practicing extremely hard for a few weeks, the students recorded the song late in October.
Because of Paul’s dedication to revive traditional songs and gatherings in the Maritimes, the song has become the national anthem of the Mi’kmaw Nation and is now being used to teach elementary school students about culture and traditions.
Three-years-ago, every elementary school music class in the province was provided a Mi’kmaq hand drum so teachers could share the song with students.
The initiative saw approximately 30 youth from Antigonish East Education Centre, mostly students in Grades 4-6, come together, go over the words and learn the language together.
Their teacher, Buffy MacNeil, who has been a musician her whole life and has produced her own records, said she noticed the kids were really into music and took the lead on the “Honour Song” project to do something positive and inspiring.
With assistance from the music teacher who offered her space and the Mi’kmaq language teacher who helped with pronunciation, MacNeil then contacted Paul who gave her his blessing and thought it was a really good idea.
After making a quick call to a studio she worked with in her professional life, everything was a go.
These are truly inspiring stories that provide strong hope in the future of this region.
These young people have bridged cultural and linguistic gaps, have provided inspiration even for those who inspire others, and who showed up in big numbers and became fully involved in learning about opportunities in their own backyard.
With so many young people proving themselves to be hard-working, committed, talented, and truly invested in their communities, it seems the Strait area will be in good hands in the years to come.