Ontario Skills Competition winner takes gold at Nationals in Edmonton

Joseph Cinq-Mars (left) won the gold medal in the Industrial Mechanic / Millwright competition at the Canadian National Skills Competition in Edmonton, Alberta this week. A graduate of Mohawk's Industrial Millwright Mechanic Program, Joseph competed at the national skills competition after winning the gold medal at the Ontario Technological Skills Competition earlier this month.

Technological skills competitions are Olympic-style events that give newcomers to skilled trades the opportunity to put their newly developed skills to the test. At the Ontario Skills Competition, Joseph, 21, competed in four events, including a lathe project, a gearbox inspection, a coupling alignment and completing a pneumatic circuit. He won gold in that event which qualified him for the National Skills Competition in Edmonton where he went up against gold medal winners from every other province and territory. Similar to Ontario Skills Competition, Joseph has to complete a series of projects including the complete assembly of a work station to precise specifications and side projects such as pneumatic circuits, welding and lathe work.

A native of Cayuga, Ontario, Joseph is making preparations to move to Norman Wells, North West Territories to start a job with Imperial Oil.