The Victoria Community Development Corporation
Summer Career Placement

Each summer the Federal Government provides funding to create employment for students. Called Summer Career Placement(SCP) this program gives youth opportunity to get work experience in an area they are planing as a career or is of interest. Students typically work for 6-7 weeks, 30 hours per week at the minimum wage.

In 2003 the VCDC hired one student as a Tour Guide for the Cooper Museum. A first year university student worked for 6 weeks.

In 2002 the VCDC hired one student as a Tour Guide for the Cooper Museum. One level three High School student worked for 6 weeks.

In 2001 the VCDC hired two students as Tour Guides for the Cooper Museum. A first year university student worked for 6 weeks.

Historic Site Interpreter 1997 - 2000

The VCDC has two museums in the Victoria Heritage Park that are open to the public in July and August. The Lifestyles Museum is a full size replica of a Cooper shop. The water driven sawmill shows how water was used to saw logs into lumber. Students are hired each summer to work as interpreters to show visitors around and explain the different aspects of each site.

In 1997 three students, Kendra Slade, Christopher Layden and Kristy Pryor worked at the Lifestyles Museum. Under the supervision of Bruce Martin, who trained them on proper presentation of artifacts they catalogued and labeled all artifacts. Displays and descriptions were
prepared and mounted for the tourist season.

As an added benefit of having Mr. Martin present while the students were there, they were able to use the tools to make wood crafts for sale and/or display, adding to the other skills the students developed over the summer.

In 1999 the VCDC employed three youth as interpreters at the Lifestyles Museum:

Melissa Deering
Chad Butt
Dana Snook

In 2000 the VCDC employed three youth as interpreters at the Lifestyles Museum:

Vanessa Penny
Lori Antle
Bobbi-lee Baldwin

Heritage Park Maintenance -1998

Two students, Christopher Snook and Chad Butt were placed responsible for painting the Museum, tarring the roof and landscaping the Museum area (spreading crushed stone in parking area and walkways, laying sods and general care and maintenance of grounds). They also provided relieve to the tour guides at the Museum on an as needed bases.

Beaver Pond Wildlife 1997

The Corporation was fortunate in that we were able to have a Biology Research student employed this summer under the Summer Career Placement program to do an inventory of plant and animal life in and around the Beaver Pond area. Suzanne Lambert completed an comprehensive list with pictures of plants, animals, birds, insects and aquatic life has been documented and is now available at our office. This information will be very valuable in teaching individuals and groups about local plant, animal and aquatic life.

Walking Trail Survey and Evaluation: 1997

As part of the continued development of the Victoria trail system, a Surveying student (Jim Peach) was hired under the Summer Career Placement program to rate the trails and carry out research on various land areas at the Lands and Deeds office. This student plotted the site of a Heritage Park building and mapped and rated the more than 100 kilometers of walking, hiking and biking trails in the town of Victoria. Assisting Jim was another student, Joe Warren, who has completed his first year of the Primary Technology program. The VCDC sponsored his application as a surveyor's helper. This valuable experience has given this young person another important career choice.

Environmental impact of ATV's on country side 1997

With so many ATV's a in wide use for hauling firewood, logs and recreation, there was some concern that the country side was being damaged. A forestry student Dion Daikons, was employed to walk the trails in the back county and report on problem areas and develop an action plan to prevent further damage. The good news was that because trails were on mineral soils there was little damage being done. The VCDC did receive the government regulations for ATV used for future reference.

Water Conservation 1997

The Trinity conception Region suffered a water shortage in the summers of 1996- 97. Some towns rationed water supplies and were forced to tap into emergency sources. Kathy Adams, a university students studying Environmental Sciences completed a research program on water use in the Conception Bay North area. Ms. Adams developed a proposal on possible ways of conserving water both domestically and used by businesses. The VCDC has applied for funding to put the program in place.

Community Park 1997

Civil Engineering student Chris King reviewed an area at the bottom of Beaver Pond as a possible site for a community park.