SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — The old City of Summerside parade float was rusting, boards were loose, and it was unsafe to stand on.
So, city council decided to build a brand new float, and thought that it would be a great opportunity for the Three Oaks High School senior carpentry class, said councillor Barb Ramsay.
“The city float was in bad shape, and we contacted Rob Corkum, the Three Oaks [carpentry] instructor, and he and his students were more than happy to help out.”
Among the class was then-Grade 11 student Andrew Cameron, now a senior.
Cameron said he and his classmates were surprised by the council’s offer when Corkum first approached the class.
“It was pretty shocking that the council reached out to us since we’re so young. But it was cool to work on this.”
Carpentry student Dakota Campbell said the most challenging part was the clock tower structure.
“It was a pretty exciting project. The clock tower was the most difficult part of the project, seeing as most of us had never made something like that before. But stuff like the framing came naturally to us.”
The float made its debut at the Summerside Lobster Carnival, displaying the new addition of a clock-tower to the design.
Student Danny Campbell said the most important thing when doing a job like this is patience.
“You have to have a lot of patience with the tower, the small details, and you really have to pay attention to what you’re doing.”
“With the little details, like the framing of the clock, had to be perfect,” added classmate Jonah Gallant.
“It looks beautiful and we’re very excited to use it in the future. We’re able to change it for any season or event and it just looks fabulous,” said Ramsay.
This was a great opportunity for the students to gain some new knowledge, said Ramsay.
“The students were able to gain some experience and a new skill that wasn't offered to them before. We hope to work with the students and staff of Three Oaks again. It was a wonderful time, and we are very grateful for all their hard work.”
Corkum said the project was one of the more unique ones for his class.
“It was pretty neat, most projects we get are buildings. Most of the students were from the Summerside area, so it was nice to do something for the city that they could be proud of.”
The students began their work on the float in the early spring and wrapped up in June.
“Most of the students had taken the course for three years, and most of them were in Grade 12, so they were taking that experience and applying it,” said Corkum.
“It looks beautiful and we’re very excited to use it in the future. We’re able to change it for any season or event," said Ramsay.