Practice has made perfect for a local high school student.
Cam Taylor, Grade 12 student at North Battleford Comprehensive High School, recently brought home gold in carpentry from the Skills Canada National Competition in Halifax.
Top participants from each province and territory, minus one, competed for the gold medal. The competition Taylor won involved building a playhouse structure in 12 hours.
Taylor said judged work was based on following blueprints, among other things.
“I was fortunate enough to win it,” Taylor said.
He said he knew competition was going to be tight, and only a few points separated first from third place. Taylor said he was “pretty surprised” he won, adding it was a “huge honour.”
Taylor competed twice before in the national competition, and won a bronze medal last year.
North Battleford Comprehensive High School construction teacher Mike Humenny said in preparation for this year’s competition, Taylor worked numerous hours improving his craft at a workshop at home.
“I know he put in a ton of work preparing himself for this,” Humenny said. At the competition, Taylor finished his play structure with time to spare and was able to “tidy some things up,” Humenny said.
Taylor won gold at a provincial competition in order to participate in the national competition.
Taylor thanked five people and said he learned a lot from his father Brad Taylor, Mike Humenny, Layne Humenny, Gregg Tady and Jake Millar.
Taylor said he plans to continue carpentry work, and to get tickets in carpentry and plumbing. Taylor currently runs his own woodworking business, Cam’s Woodworking, and he said he might eventually do kitchen and bathroom renovations.
“From a school standpoint, we’re super proud of Cam and everything that he’s done,” Humenny said. ”He’d be quick to deflect, it but the work that he does … really is exceptional.”
