LAKE DIEFENBAKER – Trans Canada Trail’s National Youth Employment Program supports jobs that contribute to the development and improvement of trails and the trail sector. We provide funding to organizations across Canada to hire youth between the ages of 15 and 30 for jobs connected to trail use or the maintenance, development and improvements within the trail sector.

In 2024, we were proud to support the creation of 101 jobs across 10 provinces and two territories. We spoke to one of the participating organizations – and the youth who worked with them – about their experiences with the National Youth Employment Program, what went well, and their recommendations for other organizations looking to hire youth in their communities.

Ashley Demers is a board member and project manager for the Prairie Sky Trails Association. The association operates at Sunset Beach at Lake Diefenbaker, Saskatchewan.

Ashley learned about the National Youth Employment Program after working with Trans Canada Trail during a trail construction project at Sunset Beach in 2022. The group was first awarded funding for student employment in 2023, and this past summer, they hired two youth workers through the program: Taylor Mielke and Eric Woodley.

“As Project Manager and, ultimately, our summer student supervisor, I was excited to start the National Youth Employment Program at Sunset Beach, and to have select students focus on the trail system at Sunset Beach specifically,” Ashley says. “I spent several years as a summer student at a lake development during my high school and university summers, surrounded by other youth in the community. I wanted to craft an environment for our youth to form those positive relationships that inspire growth and development in preliminary experiences with employment.”

Eric notes that through his summer employment, he expected to spend a lot of time outside and to make friends with coworkers. He says that both assumptions ended up being correct. He learned how to operate various maintenance equipment, and he also learned a lot about different tree species. He cites the Trail Crew Training curriculum developed by Trans Canada Trail as a rewarding experience:

“I also learned a lot about the trail sector through our training in August. I didn’t know all the different parts of trails, including the different types of careers available in the trail sector. I didn’t expect to learn all of that, so it was pretty cool that we did.”

For Ashley, “The Trail Crew Training experience was absolutely fantastic. From the employer and training instructor perspective, I loved crafting the material for our students and thoroughly enjoyed delivering the curriculum. Trans Canada Trail provided a very extensive instructor guide, which allowed me to reference and implement the material with ease. There was also room to personalize the curriculum so that it applied to our organization and Sunset Beach,” Ashley says.

“I expected there to be many hot and windy days (I was right), and I also expected the work to be fulfilling (I was also right). This type of work is not so much a job for me, it’s something that I enjoy! So, I guess you could say that I expected to enjoy it,” Taylor says. She notes that she also learned that she loves to plant trees. She describes her favourite part of the experience as “simply being outside and enjoying what the Prairies have to offer. There were many animals around the development, and it always put a smile on my face to see them. From chipmunks to toads, I loved it all!”

Eric notes that having supervisors show their trust in the youth employees meant that they could organize and lead themselves in ways that benefited the flow of work, and that also led to strong relationships being formed between employees. “I worked with a really great group of people, and it was fun getting to know them. I really liked being outside all summer and the work tasks that we did. I really enjoyed zero-turn mowing. I also liked jumping in the lake or playing pickleball during our lunch hour,” he says.

For Ashley, one highlight of the program was “getting to know our students as people, not just employees. I found it interesting to hear about their lives, and their opinions on a range of topics. Additionally, I loved being able to witness the friendships that were forming between the employees. It is so rewarding to see a group of strangers become friends in an environment that our organization created,” she says.

“The summer students were all extremely capable individuals, who learned very quickly. All the technical skills, from mowing, whipper snipping, harrowing, tree planting and infrastructure upkeep went really well for all four months of employment,” she says.

“I would absolutely encourage other organizations to apply for the Trans Canada Trail National Youth Employment Program, as it will provide a very fulfilling experience for both the organization and youth participants. Trans Canada Trail is great to work with, from their consistent communication to the support available,” Ashley says. “Above that, it was gratifying to see the growth and development of our youth participants, which have lasting impacts on our organization, as well as myself on a personal level.”

Taylor’s advice is to “Be prepared for all types of weather! Get comfortable with all of the things that the summer has to offer: the dirt, the heat, the rain and even the bugs. The more comfortable you are, the more fun it will be.” She adds, “If you are thinking of applying, do it!”

Eric agrees. “I would tell [potential youth employees] to participate in the program. It is a really rewarding experience if you are looking for hard, physical, outdoor work where you can grow and connect with others. I will remember my experience at Sunset Beach for many years to come. It was a really fun, rewarding summer job.”

Ashley’s takeaways

Provide an environment that fosters autonomy in decision-making: Providing trust in employees from the beginning of employment proved impactful in the hard work, effort, and care in their responsibilities. Once students were trained, they had the autonomy to essentially decide how their day was going to look, specific to prioritizing and delegating tasks.

Continually voice value and appreciation: This not only communicates the true value of our team, but also further instils confidence, trust and passion for their role in our organization.

Recognize the importance of non-work connection: Treating our employees as equals, where we demonstrated care for them as people proved to be not only rewarding, but important for a healthy work environment.

I learned the importance of kindness and connection to all team members in our organization, as these attributes contributed to the individual growth and skill development of each employee. As each member developed, our organization became stronger.