Skills Nunavut’s former star lends a hand to Iqaluit competition

Colleen Neily, right, and Alia Bigio evaluate dishes prepared by cooking competitors in the eighth annual Skills Nunavut Competition at Iqaluit’s Inuksuk high school, April 23. (PHOTO BY PETER VARGA)

Skills Nunavut brought back one of its best and brightest to share her expertise with aspiring cooks at its eighth annual territorial skills competition held April 23 in Iqaluit.

The timing couldn’t be better, as Colleen Neily just recently earned the top designation in her trade — a Red Seal for cooking.

The Red Seal chef earned her certificate at the age of 22, just a few short years since she graduated from Iqaluit’s Inuksuk High School. Now a student at the Culinary Insititute of Canada in Prince Edward Island, Neily jumped at the chance to come back to her home city and help run this year’s contest — taking on the role of technical chair for the cooking contest.

“I just thought, what an awesome opportunity to get back and show people everything that I’ve accomplished with skills,” said Neily, who took part in cooking clubs run by Skills Nunavut in her days as a high school student.

Born and raised in Iqaluit, Neily credits the Skills Canada program, run locally as Skills Nunavut, for setting her on her career path as a chef, and beyond.

“It’s not just cooking with this trade,” she said. “There’s an unbelievable number of things you can do in this industry, whether it be working in a kitchen, to managing a kitchen, to product development, teaching. There are so many different aspects of cooking that nobody really emphasizes, and nobody knows you can do.”

Achieving the Red Seal by the age of 22 was no small feat. Neily logged 7,200 hours of cooking under a certified chef to get there, putting in hours of work at kitchens in various establishments, followed by an exam.

“Usually you’re a little older, but I’ve been working in the kitchen since I was 15, because I loved it so much.”

Originally inspired by her parents’ creative cuisine while growing up in Iqaluit, Neily first took her love of cooking to a higher level at a Skills Club on cooking, run by Skills Canada Nunavut. A coach-mentor of the club recognized her potential, and introduced Neily to a chef at the Culinary Institute of Canada, she recalled.

“I fell in love with the place,” said Neily. “I recommend it to anyone thinking about culinary.”

Like the students she judged in this year’s cooking contest, Neily took part in two competitions as a student. On winning the territorial competition, she went on to the national Skills Canada meet, where she placed fifth among representatives from all 13 provinces and territories.

This year’s territorial skills competition at Inuksuk had seven winners who earned a chance to compete in the national competition in Vancouver this summer — in workplace safety: Nigel Neeveacheak, Tayoloak; in TV/video production: Shelton Nipisar and Innosar Issakiark, Arviat; in hairdressing: Shelly Nichol, Rankin Inlet; in carpentry: Anthony Abbott, Iqaluit; in cooking: Shannon Barkley, Iqaluit; and, in baking: Vayda Kaviok, Arviat.

Student competitors from Arviat turned up in the greatest numbers this year. Overall, turn-out was lower than usual, amounting to 33 students instead of the usual 60 or more, according to Skills Nunavut’s executive director Jennifer Patey. Lack of facilities for hairdressing this year and a conflicting video-production event were to blame.

Even so, said Patey, participation in Skills Clubs across Nunavut is on the rise. The territory counts 20 clubs across the territory, and more than 100 students participating in them.

“What we see at the territorials is the end result of all the years being involved in a club, and how much work has been put into it,” said Patey. Increase in interest is encouraging, she said, as it shows students’ interest in trades and technology is growing in the territory.

“Success stories like Colleen Neily — we’re going to see a lot more of them.”