FALL RIVER: A Fall River youth is one of the many that have benefited from being hired locally through the Canada Summer Jobs Grant.
This past summer the Fall River Dairy Queen, one of many businesses in the federal riding of Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook, that took advantage of the Canada Summer Jobs Grant. That allows employers to hire youth under-35 for employment.
In the case of the Dairy Queen, franchisee Peggy Rust and her husband Matt hired five youth through the program and were able to keep three on after the end of the grant in the summer.
One of those students that they could keep on was Ava Ponee, a Lockview High student who calls Fall River home.
Ava said the best part of her being able to work at the DQ is the environment. It’s also a great team, she said.
“Working in a team atmosphere and being able to make people happy with what we give them,” she said. “Just working as a team is key and something I enjoy.”
MP Darrell Samson said the grant helps a business work with a student employee so they can bridge the gap.
“It gives them a job and the business is open to create other opportunities in their schedule for students,” said Samson during a visit where he learned more on how the grant helped the Fall River Shopping Plaza business.
In his riding of Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook alone, more than 400 students were hired which is valued at almost $1.3 million alone, he said.
“That helps organizations, businesses, it helps the community, and students financially and with gaining employment experience, which is so important,” said Samson. “It also keeps them in their own communities.”
Ava was working out of her community and that would interfere somewhat with her schooling as she would be working late. So working locally, thanks to getting hired initially through the Canada Summer Jobs Grant, is helping her be better in her school work.
“It’s important to me as I can get here on my own and don’t have to worry about transportation, and I can come right from school,” said Ava. “My house is close by too.”
“Working locally saves me time that would be taken out of school to get to work in Dartmouth. I can come here without having to go to bed to late and gas money.”
Ava said she has seen an improvement in her homework for school as well because of working locally.
“Before when I was working in Dartmouth I was struggling keeping up with my work,” she said. “Now I am able to focus on that school work as I don’t have to worry about transportation for work.”
