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8TuesdayOctober12013ByMEAGANWOHLBERGAftermorethanfourde-cadesofworkingandteach-ingintheheavyequipmentoperatingHEOelditshardtothinkofacommunityintheNorthwestTerritorieswhoseinfrastructureGordonMercredididnothaveahandinshaping.Spending33yearsasaninstructorintheNWTsforemostHEOprogramatAuroraCollegesThebachacampusMercredihasbeenresponsibleforthetrainingandemploymentofhundredsofNorthernersinthesectorsettingthemupforsuccessineverythingfromhighwayconstructiontominingandairportmaintenance.ButasofOct.1theyllhaveanewteacherasMer-credinallysetsdownhishardhatandeasesintothecomfortofawell-deservedretirement.BeginninghisforayintotheHEOworldattheten-derageof17Mercredispentmuchofthe60sand70sbuildingupexperienceintheeldbymaintainingroadsandtruckingintheconstruc-tionmaterialsthatwouldonedaybecomethePaulWilliamKaeserhighschool.In1977hemadehiswayovertothecollegeasanin-structortakinghisonlybreakbetween88and91tostartamovingcompanywithhiscousinwhentheHEOpro-gramwasbeingreevaluated.Duringtheearlyyearsatthecollege-andwellbe-foredivisionsectionedoffNunavutfromtherestoftheNWT-fouroftheeightin-structorsonstaffinthede-partmentwouldrotatefromtowntotowngivingseveralweeksofhands-ontrainingineachlocation.MercredivisitednearlyeverycommunityintheEasternandWesternArctictotrainlocalsonequipmentmaintenanceandoperation-anexperiencehesaidhewillneverforget.Whatreallystandsoutwasgoingtoallthecommunities.IgottoseealotoflandIwouldneverhaveotherwiseinmylifetimehesaid.Ireallyen-joyedit.Itwasnicetobeabletobepartofeachcommunityduringmytimethere.LikeinPondInlettherstplaceMercrediwassentasaninstructorwherehefollowedafrenzyofpeopledowntotheshoretowatchapodofnar-whalsrippingthroughthesea.Whatanexperiencehereected.Andtherollinghillstherecoveredinallkindsofyellowandpurpleowers-justbeautiful.MercredihadevenmorechancestovisittheHighArcticaftertheairportswereturnedovertotheterritorialgovernment.HebecametheleadinstructorresponsiblefortakingclassesofstudentstocommunitiesasfarasGjoaHavenHolmanIslandnowUlukhaktokandSanikiluaqtospendentiresummersdoingairportupgrades.Healsoinstructedtheteamofstudentssenttoconstructtheall-weatherroadtoWrig-leyandhelpedformtheHEOprogramnowinplaceinFortGoodHope.ClosertohomeMercrediandhisstudentswerein-volvedinthestabilizationoftheriverbankfollow-ingtheFortSmithlandslideof1968excavatedthetwoareasonMcDougalandCalderthatnowhousethecommunitysbaseballdia-mondsconstructedroadsintheFoxholesareaforuseastrainingclearedthelandthatisnowthegolfcoursebuiltbiathlonandskitrailsre-dugKaeserscanalandledthegroundworkonthebrandnewstateofthearttrackfacility.Butmorethancriticalin-frastructureMercredisaidheisproudofthefuturesHeavyequipmentinstructorstepsdownafter33yearsMercredihelpedbuildstudentsfuturesalongsidecriticalinfrastructurehehelpedbuildforNorth-ernstudents.WhatIlikedwastoseestudentscomethroughhereandgoontogetjobs.Thatreallymademefeelgoodtoseethat...Seeingstudentsachievesomethingwasre-allygoodforme.ThoughyearshavepassedsinceMercrediprovidedair-brakestrainingtoemployeesattheEkatidiamondminehesaidhecanstillgotoalltheTlichocommunitiesandfeeljustlikegoinghomewhilesurroundedbyallofhisformerstudents.Everyoneknowsmeandtheyrehappytoseemehesaid.MercredisaidheisabletondhisformerstudentsallacrosstheNorthfromgovernmentofcestothecabsofbigrigs.Andeventhoughhesretiringhesmadeitclearhesstillavail-abletohelppointpeopleintherightdirectiontogetthemintothepropertrain-ingandeventualjobs.Perhapsthatswhyhisstu-dentsarehavingahardtimeseeinghimgo.Hesaidtheymadehimaveryheartfeltbannerandcard.Thatwasreallytouchingformehesaidaddingthatoneofhisstudentswroteonhiscourseevaluationformnottolethimretirebecausetoomuchknowledgewouldbelost.NowofciallyoffworkMercredisaidheisgoingtoconcentrateongettingthingsdonearoundthehousebutmostlylooksfor-wardtospendingtimewithhistwoyear-oldgrandsonwhooftencrieswhenhegoestowork.HesgothisgrandpanowMercredisaidwithasmile.NorthernersCareersBehchokThurOct3CharlieCharloBuildingMeetingRoomFortSimpsonMonOct7NahanniInnBoardroomHayRiverTuesOct8PtarmiganInnLouisaAlexandraFallsRoomFortSmithTuesOct15PelicanRapidsInnBlueRoomYellowknifeMonOct28ExplorerHotelJanvierRoomInuvikTuesNov12MackenzieHotelBoardroomNormanWellsWedNov13HeritageHotelBoardroomBeginningApril12014theGNWTwilltakeoverresponsibilityunderDevolutionforlandswatersandnon-renewableresourcesintheNorthwestTerritories.NOTICEOFPUBLICCONSULTATIONDialogueonResourceRevenuesWhatwouldyoudowithresourcerevenuestoensureAllmeetingswilltakeplacefrom730pmto930pm.Refreshmentswillbeprovided.Youcanalsoemailyourideastobudgetdialoguegov.nt.ca.Formoreinformationvisitwww.fin.gov.nt.ca.IfyouwishtouseanNWTofficiallanguageotherthanEnglishpleasecontacttheDepartmentofFinanceat867920-6436oremailtheaddressabove.PhotocourtesyofAuroraCollegeHeavyequipmentinstructorGordonMercredifourthfromleftcelebrateshisretirementwithhisnalgroupofstudentsandfellowteachersatAuroraCollegesThebachacampusinFortSmith.