In April of this year, we shared a story about a recent Manning Aurora Composite School graduate, Damian Friesen, whose family legacy led him to pursue a career in Class 1 Driving. The first step, was to obtain training through the North Peace Commercial Driving Academy.

We are excited to provide an update and share that since he began his training in April, Damian has completed his training, passed his Class 1 road test, secured employment with a local logging company, and returned to the North Peace Commercial Driving Academy to complete the Competence Building portion of his training. That final step removes the Alberta restriction from his license, allowing him to operate as a Class 1 driver across Canada and into the United States.

Damian was first inspired to pursue a career in Class 1 driving by his late grandfather. Today, he is hauling logs out of Keg River into Peace River.

In a brief catch up with Damian, he expressed his gratitude for the Class 1 Driving program in Grimshaw, and the opportunity to obtain his license while completing his high school education. 

“I am really happy that I was able to take this course through the school. It means a lot that you guys were able to help me out with that,” he said. “You guys are doing your best part to help us guys understand the qualities of truck driving and how to be a good truck driver, the patience you have with us is awesome. All I can say is that this is an amazing academy for Class 1 drivers."

Damian's pathway to employment is part of the broader mission of the North Peace Commercial Driving Academy's Youth Commercial Driver Pathway, supported by an Industry Advancement Grant from the Government of Alberta. The program connects training to opportunity in Alberta's transportation, agriculture, forestry, and energy sectors.