Best of 2017: Our top 10 stories of the year

techlifetoday presents our most-read stories of 2017

From the sudsy success of a rural Alberta craft brewery to the reality TV exploits of an Auto Body Technician grad, there have been no shortage of stories to tell about NAIT students, staff and alumni.

We at techlifetoday – recently named a 2017 gold-medal winner by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education – are proud to share 10 of our most-read and memorable stories from 2017.

1. The dilemma of Dog Island Brewing

dog island brewery techlife nait

When the oilpatch slowed in 2016, Ben Fiddler (Instrument Technician ’01, Electrician ’02) and Chad Paulson (Instrument Technician ’09) put their trades experience to a new use – and Dog Island Brewing was born.

2. The NAIT guide to food and drink

nait food and drink and restaurant guide edmonton

Be it restaurants, bakeries, bars or food trucks, Edmonton's food scene is thriving and NAIT grads are serving up something delicious!

3. A look inside life as an Alberta wildfire fighter

harold larson techlifetoday nait

When offered the comfort of a desk job over the intense heat of a wildfire, the choice was obvious to Harold Larson (Forest Technology ’13). Now, he leads a 20-person crew specially trained to battle forest fires in Alberta and abroad.

4. NAIT launches 3 new programs

nait announces 3 new programs, drill rig

NAIT reached new milestones with the introduction of North America's first 2-year foundation drill rig operator program, a new diploma programs in Baking, and a Business Administration specializing in entrepreneurship and innovation.

5. Coffee lovers create portable pour-over kettle on NAIT 3D printer

coffee kettle pour over entrepreneurs nait industry services

Matthew Semaka and Steven Osterlund forged a new entry into the specialty coffee business with a little help from NAIT's 3D metal printer. The Edmonton duo has created an insulated kettle that's a portable pour-over coffee maker.

6. Cecile Bukmeier makes history as advocate for women in trades

cecile bukmeier nait auto body technician isntructor

Cecile Bukmeier (Auto Body Technician ’15) got her start in the business as a teenager, and now she's the first female instructor in the 50-year history of NAIT's Auto Body Technician program.

7. How and why to wash your vehicle in the winter

how to wash your car in winter, nait, auto body technician, scott sinclair

If it's getting hard to see out the windows, it's time for a wash. Auto Body Technician chair Scott Sinclair offers pro tips on how to properly wash your car or truck once temperatures dip below zero.

8. Cheyenne Ruether - actress, spokesmodel, auto body tech

cheyenne ruether nait auto body technician, rat rods, discovery channel

Cheyenne Ruether (Auto Body Technician ’11) has a job that may well be unique in North America: she has combined her roles as actress, spokesmodel and auto body mechanic. She currently stars in the reality TV show Vegas Rat Rods.

9. Men's Ooks hockey team enters hall of fame

nait ooks 84-85 team perfect season hall of fame

The 1984-85 Ooks men's hockey team did the unthinkable when they went 36-0-0 on their way to becoming Canadian Colleges Athletic Assocation national champions. After their induction into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, the team's legend lives on.

10. How Raven Hockey reinvented the junior stick

raven hockey junior sticks, dan pilling, nait, marketing

Three hockey dads, including Dan Pilling (Marketing ’95), joined forces to launch junior hockey stick manufacturer Raven Hockey. Now the entrepreneurs are one breakaway from icing a winning team with dreams of selling sticks at a store near you. 

 

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