On Parliament Hill

I have fond memories of my first summer job, working for Steinbach Toyota in 1975. It was located in the same building where Steinbach Dodge is located today. At the time I was paid $1.95/hour and was very excited with this wage… not knowing that Manitoba’s minimum wage in 2016 Manitoba would be $11.00/hour, I felt that I was doing well.

My job was to wash and detail cars under the close supervision of owner, Henry Kliewer. Henry was a meticulous man who taught me the value of pennies, nickels and dimes and the importance of a clean and presentable car. His sound financial advice has been incredibly helpful throughout my life as an adult. More interesting though, is that to this day I still enjoy washing cars and am very thorough when it comes to keeping my own vehicles clean.

I recently visited Steinbach Dodge and noticed that the wash bay hasn’t changed locations since I worked in that building 41 years ago, but has been modernized.

The values and lessons that you learn on your very first job can have a positive impact on the rest of your life. However, there are a number of advantages for employers who benefit from hiring summer students. As in past years, the Government of Canada provides funding to help employers create summer job opportunities for students. It is designed to focus on local priorities, while helping both students and their communities.

Canada Summer Jobs provides funding to not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for young people aged 15 to 30 years who are full-time students intending to return to their studies in the next school year.

Please note that the deadline for applications is March 11, 2016. Please visit the Service Canada website for more information.