St. Paul, Alberta — CSN Black Ace is where the national title winner of 2021 Skills Canada postsecondary car painting competition honed his craft.
Dorien Lozeau took first place in the Skills Alberta’s provincial competition and followed it up by winning nationals as well. Similar to some of the most admired champions across any discipline, Dorien is completely unassuming and genuinely humble about his performance.
“After provincials I wasn’t really sure what to expect but when I found out I thought well that’s pretty cool,” Lozeau said. “At nationals, I had no idea how well I did versus the rest of the competition since I couldn’t see their work but when I got the call and found out that I won it hit me and it’s such an awesome feeling.”
CSN Black Ace is known in the community of St. Paul, Alberta for their outstanding collision and auto body repair work, says the banner.
“We’re really proud of Dorien and it doesn’t come as a surprise that he won. We know how good he is,” said CSN Black Ace owner, Corwin Robinson. “He works hard, he has a passion for the industry and for his craft and that’s what makes him so valuable to our team. He’s self-motivated.”
The artistry of automotive repair is something that is a family affair for Dorien as his father was employed in the auto body repair industry for years and was always working on cars at home.
With a pair of Skills Canada medals and a promising future ahead of him, the 20-year-old painter who received his certification from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton, still finds time to enjoy the little things. Snowmobiling in the winter and driving his 2000 Harley Davidson F-150 which of course has a custom paint job, are two of the ways Dorien spends his time away from the shop.
The 2020 Skills Canada competition was postponed due to the pandemic and the event this year was completed virtually while the entrants participated from their own classrooms accompanied by a proctor.
Planning the event to allow for a level playing field amongst the entrants was especially challenging. Skills Canada evaluates secondary and post-secondary students across more than 35 disciplines from Aesthetics to Aerospace Technology, so ensuring the equipment and material used for the competition were carefully selected based on what is accessible across Canada was amongst their top priorities.
“What Skills Canada is doing to encourage young people to get into the trades is fantastic and the competition is a great way to engage them, challenge them and that all contributes to their growth and development,” Robinson said.
