Yellowknife (May 12/06) - If you need some carpentry work done, James Simon might be the person to ask.

Simon won gold in the carpentry category at the recent Skills Canada Competition held in Yellowknife.

For the challenge, Simon, a Grade 12 student at Thomas Simpson school, had to frame a small wall, put plywood and trim on it and cut rafters. Competitors are given the project and plans at the beginning of the event and have six hours to complete the task.

"I was pretty confident I could do it," said Simon.

Simon had experience on his side. This was his third year at the competition. In his first year he constructed a tool box and won third place. Last year he built a wall without rafters and placed third again.

"Every year I went back I learned something new," said Simon.

Simon said he had all the basic knowledge to put the pieces together for the project, but rafters have never been his favourite thing.

He used almost all of the six hours and double checked all of his measurements. Being even one-sixteenth of an inch off would have cost him points during judging.

"I wanted everything to be precise and accurate," he said.

The hardest part was the baseboard trimming because precise angles and lengths were needed, said Simon.

"I'm very happy for him," said Rob Manuel, the carpentry teacher at Thomas Simpson. "It was like he was six feet in the air, just floating," Manuel said about Simon's reaction to winning.

Judges told Manuel that it was a tough competition. Six people were competing in the category, including Dwight Page, also from Thomas Simpson.

Carpentry Club, held once a week, helped Simon practice for the big event. To prepare, the club focused on building construction, including wall framing and trim work, as well as smaller carpentry projects, said Manuel.

Despite his success with carpentry, Simon plans to use it only as a trade background. His main goal is to become a civil engineer.

Although he's graduating this year, Simon hopes to continue competing in the Skills Canada competition at the post-secondary level.

"Throughout my high school it was one of the greatest experiences," said Simon about the competition.