COVER STORY
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Jerry Koroluk helping the kids drill out the spot welds.
Putting the rear leaf springs together.
After the meeting, Langlais asked Bissonnette if he could bring a group of kids to Parr to learn some skills. Thinking through the practicalities, Bissonnette declined that idea, but had another thought. “I thought, ‘We’re busy.’ Having a bunch of young kids running around ... that’s just not going to work. We’re way out in the east end.’ So I said, ‘If you can find a place downtown, we’ll come and help out.’” Bissonnette didn’t think twice about it. “It was one of those things I kind of forgot about,” he says, laughing. Langlais did not forget. It wasn’t long after that Langlais found a bigger space downtown with garage doors, and moved his centre to the new and larger location. A corner of the new spot was given over to a area that could act as a teaching garage. “I give him credit. I have no idea how he found that space and got that together. He actually went out and found a building,” says Bissonnette. “I didn’t think he’d take us up on it. But he came back a year later and said, ‘Hey, I want to do this project.’ Now I was stuck! So one part of it we turned into a kind of autobody shop.” Alliance Energy came in and installed lighting. Neufeld Buildings Movers replaced a structural post with a metal I-beam. Both of these companies provided their services at no cost. “The construction guys came over, punched out the wood beam, put the steel one in, and said, ‘No problem, don’t worry about it. No cost.’ That was amazing,”says Bissonnette. As they were moving out of the old building Langlais told the kids to be sure they showed up at the new building, “I said come back, we’re going to build a car. And it’s going to be a nice one.” Bissonnette got the local auto body association involved to round up volunteers. “Rick came out and spoke to that group, and that sparked some interest,” says Bissonnette. A plan was coming together and the project got underway. Four years of weekly sessions began. Bob Heroux, owner of Lazer Autobody, the local hot-rod guy in town, soon began showing up at the regular Wednesday night meetings in the new garage. “The kids loved him. He’s got a long shaggy mane of hair. He comes across as a bit rough and tumble,” says Bissonnette. “He kooks like a tough guy. But he has a heart of gold. He was great with the kids. They really liked him.”
Bob Heroux of Lazer Autobody found he had a knack for teaching.
Bob Heroux showing the kids how to mix body filler.
Jerry Koroluk of SGI helps one of the kids line up the hood.
DECEMBER 2016 BODYWORX PROFESSIONAL
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