Trades, Creativity, and a Chocolate Factory Inside This Northern Ontario Public School

At White Pines Collegiate & Vocational School in Sault Ste. Marie, school doesn’t look like it used to. Alongside classrooms and hallways, students are learning trades, building real skills, and even running a working chocolate factory.In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we step inside White Pines to explore how the school is rethinking education. Principal Jennifer Barbeau and former student Josh Sidwell share why hands on learning, creativity, and multiple pathways matter, especially in Northern Ontario where one size does not fit all.1:58 Why White Pines is rethinking traditional education 7:25 Josh’s journey from student to site supervisor14:05 Indigenous culture and inclusion at White Pines23:23 Teaching business and entrepreneurship in trades38:29 The chocolate factory and school store story43:57 Why this school represents the future of education