When Carter Seltitz finished high school during the height of COVID, he wasn’t sure what direction to take. So, he turned to what he already knew best; the trade his family had built a life around. “In high school, I wanted a summer job, and my dad was a floor layer,” Carter says. “So, in the summers, I would just work with him.”
His early experiences sparked his career in floor covering, making him the third generation in his family to join the trade. Joining Local 93 in Ottawa gave him access to professional training, which he praises, “For those of us that really use it and go in frequently, there’s a lot of improvement over the years”.
His training also prepared him for one of the biggest moments of his career: competing at the National Apprenticeship Competition (NAC). Carter went on to win first place for floor covering, becoming the first competitor from Ottawa ever to take home gold. “It felt really earned,” he says. “I went there wanting to win, and I achieved it.”
Today, Carter has received his journeyperson status and continues to work on major flooring projects across Ottawa – from condominiums to government buildings, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
To others considering a career in floor covering, Carter encourages them to give it a try, “It’s a physically demanding job, but it’s also a very rewarding job,” he says, “I feel a sense of pride in the work I do. I’m not sure you get that anywhere else.”
