process was a long one, taking two years.
In fact, Whiteknife received a personal
call from the president of the certification
board commending his persistence de-
spite the lengthy wait.
With an 80 percent success rate in the
classroom, Whiteknife is now busy with a
new direction, having realized that there is
a need for the program to have a strong
online presence. The company is now tire-
lessly working towards reaching First Na-
tions groups all over Canada with the Get
Ready program. It is especially important
now since tough economic times means
limited employment opportunities. Pres-
ently, Whiteknife is also working on mak-
ing the Get Ready Program accessible to
people on social assistance.
Prior to economic troubles,Whiteknife had
already been doing battle on a personal
level. As a gay man, he has faced scrutiny
and prejudice for a long time, but these ex-
periences have only fueled his success.
“My biggest accomplishment is that I’m
able to help a lot of the regional municipali-
ties and First Nations people. I’ve opened
a lot of doors for the LGBT community. I’m
very open about my sexuality in Fort Mc-
Murray and about my alter ego, Iceis Rain,”
Whiteknife said.
Fort McKay, his place of residence, sup-
ports him as an individual, an artist, a
business person and a community mem-
ber, which is something Whiteknife finds
very rewarding. He also commends Fort
McMurray and the oil service industry for
looking at his work and performance rath-
er than his personal life, although it was a
big hurdle at the beginning. Now it’s not an
issue, Whiteknife says.
Whiteknife is often asked if he is contem-
plating changing the name of his company,
given how it is pronounced the same way
as the militant group. His answer is no,
citing that he was here before them. He
even vows to outlive them. He chose the
name because it sounded beautiful, pow-
erful and aggressive at the same time, and
it has now become an integral part of him.
In addition to ICEIS Safety and the Get
Ready program, Whiteknife, a natural-born
performer, is actively pursing his singing
career. He is working on a new album, and
an upcoming reality and highly anticipated
TV show, called Queen of the Oilsands,
will feature Whiteknife and Iceis Rain.
Despite the many moving parts in his life,
Whiteknife continues to call out to people
who are interested in the Get Ready Pro-
gram. Anyone who wants to bring about a
transformative change to their lives or that
of their community members should reach
out to Whiteknife today.
OCTOBER 2016
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