Peyton Miller-Plante won gold in automotive painting at the 2026 Skills Canada national competition after developing her skills through classic vehicle restoration, technical mentorship and provincial competition, highlighting the training, challenges and career opportunities available in the skilled trades.
- National gold: Miller-Plante won the 2026 Skills Canada national gold medal in automotive painting after previously winning the Skills Ontario competition in Grade 12.
- Shop experience: She began working at Hot Nights Hot Rods at 16, developing refinishing skills in a classic vehicle restoration environment.
- Technical training: Mentor Candy Takacs trained Miller-Plante in preparation, spray application, colour matching, cutting and buffing, and other refinishing techniques.
- Competition preparation: Miller-Plante spent two weeks preparing for Skills Canada with Takacs and BASF paint representatives, focusing on colour matching, technique and competition requirements.
- Career goals: Following her national victory, Miller-Plante plans to expand her industry knowledge and eventually pursue a paint representative role.
The Hockley Valley, Ont., painter first enrolled in automotive painting in Grade 10, initially viewing the course as a creative outlet. At the time, she was already spending much of her free time dirtbiking, racing and working on bikes.
Her interest in automotive painting became more serious after she bought a 1996 Ford F-150 XLT at 15. Miller-Plante and her father spent more than a year restoring the truck, rebuilding the engine, suspension and drivetrain and completing the bodywork and paint.
“I started to fall in love with the attention to detail that goes into prep and paint,” Miller-Plante says. “Once I completed the truck and was able to enjoy my hard work, I knew that I wanted to do this and really get good at it.”
That experience gave Miller-Plante a clearer direction as she continued through high school. In Grade 11, she entered the Skills Ontario automotive painting competition and finished second.
The result convinced her that she could compete at a high level and encouraged her to pursue work in the industry.
At 16, Miller-Plante walked into Hot Nights Hot Rods in Orangeville, Ontario, résumé in hand. Owner Alex Torrance hired her, giving her an opportunity to develop her skills in a shop focused on classic vehicle restoration.
“I was new to the trade and surrounded by some of the best painters and car builders in the country,” she says.
Much of Miller-Plante’s technical development came under the guidance of painter Candy Takacs. She began with the fundamentals of preparation before moving into spray application, colour matching, cutting and buffing and the technical aspects of automotive refinishing.
“Candy is the painter at HNHR and she is phenomenal,” Miller-Plante says. “She takes the time to fully explain processes to me, guides me when I need it, challenges me and gives me advice or constructive criticism when needed.”
The training paid off in Grade 12, when Miller-Plante returned to Skills Ontario and won the automotive painting competition.
That provincial victory gave her two weeks to prepare for Skills Canada. She spent the time working with Takacs and BASF paint representatives on colour matching and fine-tuning her technique while reviewing competition scopes and familiarizing herself with the national event requirements.
Despite the preparation, Miller-Plante says the nerves were high when she arrived at the competition.
Once the event started, however, the experience felt familiar.
“For me it was just like dirtbike racing,” she says. “You are super nervous at the gate waiting and waiting but as soon as the flag drops you know what you’re doing and start to really trust the years of practice and training.”
Miller-Plante completed the two-day competition confident that she had done everything she could.
The nerves returned at the awards ceremony.
When automotive painting appeared on the screen, Miller-Plante waited to hear the results. Third place was announced, followed by second.
“I heard third, second and at that moment I thought I didn’t place,” she says.
Then her name was called for gold.
“I jumped up, was smiling ear to ear and walked up to the stage,” she says. “What a wonderful feeling.”
Her family, friends and boyfriend Cole Mercer were watching the ceremony through the livestream, and Miller-Plante’s phone quickly filled with messages following the announcement.
The win marked a significant achievement, but Miller-Plante says the biggest lessons of her training have come from the difficult days between competitions.
Her biggest challenge has been learning how to recover when something goes wrong at work.
“Some days in the shop it would get tough and really tricky to enjoy the days,” she says. “But when I realized I’m still young and now is the time to make mistakes and learn from them, I was able to pick myself back up much quicker.”
Miller-Plante credits Torrance, Takacs and Mercer with helping her through those challenges.
Torrance gave her an opportunity when she was 16 and has continued to support her development at Hot Nights Hot Rods. Takacs has provided technical training and mentorship, while Mercer has supported her through day-to-day work and Skills competitions.
“I couldn’t have done it without these three people,” Miller-Plante says.
Working in classic vehicle restoration has also reinforced what she enjoys about automotive painting.
“For me I enjoy the environment the most,” she says. “I work at one of the coolest classic restoration shops and have always been a huge fan of classics my whole life.”
Miller-Plante says she enjoys seeing a project progress from its earliest stages to a finished vehicle and appreciates the level of detail required throughout the process.
She also believes people outside the industry often underestimate the technical knowledge required to do the work.
“Many people outside the auto body industry often misunderstand the trade as simple parts swapping, physical labour without skill and quick fixes,” she says. “They don’t see the deep science behind it, the technology, the matching, the blending, the hidden problems and the deep planning that it takes to create a show car.”
That perspective has contributed to Miller-Plante’s interest in encouraging more young people to consider the skilled trades.
She says the trades can offer hands-on learning, independence and a pathway to a long-term career while helping address labour shortages.
“The skilled trades is also really beneficial for youth because it matches more natural learning styles, it creates independence and provides a good clear pathway to high paying lifelong careers,” she says.
For students interested in automotive painting or collision repair, Miller-Plante recommends starting with hands-on exposure through high school automotive programs or Skills competitions.
She also recommends seeking entry-level shop experience as a helper, detailer or paint prepper, allowing young workers to earn money while learning the trade.
Safety, she says, should be part of that education from the beginning.
“Always wear your PPE and proper respirators,” Miller-Plante says.
As she looks beyond her Skills Canada victory, Miller-Plante wants to continue expanding her knowledge of the industry, become more involved with customers and learn more about the business side of the trade.
Eventually, she hopes to move into a paint representative role.
“I’ve always loved talking to people about the trade, giving advice as well as learning,” she says. “I would love for my career to take me into a paint representative job.”
Miller-Plante says her experience in automotive painting has given her a career where she can combine technical skill, creativity and hands-on work -- something she had been searching for before entering the trade.
“If you are young and have an itch to try something new or out of your comfort zone, go for it,” she says. “Now is the time to.”
