The BC Skills Competition took place on April 18th at Tradex in Abbotsford. Nicole McWalters and Jessie Lyons from Camosun College, and Dillon Mennie and Kevin O’Connor from Kwantlen Polytechnic University were the competitors this year.
The competitors were provided with a design and all the materials, and had to complete the project within 6 hours. The elements of the project included a patio, stack stone wall, water feature, bench, and planting.
During the competition, we also held a Try-a-Trade. This gave spectators the chance to get their hands dirty and work with a small-scale landscape. The Try-a-Trade attracted all age groups, and was a great chance for Liz Spring to talk about careers in Horticulture. We attracted a large crowd of people who were interested in watching the competitors progress throughout the day. Many commented that they love coming to watch the landscape competition.
It was a close competition; both teams were working hard right until the end. After a thoughtful evaluation from the judges, Aaron Magee – Magee Landscaping, Brian Huttema – Mijodelu Landscaping & Renovations, and Jerry Ingram – Ingram Landscape Design, it was determined that team Kwantlen would receive gold, and Team Camosun would receive silver. Receiving gold meant that Team Kwantlen qualified to move onto the National Skills Competition.
The BC Skills Competition was a success again this year. A big thank you goes to our judges, and volunteers Bill Hardy – NorthWest Landscape & Stone Supply, Jonathan Vanderpol – Vandenburg’s Landscape Design, and Mike Vandergugten – Higher Ground Landscaping & Design. We could not have run this competition without the support of our sponsors; Brandt Tractor Ltd, Burnco, Golden Spruce Nurseries, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, NorthWest Landscape & Stone Supply, and West Creek Farms who supplied the materials required for this project.