Students from École catholique Georges Vanier and École Saint-Joseph (Wawa) claim medals at regional Cardboard Boat Race competitions

Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon elementary and secondary schools stood tall at the Regional Cardboard Boat Race competitions which took place in Marathon (October 30) and Sault Ste. Marie (November 5 and 7) with teams from École catholique Georges Vanier (Elliot Lake) and École Saint-Joseph (Wawa) taking home medals. Some 50 Northern Ontario teams from various communities took part in the challenge.

 

At the secondary school competition in Sault Ste. Marie, the team from École secondaire Saint-Joseph (Wawa) brought home a first place. This team of Nicolas Lafrenière, Hessel Oosterhof, Mathieu Lafrenière and Wesley Stewart was a standout due to the speed and sturdiness of their boat, which travelled 25 metres in 23.4 seconds and had the capacity to carry a load of 670 pounds.

 

École catholique Georges Vanier (Elliot Lake) finished first overall at the elementary competition held in Sault Ste. Marie by winning both the first and third place. Team members Enza Fabris, Stella Albert and Manon Rouillard completed the 25-metre course in 26.7 seconds and carried a load of 435 pounds. The bronze-medal winning team’s vessel navigated 25 metres in 43.3 seconds and carried a load of 465 pounds.

 

The teams from École Saint-Joseph (Wawa) finished second and fifth at the elementary competition held in Marathon. The silver medal winning squad’s boat completed the 25-metre course in 22.3 seconds and carried a load of 462 pounds.

 

As winners of gold or silver medals, the champion teams from École catholique Georges Vanier and École Saint-Joseph (elementary and secondary level) will travel to Waterloo in March to take part in the Provincial Cardboard Boat Races.

 

The competition for students from grades 7 to 12 is hosted by Skills Canada and requires each participating team to design and build a cardboard boat. Students are evaluated on the design and construction quality of their boats, as well as on teamwork, organization, security, creativity, team spirit and the speed and resistance of their vessels. In addition to seeing how well their cardboard boats performed in water over a distance of 25 metres, the teams took part in a load challenge to determine how long their boats could carry a maximum number of teammates without sinking.

The Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon offers a French-language Catholic Educational Program that is widely recognized for its excellence. The CSC Nouvelon provides a quality learning environment and academic program that runs from early childhood to adult education, with some 7,000 students enrolled in 27 elementary and 10 secondary schools.

This Media Release