Across Northwestern Ontario, infrastructure projects, municipal growth and resource development continue to drive demand for skilled civil and engineering technology professionals. At the same time, many experienced workers are approaching retirement, creating a need to introduce young people to these career pathways earlier and more intentionally.<\/p>\n
That is why, on December 2 of last year, Confederation College welcomed 40 local high school students to campus for the 4th Annual Grade 9\/10 Bridge Building Competition, the final stage of a city-wide engineering challenge that began months earlier in local classrooms.<\/p>\n
In total, more than 290 Grade 9 and 10 students participated in the latest classroom competitions, in which they designed and constructed balsa-wood bridges to test their understanding of structural design, load distribution, and material efficiency. Bridges were judged on strength and weight, with the top-performing teams advancing to the city-wide finals at Confederation College.<\/p>\n
Led by the College\u2019s Civil Engineering Technician program, the competition gives students an early look at how engineering concepts move from theory to real-world application while highlighting the important role civil engineering technicians play in building and maintaining strong communities.<\/p>\n
The city-wide event unfolded in two stages. During the rebuild phase, finalist teams reconstructed their bridges on campus under the guidance of Lesley Dell, Program Coordinator for Civil Engineering Technician and this year’s recipient of Confederation College’s Full-Time Faculty Award of Excellence. Students refined their designs, solved problems under pressure and prepared their structures for final testing.<\/p>\n
In the final phase, bridges were carefully weighed and then subjected to increasing loads until failure. The testing process reflected real-world engineering evaluation, where strength-to-weight ratios and structural efficiency are critical. Cheers filled the room as each bridge was pushed to its limit, and this year\u2019s champions were crowned.<\/p>\n
The winning team of Arley Noga, Finn Bedard and Kam Paradis stood out for their bridge\u2019s impressive performance and design efficiency during the breaking phase.<\/p>\n
This competition shows students that engineering isn\u2019t just theory; it\u2019s problem-solving with real consequences. What they experience here is a small sample of what our students do throughout the program: thinking critically about design decisions, working hands-on with real materials, and adapting their approach when things don\u2019t go as expected. These are the exact applied skills employers across Northwestern Ontario are seeking. For both young learners and mature students, our program leads to careers that are local, reliable, and essential to keeping our region growing.<\/p>\n
The Bridge Building Competition reflects the core philosophy of Confederation College\u2019s Civil Engineering Technician program<\/u>, which centres on learning by doing.<\/p>\n
Students in the program gain hands-on experience in surveying, materials testing, drafting, structural analysis and construction practices. Through applied labs and fieldwork, they develop the technical knowledge and practical skills needed to support infrastructure projects across Northwestern Ontario and beyond.<\/p>\n
By inviting Grade 9 and 10 students onto campus, the competition introduces young learners to the kinds of challenges civil engineering technicians tackle every day. From understanding how materials behave under stress to designing structures that are safe, efficient and cost-effective, students see how math and science translate into meaningful, applied careers.<\/p>\n
During the event, visiting students also had the opportunity to tour Environmental Technician: Water Resource Management and Electrical Engineering Technician, giving them a broader view of technology-focused pathways available at Confederation College.<\/p>\n
The success of the 4th Annual Grade 9\/10 Bridge Building Competition would not have been possible without the support of community and industry partners. Sponsors included Alma Safway, Englobe, Hatch, Impala Canada, JML Engineering, LH North, Pioneer Construction, TBT Engineering and WSP, many of whom employ graduates of the Civil Engineering Technician program.<\/p>\n
Their involvement reflects the strong connection between Confederation College and regional industry. Across Northwestern Ontario, major infrastructure projects, resource development, municipal growth and ongoing construction activity continue to drive demand for skilled civil and engineering technology professionals. At the same time, many experienced workers are approaching retirement, increasing the need for a steady pipeline of trained graduates who can step into these roles.<\/p>\n
“Many of us at LH North, me included, are graduates of Confederation College’s Civil Engineering Technician program,” said Tom McClement, President of LH North. “We know firsthand the value of hands-on, applied learning and what it means to have industry partners invested in your success early on. Northwestern Ontario needs a steady pipeline of skilled, locally trained professionals, and the Bridge Building Competition is exactly the kind of initiative that gets young people excited about careers in engineering and construction.<\/p>\n
“The creativity and fresh thinking students bring to these challenges is something the industry genuinely benefits from. We’re proud to support Confederation College and the next generation of builders in our region.”<\/p>\n
By supporting events like the Bridge Building Competition, industry partners are investing not only in the success of current students but in the future workforce of Northwestern Ontario.<\/p>\n
For many participants, the competition is their first experience applying math and science concepts in a tangible, high-energy environment. It challenges them to think critically, collaborate with teammates and see firsthand how small design decisions can have significant structural consequences.<\/p>\n
In a region where infrastructure development and construction play a central role in economic growth, introducing students to civil engineering and technology careers at an early stage is increasingly important. Events like this help students recognize that these professions are local, in demand and essential to building and maintaining strong communities.<\/p>\n
Whether students go on to pursue Civil Engineering Technician or another technology program, the competition demonstrates that engineering and construction careers are practical, dynamic and rooted in real-world impact.<\/p>\n
Through initiatives like the Grade 9\/10 Bridge Building Competition, Confederation College continues to connect classroom learning with real-world application, inspiring the next generation of problem-solvers, builders and industry leaders.<\/p>\n
Building on the success of last year’s competition, Confederation College is preparing for the 2026 Grade 9\/10 Bridge Building Competition. Registration packages will be sent to area schools beginning September 4, 2026.<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Across Northwestern Ontario, infrastructure projects, municipal growth and resource development continue to drive demand for skilled civil and engineering technology professionals. At the same time, many experienced workers are approaching retirement, creating a need to introduce young people to these career pathways earlier and more intentionally. That is why, on December 2 of last year, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-07-08 09:39:35","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84246"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84247,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84246\/revisions\/84247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}