Three Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) students will be representing B.C. at a national skills competition after taking home gold medals at the Skills Canada B.C. Provincial Competition.
KPU horticulture students David Cragg and Kyle Kant will be competing in the landscape category at the Skills Canada National Competition, while KPU millwright student Tyler Douglas competes in the millwright category.
The national competition, held in Regina, Sask. on May 29 and 30, will bring together over 500 students and apprentices from across the country to compete in more than 40 trade and technology categories.
Kant says his passion for horticulture began at an early age, and his time at KPU has allowed him to hone his craft.
“I started landscaping when I was young and haven't looked back since,” says Kant, a Bachelor of Horticulture Science in Plant Health student at KPU. “KPU has really given me a hands-on approach to learning and the instructors are all extremely knowledgeable and passionate about their field.”
After winning the B.C. competition by just half a point, this is the second year Cragg and Kant will qualify for the national competition. Having won gold in last year’s provincial competition as well, they say the victory feels just as surreal the second time.
“I feel very honoured and grateful to be representing B.C. in nationals,” says Cragg, who studies Landscape Horticulture Systems at KPU. “The competition really draws together everything I’ve learned in landscape construction, design and horticulture. It’s life-giving, and it’s such a privilege to have the opportunity to compete.”
Leading up to the competition, the students received coaching and guidance from KPU horticulture instructors Jamie Lamont and Russ Lyons.
“We supported the students with pre-competition meetings and practice days before the event to make sure that they were fully prepared and supported,” says Lamont. “Winning this competition is no easy feat and we’re incredibly proud of our students for their hard work, talent and determination.”
Several KPU students also took home bronze medals from the provincial competition this spring. Curtis Dengler and Charles Kim were recognized in the millwright and architectural computer-aided design categories, respectively, while Brett MacNeil and Aiden Murphy were recognized in the landscaping category.