On May 1-3, 2023, Skills Ontario hosted the annual Skills Ontario Competition at the Toronto Congress Centre.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board was well represented over the three-day event through participation in the Elementary Young Women’s Conference (73 students), the Secondary Young Women’s Conference (36 students), the First Nations, Métis, & Inuit Student Conference (9 students) and the Career Exploration Showcase (39 students).

Forty students represented the Waterloo Catholic District School Board with tremendous efforts in the following contests — including 4 Gold Medal winners:

GOLD MEDAL WINNERS

For the full results of the 2023 Skills Ontario Competition visit:

https://www.skillsontario.com/skills-ontario-competition#Results

COMPETITION PARTICIPANTS

Contest

Student Name

Student School
2D Character Animation (Team of 2) Ethan Austin and Virginia Khella St. Mary’s HS
Architecture & Design James Sayles Monsignor Doyle CSS
Auto Service Technology James Whyte St. Benedict CSS
Auto Service Technology Logan Bradbury St. Benedict CSS
Baking Jade Medeiros Monsignor Doyle CSS
Cabinetmaking Luke De Sousa Monsignor Doyle CSS
Carpentry (Team of 2) Tate Drinkwater and Lucas Sousa Monsignor Doyle CSS
Carpentry (Team of 2) David Chmiel and Martin Cekan Monsignor Doyle CSS
Culinary Arts Nathan Rivas Perez St. Benedict CSS
Culinary Arts Jordan Lacroix St. Benedict CSS
Culinary Arts Isaiah Salazar St. Mary’s HS
Electrical Installations Eddy Ferrede St. David CSS
Electrical Installations Grady Bunker Resurrection CSS
Graphic design- Presentation Sam Gonzalez St. Mary’s HS
Hairstyling Thalia Lopez St. Mary’s HS
Hairstyling  Katelyn Deguire St. Benedict CSS
Hairstyling Phoenix Leung St. Benedict CSS
Horticulture & Landscape (Team of 2) Robby Hoch and Ethan Bauman Resurrection CSS
Job Interview Paige Spehar St. Mary’s HS
Job Interview  David Barrios Rozo St. Mary’s HS
Job Skill Demonstration Callum Tiernan St. Mary’s HS
Landscape Design Reilynn Schutz Resurrection CSS
Outdoor Powered Equipment Abby Bilyea St. Benedict CSS
Plumbing Mason Garrett St. David CSS
Precision Machining Marcos Quintanilla St. Mary’s HS
Prepared Speech Grace Nakazi Monsignor Doyle CSS
Prepared Speech Allison – Hannah Berwick Resurrection CSS
Restaurant Service Vanessa Hlavac St. Mary’s HS
Robotics (Team 4) Michael Talbot, Jed Villapando, Luqman Khan, Rayon Fowler St. Benedict CSS
Robotics (Team 4) Caleb Chan, Ryan Guo, Philip Ozog, Benedict Buencamino St. Mary’s HS

Each year the Skills Ontario Competition medal is designed by a student through entry in the Pin & Medal Design Contest.

The 2023 medal design was created by WCDSB’s own Reese Lombardi, a Monsignor Doyle student who was awarded a $500 cash prize, and was presented with a framed version of the gold medal with her design at the Skills Ontario Competition Closing Ceremonies.

The 2023 Skills Canada National Competition will be held from May 24-27, 2023 at the RBC Convention Center in Winnipeg, MB.

Two Monsignor Doyle CSS students will be representing WCDSB on Team Ontario at #SCNC2023!

Join us in cheering on Luke De Sousa (below left) and Grace Nakazi (below right) as they compete against Canada’s best.

To view the live streamed opening ceremonies, select contests, and closing ceremonies, tune in to the Skills Canada Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@SkillsCompetencesCanada

Thank-you to all the WCDSB Teachers/Student Advisors who assisted in this year’s success: Christine Byrne, Leonard Bumbacco, Abel Chaves, Greg Cinti, Tara Clinton, Neil Calhoun, Joe Dietrich, Gabe Dutto, Ken Hodgins, Grace Lastella, Lynn McKellar, Julie McNab, Michelle Porowski, Michael Reitz, Paul Sanders, and Solange Saraiva for preparing our WCDSB Team for the 2023 Skills Ontario Competition.

An extended show of gratitude goes to our Community-Partner Advisors, who prepared competitors in: Electrical Installations (Peter Caesar, IBEW Local 804), Plumbing (Dan Twomey, UA Local 527), and Prepared Speech (Alyssa “Twist” Light).

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