Early in May, S.O.S. provided financial support for students from St. Clair College who were competing in the Canadian National Concrete Canoe Competition in Montreal, QC. Yes, concrete can float and the St. Clair College Concrete Canoe Club proves it.
St. Clair hasn’t attended the competition for several years. After a four year hiatus, the students wanted to continue the school legacy.
Early on when we were approached by one of the members of the club to be a corporate sponsor we knew we wanted to be a part of the project. The students seemed eager to win and we are impressed by what they achieved this year.
The Competition
There are 13 universities that compete on the national level… and only one college. That means Windsor is the only city in Canada to have a competing college team.
Considering those circumstances, St. Clair College did very well. Although they placed last out of 14 schools overall, the college earned 12th place in the final product category and 9th for the oral presentation portion. Two top universities in Ontario, the University of Waterloo and the University of Western Ontario, fell behind St. Clair in the final product category.
The canoe had a final weight of 280 lbs, and it supported four people over six different races. The students have been working since September testing mixes, building forms, and designing the canoe shape. Judges praised St. Clair’s unique casting method. Most importantly, the students learned a lot.
Overall, the team reports a project cost of roughly $18,000. They reached out to sponsors across Windsor-Essex and did fundraising within the college. The students succeeded in raising all of the money needed to compete.
What’s In Store For The Team?
The team has big dreams for next year, and they hope to grow their small 15-member club (most universities boast a 30+ member club) to include students from non-construction related majors. Team members also expressed an interest in representing Windsor in the US version of the competition, held annually in Texas.
Surveyors On Site is proud to support the team, and we congratulate the students on their success this year. It’s great to see what Windsor students are capable of doing.
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