Students from Glengarry District High School (GDHS) took part in the recent Skills Ontario provincial competition, held at the Toronto Congress Centre on May 5-6, 2025. The Skills Ontario competition promotes skilled trades and technologies such as landscaping, stone masonry, carpentry, welding, plumbing, hairstyling, graphic design & 3D animation and culinary skills. Over 75 skilled trades are represented, with students demonstrating their best abilities looking for a chance to win and compete at the Skills Canada National Competition, and perhaps beyond to a WorldSkills competition. Winners are awarded gold, silver or bronze medals according to their placings against other competitors.
The students from GDHS had to compete and prove their skill at the regional level to earn a spot to represent the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) at the provincial level for Skills Ontario. Three teams of four from Grades 7 and 8 competed in Construction, Green Energy and Technology Design, finishing the competition with great success. The Construction team of Micheala Davidson, Callan MacDonald, Olivia MacLeod, and Yannis Mbianda placed 6th out of 24 teams. The Green Energy team consisting of Ruby Cox, Kasey Kivits, Aaden Walker, and Bentley Wood finished 12th out of 20 teams and the Technology Design team of Atley Lajoie, Callum MacPherson, Kenzie McRae and Xavier Stang placed 6th out of 22 teams in the provincial competition.
Said Ruby Cox, Grade 7 student who competed on the Green Energy Team, “Skills Ontario was a great way to learn new things and an amazing way to build school spirit. I’m looking forward to next year’s competition!”
Glengarry District High School also had four individual students compete at Skills Ontario. Ben Osborne, a Grade 12 student, competed in Automotive Service Technician. Liam Ladouceur, a GDHS Grade 10 student, competed in Cabinet Making and won a silver medal. Skyler MacDonald who is a Grade 12 student at GDHS won gold in Heavy Equipment Service and Cohen Williams, also a student in Grade 12, won a gold medal in Individual Carpentry. Cohen will be advancing to compete at the upcoming 2025 Skills Canada National Competition being held in Regina, Saskatchewan, where over 500 of the best skilled trades students compete in the only national, multi-trade & technology competition in Canada.
Cohen Williams has represented GDHS and the UCDSB at Skills Ontario for three years. “Competing in Skills Ontario has been a great experience that I have been very fortunate to participate in for three years; winning this year just tops it all off,” said Cohen. “I am looking forward to representing Ontario in Regina at the end of May.”
