Team Nova Scotia Landscapers bring home gold

NSCC Kingstec landscape students Kyle Kelly and Kyle MacDonald returned from the Canada Skills Competition in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan earlier this month with first place honours after competing against teams from Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.

The young men earned the privilege of competing as part of Team Nova Scotia after they placed first in the provincial Skills Canada competition this April over a team from the Nova Scotia Community College (the only other facility to offer a landscaping course in the province).

In Saskatchewan the pair was supplied with construction drawings and required to build a free-standing, segmented concrete retaining wall. In front of this they had to install a concrete paver pathway in a running bond pattern. To complete the project they installed sod, planted a tree, shrubs, ground covers and annuals.

The competition took place at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon. Each five-meter by five-meter station, once completed by each team was designed to appear connected and remain as a permanent landscape.

“The competition was not for design, but rather for the skill of installation - plan reading, implementation and pace of work,” said coach and NSCC Kingstec faculty member, Joe Bidermann.

“Figuring out the right grade was very important and the walkway had to have a steady slope,” he added.

In front of each station was a pile of soil, gravel and pallets of other materials, compacting equipment, a saw for cutting pavers and concrete wall blocks.

“Part of the design called for inserting natural stones into rectangular patterns on each end of the walkway and in the centre part,” said Bidermann. Each team was given 12 hours to complete the project.

Although the Alberta team finished ahead of Nova Scotia, the Kingstec Kyles were the only other team to actually complete the job in the time allotted, and only did so in the last few seconds.

“They thought they were coming in second, but the quality of workmanship was better,” said Bidermann. “The attention to detail with Team Nova Scotia was a lot better. The guys were just ecstatic with the win.”

Kelly will be continuing to work for Down to Earth Landscaping in Wolfville where he’s been employed for the past three summers. MacDonald will be working with Bidermann in his landscaping business.

A total of 43 students composed Team Nova Scotia, which returned from Sask. with a record number of medals in 16 different categories of skilled trades and technologies.