LAURA CHAMP
News Writer

The Western Engineering Competition brings together the brightest and most talented engineering students from across Western Canada.

The University of Saskatchewan is hosting WEC Jan. 26 to 30 this year, and will host competitors from 12 participating universities. This is no small undertaking for U of S engineering students; WEC is the largest student-run engineering competition in the western provinces.

This year’s theme, “from seeds to gold,” has multiple meanings, said WEC committee chair Wayne Balion.

“It is symbolic for undergrads, because we are trying to go from where we are to a career as an engineer,” Balion explains. “Saskatchewan is obviously well-known for our agricultural industry and mining prosperity, so the theme reflects those areas as well.”

Teams compete in diverse events for the opportunity to represent the West at the 2011 Canadian Engineering Competition in March.

The six areas of competition are communications engineering, impromptu debate, innovative design, junior team design, senior team design and consulting engineering. Five of the six competitions, which begin Jan. 28, are open to the public.

The U of S team is expected to fare well this year. At WEC 2010, nine out of 20 delegates made it to the national level and, of those, four U of S competitors placed first in their event at CEC 2010.

Balion says that although WEC will be held at the Sheraton Cavalier Hotel, the competition is great exposure for the U of S, the College of Engineering and the city itself.

“WEC is more than just a competition,” said Balion. “Students from across Western Canada are exposed to Saskatoon’s local industry and really get to see what Saskatoon has to offer.”

This is accomplished through tours with local companies including Agrium, Canadian Light Source, Case New Holland and Vecima Networks.

Several activities and events are planned for the visiting competitors, including a career fair, an on-campus scavenger hunt and several evening events, one of which will be a Rubik’s Cube themed night at the Sutherland.

WEC is not only a great opportunity for industry and student networking — it also provides a platform for engineering students to showcase their talents through competition, while inspiring academic achievement.

The competition wraps up Jan. 29 with an awards banquet, with the visiting students departing on Jan. 30.

WEC is still looking for volunteers. For further information, visit wec2011.ca.