The annual Bridge Building Competition took place Friday at Sault College’s engineering wing.
Small bridges constructed from balsa wood kits purchased by students from the elementary, secondary and college levels - as well as teachers - were tested for structural quality as weight was applied to them.
Weight is applied until each bridge cracks.
A record number of 450 bridges constructed by 835 participants - some of them working in groups of two, three or four - were submitted.
Students from both the Algoma District School Board and Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board – from the Sault and across the Algoma District – participated.
“We get a mixture of all types of participants,” said Marc Pilon, a professor/coordinator of civil engineering and construction at Sault College.
“We have Grade 3 all the way up to teachers. This year we have had teachers submit bridges. I don't ever recall having teachers submit in previous years.
"They see their classes building bridges and they want to partake in the fun as well. Teachers and college students can enter as adults in the open category,” Pilon said.
Cash prizes were available for winners.
Pilon said he is pleased to see students apply what they learn in the classroom in a practical way.
“It's one of the really nice hands-on events that you can do again and again and it's never the same," Pilon said.
"We see students start in Grade 4 or Grade 5. They build a bridge and then the next year they want to do it again, but they don't want to build the same bridge because maybe they didn't win or their bridge broke because it didn't hold as much weight.
"So they'll go back and see where it broke and then they'll fix it and make it better,” Pilon said.
The event was hosted by Sault College, Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) and the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT).
The full text of a Sault College release, including the names of this year's Bridge Building Competition winners, follows:
(Sault Ste. Marie, ON March 7, 2025) – Today, Sault College, in collaboration with Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) and the Ontario Association of Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT), held its annual Bridge Building Competition offering an experiential learning opportunity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). This year’s competition set a new record drawing over 450 balsa wood bridges from 835 participants including students from grades 4-12, as well as younger and older entries through the open category.
Students designed, created, and submitted the balsa wood bridge of their choice and competed against their fellow classmates for prizes and bragging rights. The event was livestreamed to all participating classrooms.
“We are thrilled to see another great turnout with a record number of bridge submissions” said Marc Pilon, P.Eng – Professor/Coordinator of the Civil Engineering and Construction at Sault College. “Balsa wood kits sold-out in 26 minutes this year, which shows how popular this event has become.” Pilon added.
Students who place top 10 in each category are awarded a cash prize ranging from $200 for first place to $20 for tenth. Bridges were scored based on a load to weight ratio to encourage students to use their materials efficiently.
Congratulations to the top three finishers of each category for the 2025 Bridge Building Competition:
Grade 4/5:
1st : Toby Keuhl, R.M. Moore Public School
2nd: Chloe Avery, Emily Snook, Teirah McKay, Nick Koskela, Boreal French Immersion
3rd: Grayson Couturier, Kiwedin Public School
Grade 6-8:
1st: Lily Ramsay, Tarentorus Public School
2nd: Lily McCourt, Mikaila Braido, Korah Collegiate & Vocational School
3rd: Hayden Brason, Presley Rome, & Hunter Buckley, FH Clergue Public School
Grade 9-12:
1st: Emily Mantha, Lia Rugolo, Willow Tanninen, Korah Collegiate & Vocational School
2nd: Owen Baker & Ryan Milne, White Pines
3rd: Madden Harris, Korah Collegiate & Vocational School
Further prizes were also awarded:
Construction Award: Daniel Allan, Grade 12, Korah Collegiate & Vocational School
Engineering Award: Mia Gallo, Grade 7, Tarentorus
Architecture Award: Ava Crane and Joyce Hiltz, Grade 5, H.M. Robbins
“A big thank you our Sault College staff and students, as well as our volunteers from Professional Engineers Ontario, and the Ontario Association of Engineering Technicians and Technologists,” added Pilon. “It is a very busy month, and they all put in a lot of time the week of the event to ensure everything runs seamlessly."
To meet the unprecedented demand in the construction and engineering industry, Sault College offers learning opportunities in Civil Engineering Technology (Co-op) and Construction Techniques to support students interests in this exciting career.