Gold and silver for KPU students at provincial skills competition
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) students had medal moments at the 2026 Skills Canada BC Competition, with two students qualifying for the national contest in May.
Two teams of KPU horticulture students earned medals in the Landscape Gardening category. James Stevenson and Matthew Hewitt won gold, while Holden Adams and Tyler Hill won silver. In the Welding category, KPU student Damon Wesley Allen captured silver.
“The experience was awesome. We really had a great time,” says Stevenson. “I’m really proud of how well me and Matt (Hewitt) worked together and trusted each other during our separate tasks during the competition.”
The provincials competition, held April 15 at the Abbotsford Trade and Exhibition Centre, attracted post-secondary and high school students from across B.C.
As gold medal winners, Stevenson and Hewitt now have their sights set on competing at the nationals competition, taking place May 28 and 29 in Toronto, Ont.
Other KPU students competing at the B.C. event were Tiffany Buchwald and Medea Quesnel in Landscape Gardening, and Carter Aviss in Plumbing. Chiron Soledad and Carter McIntosh, students in the Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) program, also represented KPU in the competition.
KPU’s School of Horticulture is located at KPU Langley. Programs include a Bachelor of Horticulture Science, Major in Plant Health, a four-year degree that combines plant pathology, entomology and horticultural practices, and a two-year Diploma in Horticulture Technology, with specializations that include Landscape Horticulture Systems, Sustainable Production Horticulture and Turf Management. Five-course citations are also available in three different specializations: Garden Centre Operations, Horticulture Science and Production Horticulture in B.C.
KPU’s welding and plumbing programs include foundation and apprenticeship training, and are based at KPU Tech in Cloverdale.
CADD, also based at KPU Tech, is a diploma program that prepares students for roles as CADD and drafting technicians. Students can also choose optional exit points after one or two semesters to earn a citation or certificate.