In a challenge meant to test skills and showcase talents of students across Ontario, two St. Clair College students in the Landscape Horticulture program at St. Clair College walked away with a gold medal and a handful of students in Powerline Technician, Web Design and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning took home silver medals.
"I would like to congratulate all our St Clair College program teams that competed at Skills Ontario over the past three days," said Lido Zuccato, Chair of the School of Skilled Trades at St. Clair College. "Our teams represented the College extremely well, demonstrating professionalism, dedication, and a high level of skill throughout the competition."
"I would also like to recognize and thank all participating student teams, faculty and coaches for their hard work, preparation, and commitment. While not every team returned home with a medal, each team represented St. Clair College with pride and should be very proud of their accomplishments," he said.
The Landscape and Horticulture competition pitted the competitors in teams of two to assemble a landscape design that was presented to them at the beginning of day one. St. Clair College was well represented, with graduating students Lucas Morencie and Calvin Kett displaying their skills and precision in landscape construction in front of thousands of onlookers.
"At St. Clair College's Landscape Horticulture program, the standards are high," said Morencie, who is graduating from the program. "Going into Skills Ontario, we found it a lot like our practical, so we were pretty well prepared for it, and it wasn't all that difficult workwise."
"We had to be perfect. We knew we had to put on a show to showcase to everyone that St. Clair's Landscape Horticulture program is better than everyone else's," Morencie added.
During the two-day build, the competitors displayed poise, professionalism and sportsmanship while being the only team to complete the challenge. During the event, Morencie and Kett were challenged with technical skills such as interlocking pavers, building a retaining wall, creating softscape and carpentry, not to mention the physical exertion of lifting materials and carrying products for consecutive eight-hour days.
"As a faculty member and coach, I was very proud of their accomplishment and perhaps even more impressive were the comments from other competitors and judges who approached us during and after the competition," said Prof. Jason Milling, a professor in the Landscape Horticulture program at St. Clair College. "They commented on the class and sportsmanship as these two students assisted and provided some guidance to other competitors during breaks and during the competition."
"These comments speak volumes to the quality and character of both Lucas and Calvin, who were both approached after the competition for potential job opportunities," Prof. Milling added.
"In the end, the competition was an outstanding display of skill from all participating colleges and shows that the quality of education throughout the Ontario college system in the Landscape Horticulture field is strong and preparing the students for the many career options available," said Prof. Milling.
"Hearing our names called for gold was an ecstatic feeling, something I can only hope to feel again at nationals," Morencie said. "We are so proud of each other – and even more proud of my teachers and support staff for how far they have gotten us, because we would've for sure not been able to do it without them.
St. Clair has extra reasons to celebrate the successes of students, as Sebastian M., a student at the Catholic Central Construction Academy within the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board – and a current dual credit student at St. Clair – took home gold in the plumbing contest.
With the win, Lucas Morencie and Calvin Kett qualified for the national competition in Toronto from May 26 to 30, 2026.
