Scarborough Team Triumphs in Tech Competition

A team of two automotive tech students from Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School in Scarborough, Ont., defeated 19 other Toronto-area high school teams to win the coveted tech competition at the Canadian International AutoShow, and a trip to the National Automotive Technology Competition in New York City in April.

James Bachiller and John Gonsalves performed a number of timed technical tasks and attempted to start a 2010 Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible that had been rigged with a no-start condition by automotive instructors from Centennial College. By finishing first, the pair will be representing Canada at the National Automotive Technology Competition in New York City in April.

In addition to the all-expenses-paid trip, Bacmiller and Gonsalves received a trophy and equipment from sponsors.

Toronto’s Danforth Tech finished second due to the efforts of students Cameron Elpkick and Tauriq Shaikh, while Central Tech earned third place, ably represented by Jonathan Bagni and Michael Mallette.

The winning schools will also receive a General Motors vehicle, which will be used for technical training. General Motors of Canada generously donated two brand-new vehicles as prizes.

This was the 11th year for the contest, organized by Centennial College, which promotes automotive technology as a rewarding career path.

Last year’s winners from Northview Heights Secondary School placed second in New York City, while a team from Central Tech beat all of the U.S. teams and collected prizes worth $250,000 in 2008.

The Toronto skills contest enjoys support from the industry. Sponsors include: Toronto Automobile Dealers Association, Canadian International AutoShow, Volkswagen Canada, General Motors Canada, Snap-On/Sun Tools, Consulab, Canadian Tire, Ryder Truck, Thomson Nelson, Pearson Education, Auto-Know Inc., TecMate and Centennial College