MISSISSAUGA, Ontario - The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) recently hosted a successful skills competition for heating systems technicians. The event took place at the Skills Canada-Ontario Technological Skills Competition at RIM Park in Waterloo, Ontario.

Four students, representing four different school boards, participated in the secondary school competition. The gold medal was awarded to Brandon Seip from Elmira District Secondary School (Waterloo Region District School Board), the silver medal went to Gerrit Inglis of M. M. Robinson High School in Burlington (Halton District School Board), and the bronze medal went to Julian Dasilva Silverio of Central Technical School (Toronto District School Board).

Later the same day, the competition for post-secondary students was held. Thirteen competitors from seven different schools participated in this competition. The gold medal was awarded to Matthew Cesario, a student at George Brown College. Second place went to Mike Kapin, from Fanshawe College, and third place went to Jeffrey McClenneghan from Durham College.

As has become tradition, HRAI also participated in the pre-competition “Showcase and Workshop” events. Volunteers staffed an interactive booth and guided elementary school students through fun and interactive workshops designed to highlight different aspects of the work done by HVAC technicians. Hundreds of grade-school students participated in the workshops while roughly 2,000 more wandered through the booth, which included games, a new backdrop display, and lots to look at and talk about.

HRAI acknowledged the generous financial support of Union Gas, Enbridge Gas Distribution, ClimateCare Co-operative, Reliance Home Comfort, Direct Energy, and the HRAI Ontario Regional Council (Ontario Chapters) as well as Mark Lewington, Lewington Agencies and Klein Tools for discounted tools and White Rodgers/Emerson Climate Technologies and Canco ClimateCare for equipment donations.

Publication date: 07/04/2011