Future engineers line up in record numbers for APEGBC’s Bridge Building Contest   250News photo

Prince George, BC – The rules are simple:  build a bridge using 100 popsicle sticks and white glue only.

But yesterday proved the possibilities are endless, or at least greater than 100, as that’s the record number of young entrants who turned out to test their mettle in the 18th annual Bridge Building Contest at Pine Centre Mall.

Participants, like nine-year-old twins, Brandy and Hailey Aubichon, who did some research on the internet, but both say the they both ‘dreamed up’ their bridge designs.

Hailey’s underwent its first structural test on the way into the contest…suffering a drop on the pavement outside.  She admitted it was missing a few support beams (aka popsicle sticks).

Don Williams said that’s the type of interest the Association of Professional Engineers and GeoScientists of BC is looking to generate with the contest.

“Once a year, we want to get out into the public and share what we do,” said Williams.  “It’s free. People can see what we do and realize it’s fun.”

Williams attributed incredible community support to the contest’s growing success.  This year, local company, Ritchie Manufacturing, donated a new fabricated frame to test the bridges’ weight load capacity.  “That’s a big deal,” he says, “Because we’ve had problems in the past two years, where we had technical issues and so we re-designed our loading system to alleviate that and, so far, so good.”

“That (community support) is a lot of the reason we’re at this stage – because companies step in and help.”

Photo below shows Dawson Friesen getting help from Williams and Chris Grant (r) as he puts his bridge to the test.  Its load capacity?  255 pounds.