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Skills Ontario Competition - Visitors
Skills Ontario is planning to hold the 2023 provincial Skills Ontario Competition in-person at the Toronto Congress Centre. The Competition will take place on May 1st and 2nd, followed by the Closing Ceremony on the morning of the 3rd.
Prior to the provincial-level competition, we host Skills Ontario Qualifying Competitions for four select contests that students must participate in first to determine who will continue to the provincial level. The Qualifying Competitions will take place on Saturday, April 1st, 2023 at various locations across the province for Culinary, Carpentry Individual, TV Video (team of two), and Welding. For more information on the Qualifying Competitions, click here.
If you have any questions, please email competitions@skillsontario.com. For latest developments, follow us on Twitter at @skillsontario.
For resources and information regarding visiting the 2023 Skills Ontario Competiton, please stay tuned to this webpage.
Competition Floor Plan
The Skills Ontario Competition can be visited on either Monday, Tuesday, or both days! Each day of the event is slightly different, and the floor plans change to reflect this!
There is a separate floor plan for Monday and Tuesday. It is colour-coded to outline the differences between the contests, workshops, and skilled trade and technology sectors. It also outlines all the Showcase Booth numbers that correspond with the Career Exploration Showcase Booth document (located on this page) that outlines which exhibitor occupies each booth.
Other areas to note on the map are in purple for items such as:
- Restrooms
- Seating areas
- Concessions
- First Aid
- Skills Ontario Info Booth
- Skills Ontario Office
- YES Desk at the Main D Entrance
Please check back closer to the competition for a PDF of these maps.
Food Options & Information
Food will be available for purchase from different sources during the Monday and Tuesday competition days, both onsite and offsite. Line-ups may be long, and is recommended that you bring a lunch, snacks and/or a drink with you, as other options and/or to avoid line-ups.
Onsite options include:
This will be an enclosed area located outside near the Main D Entrance which includes a lunch tent for seating. Onsite, there will be various seating options both inside and outside the venue, which will be located on the Competition Floor plan (found on this same Visitors page). Please note to students that they are not allowed to sit on the floor/carpeted areas in the venue.
- Food Trucks
- Approved food trucks will be listed here once available
- The Toronto Congress Centre Food Services
Offsite options include:
Listed restaurants are all on the same side of road as the Toronto Congress Centre and would not require crossing Dixon Road at the lights in between Highway 27 and the 401. Please note these options are on the opposite side of the Main D Entrance - plan walking time accordingly.
- Swiss Chalet - 642 Dixon Rd
- Subway - 642 Dixon Rd
- Tim Hortons - 638 Dixon Rd
- Milestones - 646 Dixon Rd
- Harvey’s - 648 Dixon Rd
- Quesada Burritos & Tacos - 648 Dixon Rd
- Makimono Sushi Bar - 636 Dixon Rd
- Burger King - 636 Dixon Rd
Competition Agenda
The Competition Agenda outlines the schedule of different activities, workshops, contests, conferences and VIP events that occur on the Monday and Tuesday of the Skills Ontario Competition.
Hotels
Visitors and competitors of the annual Skills Ontario Competition visit at the Toronto Congress Centre from all over the province, and even outside Ontario! Sometimes, this means accommodations are required for overnight travel. Skills Ontario works with hotels close to the vicinity of the venue to secure several different group options and rates for visitors to book. The hotels and group rates are generally posted to the Skills Ontario website near the start of the school year/fall. Visitors can follow the instructions listed with each hotel on how to book. There is a deadline allocated with each hotel for when the group rate is no longer available. At that time, the hotel will be removed from the Skills Ontario website, or removed if and when a block has been filled.
Holiday Inn
600 Dixon Road
Toronto, Ontario
M9W 1J1
416 240 7511
- 2 Queen Beds/ or 1 King Bed: $199 per night (1 person per room) and includes 1 (one) “to go breakfast” and includes muffin, yogurt, fruit and juice.
- 2 Queen Bed/ or 1 King Bed: $209 per night (2 people per room) and includes 2 (two) “to go breakfasts” and includes muffin, yogurt, fruit and juice.
- 2 Queen Bed/ or 1 King Bed: $219 per night (3 people per room) and includes 3 (three) “to go breakfasts” and includes muffin, yogurt, fruit and juice.
- 2 Queen Bed/ or 1 King Bed: $229 per night (4 people per room) and includes 4 (four) “to go breakfasts” and includes muffin, yogurt, fruit and juice.
- Nights Available: Sunday April 30, Monday May 1, Tuesday May 2, 2023
- Room Rates subject to: HST tax and MAT Tax (tourist tax, subjected to HST)
- Includes: room rates include takeout breakfast(s), high speed wireless internet
- Parking: Per Car: $10.00 per day Per Bus: $20.00 per day
- Notes: no changes to the room list less than 1 week prior to group’s arrival
- Cut Off Date: March 30, 2023 rooms must be booked by this date
- Rooming List Due by: March 30th, 2023. Typed in alphabetical order, by last name, first name, arrival and departure dates, room type and special requests. Room types cannot be guaranteed if room list is received at the hotel after the cut-off date.
- Cancellation: A date will be provided for each block of rooms by the hotel when booked.
Residence Inn
17 Reading Court
Toronto Ontario M9W 7K7
416 798 2900
- One Bedroom Suit $175 per night (includes 1 queen or king bed, and pull out sofa. Max 3 adults)
- Nights Available: Sunday April 30, Monday May 1, Tuesday May 2, 2023
- Room Rates subject to: HST tax and MAT Tax (tourist tax, subjected to HST)
- Booking: Individual school teams are responsible to make reservations/payment with Arvinder Kaur at akaur@atlificyyz.ca
- Includes: hot buffet breakfast, high speed internet
- Parking: Per Car: $5.00 per day. Per Bus: additional charges may apply. Reservations for bus parking must be no later then 7 business days prior to arrival
- Cut Off Date: March 16, 2023 rooms must be booked by this date
- Cancellation: A date will be provided for each block of rooms by the hotel when booked.
Courtyard
231 Carlingview Drive
Toronto, Ontario
M9W 5E8
416 675 0411
- Run of House Rooms: $169 per night. Standard rooms for run of house are equipped with 2 Queen or 1 King bed with a twin-size pull-out sofa.
- Nights Available: Sunday April 30, Monday May 1, Tuesday May 2, 2023
- Room Rates subject to: HST tax and MAT Tax (tourist tax, subjected to HST)
- Booking: Individual school teams are responsible to make reservations/payment with Arvinder Kaur at akaur@atlificyyz.ca
- Includes: high speed wireless internet
- Parking: Per Car: $5.00 per day. 1 regular size vehicle per room. Per Bus: additional charges may apply. Reservations for bus parking must be no later then 7 business days prior to arrival
- Cut Off Date: April 1, 2023 rooms must be booked by this date
- Cancellation: A date will be provided for each block of rooms by the hotel when booked.
Crown Plaza
33 Carlson Court,
Toronto, Ontario
M9W 6H5
416-675-2869
- Double Rooms: $161 per night, single to quad occupancy
- Nights Available: Sunday April 30, Monday May 1, Tuesday May 2, 2023
- Room Rates subject to: HST tax and MAT Tax (tourist tax, subjected to HST)
- Booking: Schools are to contact Karen Tilley-Kelly dosm@cptayyz.com to reserve rooms out of the block. A group code or reservation link will be provided to the school once a signed agreement has been received from the school.
- Includes: internet
- Parking: $15.00 per day
- Cut Off Date: March 16, 2023 rooms must be booked by this date
- Cancellation: A date will be provided for each block of rooms by the hotel when booked.
School Trip Tip Sheet
Each year over 37,000 students, teachers, parents, industry and members of the general public over the course of two days come from across the province and beyond, to observe the Skills Ontario Competition, the largest competition of its kind in Canada. With large crowds, it is helpful to plan your trip with this in mind.
We hope the tips listed below assist in planning a fun and valuable class trip for your students!
- Review all items and documents on the Competitions Visitors page.
- View the Bus Drop-off/ Pick-up Map and Parking Map for directions and where to park for the driver.
- There are many buses dropping off and picking up, and sometimes it can be very difficult to find which bus is yours at the end of the day. Make a brightly coloured sign that clearly identifies your group to put in your bus window. Show this to your group before they get off the bus when you arrive.
- There is NO PA system in the venue that can be used to page students. Please create a communication plan so you can get a hold of your students or vice versa.
- Arrange a meeting place and time with your students prior to arriving at the Toronto Congress Centre (such as in front of the Home and Team Building Contest). This can be determined by using the Competition Day Floor Plans, posted on the Competition Visitors page
- The designated “lost and found” person’s area is the “Skills Ontario Office” in Zone 1 of the meeting rooms area at the front of the building. Our staff will direct any lost persons, or people looking for lost persons to this area.
- Instruct your students to use the buddy-system. When exploring the event, no student should be left to tour alone. The competition space including the meeting room areas for contests is approximately 650,000 sq.ft. This is more than eleven football fields.
- Review the Competition Day Floor Plans ahead of time with your students. They will benefit from being familiar with the layout of the venue. These will be available to print from a PDF from the website, view as electronic PDF from the website, and as hard copies available on site.
- If you are printing copies of the floor plan before arriving, it is recommended to clearly mark it with your designated meeting place (and perhaps the supervision contact’s cell phone number).
- First Aid Stations and EMS are marked on the floor plan - point this out to students, in case of an emergency. Students can also ask for help from any Marshal or Skills Ontario staff. There are three locations where a Skills Ontario staff will be stationed at all times: YES Desk at the Main D Entrance, the Skills Ontario Booth in the middle of the floor plan, and in the Skills Ontario Office at the front of the building.
- Designate a location that you will stop at throughout the day where students can find you if they need to - make this location clear to your students.
- Instruct students to dress for the weather. While the majority of contests and showcase booths are indoors, there will still be some outside. There will not be a space to leave coats or valuables. It is recommended that perhaps students wear a backpack or bring a bag if they need to carry a jacket, valuables, or items that they receive during the day from the Showcase Booths, or if are signed up for Elementary workshops
- Plan an activity for your students to complete throughout the day. There is a Scavenger Hunt Activity called the “Skills Ontario Competition Passport” provided by Skills Ontario to learn more about Skilled Trades and from the Showcase Booths!
Career Exploration Showcase Booths
The Career Exploration Showcase runs annually in conjunction with the Skills Ontario Competition and features 20,000+ square feet (the equivalent of nearly 170 cars!) of exhibitor booths, offering attendees the opportunity to:
- Try a hands-on skilled trade or technology-based activity at every booth
- Learn about skilled trade & technology careers and pathways
- Speak to Ontario business, education, and government representatives about skilled trade & technology career opportunities
This event is an excellent way to see what’s out there and explore what’s possible, perfect for students, educators, parents/guardians, and career seekers!
Are you a Skills Ontario partner/sponsor and would like information about being an exhibitor? If so, please contact Michelle Proctor at mproctor@skillsontario.com for details.
Bus Pick-up/Drop-off and Parking
There are several entrances and different parking lots at the Toronto Congress Centre. A Bus Pick-up/Drop-off Map is provided, as well as a Parking Map for where buses can park after dropping off. These are provided each year to assist visitors in planning the best possible route and schedule for their visit when arriving and leaving the Skills Ontario Competition, if travelling via a bus.
Vehicle Parking and Bus Drop-Off & Pick-Up
Skills Ontario Competition Passport
Enhance your experience at the Skills Ontario Competition by taking part in this fun engaging activity! The Skills Ontario Competition Passport encourages attendees to experience as much as the event has to offer. Activities in the Passport will have attendees participating in activities such as:
- Speaking with exhibitors about skilled trades and technologies careers
- Participating in hands-on activities at Showcase Booths
- Learning more about what the Skills Ontario Competition has to off
Those who complete the Passport and submit to Skills Ontario have a chance to win a prize!
Please check back closer to the competition for a PDF of the passport.
Closing Ceremony
The Skills Ontario Competition Closing Ceremony celebrates the success of competitors across secondary and post-secondary contests. Elementary Contests will have an award’s presentation on their contest site at the end of the Monday, after results have been tabulated. This ceremony takes place annually on the first Wednesday in May from 9am - 12am.
Annually this ceremony brings together 4,000 competitors, educators, and guests in-person for approximately 3 hours to recognize and celebrate with awards, medals, loud and excited cheering crowds roaring on their school name when called, and more, as an exciting conclusion to the Skills Ontario Competition!
Medal Winners - To place in the medal standings, competitors must receive an overall score of 60% or higher in their contest. Top competitors who meet this standard will receive a bronze, silver, or gold medal!
Annual Awards
| Award Name | Description | Sponsor |
| Award of Excellence – Secondary | Awarded to the overall top-ranking Secondary level competitor | Ontario Council for Technology Education |
| Award of Excellence – College Competitor | Awarded to the overall top-ranking competitor representing a college | Colleges Ontario |
| School Board Award of Distinction | The School Board Award of Distinction is granted to the school with the highest overall competitors achievement at the Skills Ontario Competition. Scores are calculated from secondary students ranking in the top 10 in their contest with scores over 60%. | Skills Ontario |
| College Award of Distinction | The College Award of Distinction is determined based on several factors, including: performances with the highest overall competitors achievement at the Skills Ontario Competition (Scores are calculated from secondary students ranking in the top 10 in their contest with scores over 60%.), volunteerism, and involvement in other Skills Ontario programs. | Skills Ontario |
| Top Ranking Francophone Competitor |
Awarded to the top-ranking Francophone competitor at the Secondary level. |
Anglo Franco Communications |
Monetary Awards, Scholarships, Prizes and Job Offers
These are granted to competitors from Skills Ontario’s sponsors, to assist them in their skilled trade or technology career journey. Opportunities such as these showcase support towards Ontario’s youth in achieving their career goals. This could be through financial aid, tools, or even a job offer!
Awards will be posted below as they become available each year. They may also be highlighted during the Closing Ceremony. These awards will be not be provided necessarily during an in-person closing ceremony, but in most cases will be followed up with the competitor post event.
Examples from previous years:
| Contest | Award Type | Contest Level | Medal Placement (if applicable) | Sponsor |
| CNC Machining | Monetary Award | Post-Secondary | Gold, Silver and Bronze | Gene HAAS Foundation |
| Precisison Machining | Monetary Award | Secondary | Gold, Silver and Bronze | Gene HAAS Foundation |
| Automation & Control | Monetary Award | Post-Secondary | Gold, Silver and Bronze | Magna International |
Past Closing Ceremony Recordings
2022 Skills Ontario Virtual Closing Ceremony
2021 Skills Ontario Virtual Closing Ceremony
2019 Skills Ontario Competition In-Person Closing Ceremony
Team Ontario
If you see an Ontario Flag during the medal announcements, that competitor will be invited to join Team Ontario to represent their province at the Skills Canada National Competition.
If you see a Canada Flag in addition to the Ontario Flag, that competitor will be invited to compete in the WorldSkills Team Canada Qualifying Category to represent their province.
After closing ceremony has ended, all of these competitors will receive an email with a link to join the Team Ontario Meeting. Reminder, it is mandatory that competitor, advisor and/or registration contact attend this meeting as it is vitally important. Information must be submitted to the national office within 2 days.
Team Ontario Meeting – May 3
Secondary and Post-secondary will meet at the stage/seating in front of the stage directly after the Closing Ceremony at the Toronto Congress Centre in the South Building.
