Kayla Wieler from La Broquerie has won gold for the second year in a row at the Manitoba Landscaping Gardening competition for Skills Canada Manitoba. 

She not only won the provincial competition both years, but won Nationals last year in Vancouver at Skills Canada earning the title of National Champion. 

Wieler and her teammate Jacob Abbey from Winnipeg are looking forward to Nationals in May, which Winnipeg will be hosting this year. 

“I believe we have five other provinces we're going to be competing against, and then we hope to defend our National Champion title again.” 

The project that earned Kayla Wieler and Jacob Abbey a spot at last year's Nationals.The project that earned Wieler and Abbey a spot at last year's Nationals.

Wieler is currently a student in landscaping and a Level 2 Apprentice.  

Skills Canada Manitoba is for students to participate in challenges designed to test skills required in trades and technology careers. 

She says it's a great way to show off skills they have learned from their work experience or school, and the competition sets a strict time-limit to complete the project. 

“It really pushes you to work even harder than you've ever worked before, and it's really crazy to see what you're capable of doing in that amount of time.” 

Wieler says you go to the competition with no clue on what they're going to ask you to do, and you have to complete it in a certain amount of time. Only once the time starts will they give you your plan. 

The duo had 11 hours to complete their project, which was no easy feat, as there was a lot to do. 

“In our project this year, we had a retaining wall with terraced garden beds, a patio, and then we had a privacy screen to build with a bench.” 

Wieler is passionate about landscaping, and lists some of the many things she loves about it. 

“You get to work outside a lot, you don't need to go to the gym for a workout, no project is ever the same, I feel like there's so much freedom that you can do within the design and a full yard.” 

She says the very best part of landscaping is the satisfaction she feels once she completes a project. 

“It's a very rewarding feeling, seeing what you were able to do in, let’s say, a week’s time.” 

 

With files from Carly Koop