We were at the beginning of March. The British Columbia Aqua Forum team was working hard to deliver the first AquaHacking semi-final in western Canada. Preparations were well underway. More than 25 teams were expected and nearly 200 people had confirmed their presence in Kelowna to attend this landmark event of the competition.
However, something of global significance was to upset the plans: the pandemic.
On March 17th, 2020, the government announced a ban on assembly. 5 days before the event, the team had to quickly make a decision for the next steps: cancel the semi-final, or try to adapt the competition virtually. It was, after all, a major step in the journey of participants who had been working on their technological solution projects for several months.
With the current COVID-19 epidemic, Aqua Forum and its partners had made sure to adapt their plan quickly. Indeed, the whole team had to be reactive to follow the directives of health officials and governments.
A Change of Course at High Speed
The Okanagan Water Board and Aqua Forum have shown exemplary technical agility in dealing with the situation by performing a 100% virtual pivot for this event. The adaptive capacity of the entire organization has been exceptional. To this end, in just five days, the organizers have accomplished the feat of adapting the event and making it a 100% virtual semi-final. The de Gaspé Beaubien family could not be more proud of all the stakeholders as well as the different regional teams. “I couldn't be more proud to see the adaptive capacity of the teams in such a short time. I would like to thank each of the teams and all of our partners for their colossal efforts in this time of crisis." Said Mrs. de Gaspé Beaubien.A 100% Virtual Semi-Final
The live broadcast on Facebook and the use of other videoconferencing technologies helped keep the original programming safe and responsible. The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation believes that, despite the critical global situation, we must maximize the use of technologies. It is also important to continue to focus on environmental programs. In addition, the 27 AquaHacker teams from across Canada presented their solutions to the judges via virtual rooms. There was a virtual lounge for those who were waiting their turn, including videos, quizzes and much more. The 15 judges also agreed to continue the adventure in webcasting and the invaluable sponsors that all contributed to the continuation of the plan virtually. The de Gaspé Beaubien family would like to congratulate the OBWB team for their openness to venture into this sudden change. Through their audacity, they demonstrated the feasibility of a 100% virtual challenge and thus, saved the AquaHacking initiative and its future. Now, all that remains is to make constant improvements to the next semi-finals in Winnipeg and the Atlantic. To ensure the streaming quality of the challenges and thereby standardize the brand image of AquaHacking, Aqua Forum has mandated the firm TKNL which will ensure the production of virtual events on a national scale. This is a collaboration that looks promising!Technology for Everyone
While the safety of participants has been ensured by adapting the event virtually, the situation also demonstrated that, despite social distancing, it is possible to continue efforts aimed at saving the country's fresh water. This virtual event also contributes to increasing the scope of the AquaHacking challenge worldwide. This technological innovation is an interesting format of the AquaHacking competition.The Winning Teams of our First Virtual Semi-Final
In a virtual science fair-style event, the teams presented their solutions to the members of the jury. The 5 finalist teams for the AquaHacking British Columbia semi-final are:- Atlantis (Vancouver)
- Ozero (Quebec)
- Elite (Kelowna)
- Hydrodynamic Labs (Kelowna)
- Agricultural Decision Support (Victoria and Toronto)