It’s finally public! We’ve been waiting almost fifteen years to invite our FRC friends to British Columbiaand it’s going to happen this March. Come play robots in our Capitol city, Victoria, this spring!
http://www.firstroboticscanada.org/gslgroup/
It will definitely be a rookie regional… The current oldest team in the province has just two years experience!
Jason
This is great news and some pretty cool growth. How many teams does British Columbia have now?
March 14-16? So a Wednesday-Friday event, load in on the Tuesday?
Looks like I have yet another regional to write about now…
Any reasoning for the decision to go to Victoria over Vancouver? Vancouver is easier to get to so I would think it’s a better fit but I don’t really know.
Excellent news! Though does that mean we won’t see you as a Judge or other volunteer in Mt Vernon, it is a week 1 event this year so you’ll have a break.
Jason will a certain all wooden team also be making an appearance?
Woot woot! 12(ish) new teams in a few years, and a new regional event? You guys are killing it out there! Quit making me miss BC any more than I already do 
The event timing and location was influenced by the generous donation of the facility by the GSL Group. So, yes… Tuesday load-in. Vancouver is the (much) larger city, but hopefully hosting the regional here will help spur team growth on Vancouver Island, and should also make it much easier for provincial government officials to attend. Victoria has an active high tech community that doesn’t yet know what is going to hit them seven months from now!
British Columbia had 11 teams compete in Calgary last year, and the goal is to expand to over 20 before kickoff this year. When asked, two years ago, if I thought this was possible my reply was, “No. But that’s what I say about build season, too. Let’s do it!” Credit to Microsoft Canada and the team at FIRST Robotics Canada for making it all happen!
And I have NO intention of skipping Mount Vernon. In fact my wife and I wish I could get to more PNW events, but between the local VEX season (VRC being very strong in BC) and such, we do what we can!
You’ll note Ian Koscielski’s email at the bottom of the press release. He’s the person bringing this all together, so if you need detailed information feel free to drop him a note.
Jason
1346, I’m afraid, will be unlikely to make a return, but it’s legacy lives on with many of the new teams. The old speed controllers, motors, gearboxes and pneumatics have been distributed, and a certain “Wood is Good” ethos has been picked up by at least a few of our new teams.
I’m also keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll have a few Trobotics Alumni amongst our volunteer group this year. Personally, I’m looking forward to continuing my FRC journey from managing a team, to volunteering at events, to helping organize events. Still, however, trying to figure out a way to have been a student on a team…
Jason
Hopefully some PNW teams make the trek to compete there, Great to see western Canada getting some events!
Thanks for the heads up, Jason. I’ll see if I can fit this around my team’s schedule along with a visit to see family in Vancouver.
Well if you continue the journey my way you will circle back to mentoring a team. And I’ve often felt like a student on teams I have been with.
Congratulations on this. Wonder if I can figure out how to be there…
Oh, I’m sure there are some veteran teams in the area (or from far away) who are drooling over a new venue to attend. As well as international teams.
Those are some footsteps that I would be very honored to follow! There is something special about working with the kids every day and getting to know them and see them grow and making a personal difference in their lives that is intrinsically rewarding.
And, quite frankly, building the robot is just so dang cool. Every time one of our robots went out to play, a little piece of my heart went with it.
But this part of it is all new to me and exciting, too. I’m very much looking forward to helping create for other teachers the opportunities that the people at FIRST Canada, PNW and FIRSTWA created for me and my students. But in time, yeah… I’d like one more kick at the mentoring can.
And we’d LOVE to have you and any of our FIRSTWA friends who can make it to be part of this event! When I look at how far things have come in Washington from that “little” regional in Tacoma back in '08, it’s hard to believe it has been only ten years. BC could only hope to follow that example!
Oh, I’m sure there are some veteran teams in the area (or from far away) who are drooling over a new venue to attend. As well as international teams.
We’re certainly hoping so. A little bit of “awesome” innoculation can go a long way in the FRC culture dish.
Gotta go… I’ve ran out of metaphors to mangle. 
Jason
Very cool. If any teams are planning to take Washington State Ferries from the US to Canada (Anacortes, WA to Sydney, BC, just north of Victoria on Vancouver Island), team 3238 would love to help you in any way we can. The ferry only runs once a day so timing can be a pain. Contact [email protected].
Will we see any BC teams at PNW district events this year? Pretty easy trip from Vancouver area to Mt. Vernon.
Probably not, since regional teams are not allowed to compete at district events.
Thanks, I didn’t know that. I’ve seen results where out-of-district teams compete in district events (MI teams in IN events for example) but didn’t realize non-district teams were forbidden to compete in district events. Seems odd.
Yeah, that’s formally called inter-district play, and has some restrictions on top of it. However, the overarching point Brian made still stands.
Off-season events, though, aren’t bound by the rules surrounding districts… and who knows how the rules may evolve over the next five or ten years?
There will be plenty more robots “declared” at the Pacific Truck Crossing (or Peace Arch) in the future… but finally the traffic won’t all be going in one direction!
Jason