About GNCTR
The Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race (GNCTR) began in the early 1970s as a way for civil engineering students to apply their knowledge and creativity to solve a real design problem in a way that was both fun and educational. The idea was first conceived by the Alberta Chapter of the American Concrete Institute (ACI), which proposed the idea as a competition between the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary. Derived from the Concrete Canoe Race in the United States, GNCTR would have a uniquely Canadian twist.
ACI funded GNCTR entirely in 1972, but did not see it as an event that would benefit students and officially cancelled it for future years.
In 1975, a group of students decided that GNCTR was not going to be dismissed so easily. Teams from SAIT and NAIT were invited to join the competition in early 1975 in Red Deer, Alberta. Each team sought out sponsorship from their respective schools and from industry. GNCTR was reborn and to this day, remains completely run by students.
Teams from universities across the country began to gain interest in the competition and it soon became the largest engineering competition in Canada.
In true Canadian fashion the goal is to design and build an innovative toboggan with a running surface made entirely of concrete. The sleigh must meet a weight limit, have a functioning brake, and a roll cage to protect its occupants. The competition runs over 4 days and includes a Technical Exhibition where design reports are submitted and the teams present their innovative solutions to a judging panel of experienced engineers from industry and academia.
About McMaster
McMaster University was established in 1887 in Toronto, Ontario, and moved to its current location in Hamilton, Ontario in 1930. McMaster’s pedestrian friendly campus is located on 300 acres of property in beautiful west Hamilton, nestled between Westdale Village, and the historic town of Dundas. Today its undergraduate student population is over 20,000, with an additional 3,000 graduate students.
McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering, which has distinguished itself internationally for innovative educational programs and research, has recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, having been established in February 1958. In 2009, McMaster completed construction on a new state-of-the-art, five-storey, 125,000 square foot Engineering Building to accommodate the Faculty’s growth.
McMaster has been competing in GNCTR for more than 16 years and has established itself as a major competitor. Our teams have distinguished themselves on a technical and social level over the years including performance awards for Best Toboggan Run on a Curved Track (GNCTR 2006, Montreal) and World’s Fastest Concrete Toboggan (GNCTR 2007, Winnipeg). The McMaster Engineering Redsuits are known across Canada as outgoing, fun-loving, and spirited individuals, leading us to achieve the best team spirit award four out of five years from 2001 to 2005. After all these successful years competing in GNCTR it seems only natural to give back to the competition that has served us so well by hosting.
About Hamilton
Hamilton is a community of vibrant and diverse neighbourhoods all with distinctive character. Dundas, Ancaster, and Westdale, where McMaster University is located, offer cultured and exciting areas for dining, visiting galleries and shopping. In the downtown Hamilton core, James St. N. is an artistic center of southern Ontario, and Locke St. is a haven for antiques and vintage merchandise along with trendy cafés. Hess Village is home to cobbled streets, exquisite fine dining and a trendy club scene that swings long into the night. The Waterfront district provides ample opportunity for outdoor recreation including hiking, boarding, and a multitude of water sports. The East end contains a variety of ethnic cultures with shops and food stores that are a buyer’s delight.
Hamilton is surrounded by the beauty of nature including the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Niagara Escarpment and nearby vineyards and the famous Bruce Trail and conservation areas.
