What is JDC West?
JDC West is the most prestigious undergraduate business competition in Western Canada hosting 1,300 attendees and uniting over 600 delegates from twelve premier post-secondary institutions each year. Over the course of the three day competition, students from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba showcase their skills and compete across 10 academic disciplines, parliamentary debate, challenge, and athletics, in a high-stakes setting designed to push personal limits and forge business leaders. JDC West would not be possible without the support of the hundreds of local volunteers, and dozens of professional partners who bring this elaborate and multi-faceted competition to life.
1,300 Participants
From across Western Canada
Competition
JDC West challenges delegates through four unique competitions: Academics, Debate, Athletics, and Challenge. Each competition drives critical thinking, teamwork, professional development, and personal growth.
Academics
The core of JDC West, challenging delegates over the course of three hours to provide a recommendation driven by research, backed by analysis, and reflective of current trends.
Debate
Four students from each competing school face off in a parliamentary-style debate, developing their constructive arguments around a proposed solution.
Athletics
Developing teamwork and leadership skills through active sport, JDC West features a two-day athletics tournament where co-ed teams of eight compete in Tchoukball and Angleball.
Challenge
Though quick thinking, development of public speaking skills, and the formation leadership capabilities, Challengers work as a team of four to execute challenges that mirror real-life workplace situations and highlight the importance of teambuilding.
01
Academics Competition
Academics is at the core of JDC West, with competitors competing across ten academic disciplines: accounting, business strategy, business technology, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, human resources, marketing, not-for-profit management, and operations management . JDC West’s academic competition is unlike any other business case competition in Canada. In teams of three, undergraduate students are given only three hours to analyze a business case specific to their discipline and prepare a strategic recommendation and implementation plan, which they then pitch to a judging panel of industry professionals, business owners, professors, and subject matter experts immediately upon completion. This three hour limit, unlike other case competitions which allow for weeks or hours of development time, forces competitors to strategize quickly without compromising delivery. Competitors are scored on an expectation that all recommendations are driven by research, backed by analysis, and reflective of current economic trends.
02
Debate Competition
JDC West features a parliamentary debate competition, with each school fielding a team of four students to compete. For each debate, competitors are given thirty minutes to review the proposal and come up with their constructive arguments around the proposed resolution. Keeping true to the parliamentary style of debate, one team is designated as Team Government and the other as Team Opposition.
03
Challenge Competition
Over the course of the competition weekend, Challenge competitors (known as “Challengers”) participate in activities that test a variety of skills. In preparation for The Challenge competition, Challengers learn to think quickly on their feet and develop excellent public speaking skills. They are experts in communication and teamwork, working together as a team of four to execute each challenge. Challengers will be faced with challenges that mirror real-life workplace situations, corporate activities that take place off-site, and others that highlight the importance of teambuilding and leadership skills.
04
Athletics Competition
JDC West features a two-day athletics competition where co-ed teams of eight compete in two different sports. Since 2023, athletics has featured Tchoukball as its flagship sport, allowing for a direct comparison of year-over-year team performance. The second unique sport is chosen by the host school’s Organizing Committee, with Angleball as the sport-of-choice for 2026. The Athletics competition allows for the development of teamwork and leadership skills through active sport.
Corporate Partners
Power the next generation of business leaders! Your involvement with the competition will not only provide your company with valuable exposure to the top students in Western Canada – but your support will help facilitate this life changing competition for students. Each one of our partners will provide each delegate with an invaluable professional and personal experience.
