About JDC West
JDC West is the most prestigious undergraduate business competition in Western Canada, forging the country’s newest leaders through a forum like no other. For over 20 years, JDC West has united over 600 delegates each year from twelve premier post-secondary institutions from across Western Canada. The JDC West journey begins months before the competition, when participants from each respective participating school engage in hundreds of hours of personal, professional, and social development to develop and hone their skills across academics, parliamentary debate, athletics and challenge competitions. JDC West delegates practice case resolutions, perform business pitches and mock debates, research economic trends, train for athletics, and engage in challenges weekly to prepare them for the big event. They do this while building relationships not only with their teammates, but the community at large through thousands of hours of volunteerism with JDC West’s dozens of partner charitable organizations.
What makes JDC West unique is not only its high-stakes nature, but its pursuit of finding the most well-rounded business school in the country, factoring in not only academics, but also athletics, community involvement, philanthropy, business relationships, and overall good sportsmanship. JDC West culminates in a three-day event, hosting delegates from across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba to showcase their skills and strive towards having their school named the illustrious School of the Year. JDC West competition weekend would not be possible without the support of the hundreds of local volunteers necessary to make the competition possible, or without the support of dozens of professional partners who bring this elaborate and multi-faceted competition to life.
Mission
We bring together business professionals in a multi-faceted event that promotes personal growth through team success and failure.
Vision
We invite leaders to create a business community that makes a difference in the world.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Community Involvement
JDC West strives to build the leaders of tomorrow who hold in strong value not only professional development, but in giving back to their broader community. The Community Involvement competition encourages participating schools to give back to their communities, with the number of hours they volunteer contributing significantly to their scores for School of the Year. Each participating school is connected with a minimum of two charitable partner organizations in their community, supporting them through active volunteerism and fundraising. Students spend thousands of hours each semester supporting their charitable partners and building meaningful relationships in their communities.
Additionally, each school hosts their own rendition of JDC West’s flagship charitable event “Chillin’ for Charity” to raise funds for a local partner of each school’s choice.
$534,908+
Raised by JDC West participants in 2024
19,547HOURS