OCNews

Enactus Okanagan College has been named the 2026 Enactus Canada National Champion after defeating more than 45 universities and colleges from across the country at the Enactus Canada National Exposition in Montreal, held May 5–8.

With the national title at the entrepreneur-focused student competition, Enactus Okanagan College will now represent Canada at the Enactus World Cup in São Paulo, Brazil, this November, competing against top student teams from around the globe.

The national championship presentation highlighted Paper Trail, an innovative student-led social enterprise that transforms discarded textbooks into sustainable fire bricks. The project diverts books from landfills by removing bindings, shredding the paper, compressing the material into dense fire bricks, and coating them with a protective blend of beeswax and sawdust. The resulting product is a lightweight, weather-resistant, long-burning, and environmentally sustainable firewood alternative.

Originally founded by students Luke Howe, Chelsey Simmons, and Jalen Davies, Paper Trail has evolved from a classroom concept into a rapidly scaling community enterprise with growing retail interest and partnerships across the region.

“This recognition means so much because Paper Trail has always been bigger than just one person,” said Howe, Enactus Canada Project Manager of the Year and Paper Trail co-founder. “"Paper Trail has grown from a student-led sustainability concept into an internationally recognized social enterprise in just 18 months. What Jalen, Chelsey, and I have built together over that time has been incredible to watch unfold. The project's rapid growth reflects our team's strength, the opportunities created through Enactus, faculty mentorship, and the broader support system that helped turn an ambitious idea into something with real momentum and impact.  I couldn't be prouder of this amazing team."

The national championship presentation team included students Luke Howe, Chelsey Simmons, Michaela Dew, David Simmons and Nerilynn Leira Reyes.

In addition to the overall national title, Enactus Okanagan College earned outstanding results in multiple competition streams.

For the second consecutive year, Enactus Okanagan College captured the 2026 Canadian Tire Environmental Sustainability Challenge National Championship with another presentation centered on Paper Trail. The competition team included students Mackenzie Friesen, Gilian Deang, Agam Aujla and Grayden Portman.

Enactus Okanagan College also placed third nationally in the Innovation and Impact Challenge. Team members included Jalen Davies, Jai Joaquin, Anna Borysova and Jamie Hatch.

Three faculty members from the Hall School of Business and Entrepreneurship coached and traveled with the students throughout the national competition: Danielle Robinson, Devin Rubadeau and Mark Ziebarth. They were supported by student leaders Matthew Huston and Eric Turchyn.

The national event also brought individual recognition to Enactus Okanagan College student leaders. Outgoing Enactus Okanagan College President Michaela Dew was selected as one of only 10 Enactus Canada Women Leaders of the Year. In addition, Paper Trail co-founder and project manager Luke Howe was named the Enactus Canada Project Manager of the Year.

Joe Baker, Dean of the Hall School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Okanagan College, praised both the students and faculty for their exceptional achievement.

“What these students have accomplished is extraordinary,” said Baker. “To emerge as national champions against some of the top post-secondary institutions in Canada speaks not only to their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, but also to their commitment to creating meaningful community impact. The dedication shown by our students has been remarkable, and I also want to recognize the tremendous mentorship and countless hours invested by our faculty advisors in supporting student success.”

Enactus Okanagan College has become one of the most successful collegiate entrepreneurship teams in Canada, consistently earning national recognition for projects focused on sustainability, innovation, and community empowerment.

The team will now begin preparations to represent Canada on the world stage this fall in Brazil.

To find out more about Enactus OC visit: https://enactusoc.ca/ and to find out more about Paper Trail visit: www.papertrailok.ca