Dear Participants, Judges, Volunteers, and Coaches,
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The DSABC is pleased to invite you to attend British Columbia's Public Speaking Provincial Championships!

Event Information:
Location: Collingwood School (70 Morven Drive, West Vancouver)

Date: Saturday, November 29th and Sunday, November 30th

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The top senior students from this tournament will advance to the Senior National Public Speaking Championships, tentatively set to be hosted by St. John's Ravenscourt School in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from February 13th to 16th, 2026.

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The top juniors from this tournament will advance to the Junior Public Speaking National Championships. More information will be provided regarding this event as it becomes possible.​

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Fees (Non-refundable):

• Competitors: $75 per student

• Observers: $50 per observer​

  • Judges and chaperones are not required to register as observers or pay this fee.

  • Observers must be affiliated with a DSABC member school for liability purposes.

  • Schools will receive the Observer registration form and payment link with Stage 2 Registration.

  • Observer registration is due by the end of Friday, October 24th.

• Please only submit payment for confirmed participants (confirmation will be sent via email).​

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Important Dates:

• Stage 1 Registration - Closed​​​​​

  • Schools may start by registering up to 8 students with no more than 5 in the same category. There will also be a waitlist available for additional participants.

• Stage 2 Registration - Due by the end of Friday, October 24th.

  • Although we understand that this deadline is early, we require many of our adult judges to undergo Criminal Record Checks for this event to proceed. Meeting our Stage 2 deadline is crucial to ensure we have sufficient time to complete the necessary Criminal Record Checks, allowing the event to proceed smoothly. If we do not have enough adults with Criminal Record Checks to proceed, we will be forced to cut schools that failed to meet deadlines.

  • To complete Stage 2 Registration, schools must pay tournament fees and complete the Stage 2 Registration Form, which requires schools to submit:

    • The Names of All Competitors

    • Judge Info (Name, Email, Phone Number, Availability, and if they are a certified teacher)

    • Chaperone Info (Name, Email, and Phone Number)

    • Dietary Restrictions for all those attending

  • DSABC membership must be renewed, and 2025-26 dues must be paid to complete registration for this event.

  • The Stage 2 Registration form will be sent directly to schools.

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Tournament Format:

Students in grades 6-9 compete in the Junior category, and students in grades 10-12 compete in the Senior category.

Students compete in all 4 public speaking events:

• Debate

• Impromptu Speaking

• Persuasive Speaking

• Interpretive Reading​

See the Junior description of events here

See the Senior description of events here​​

*Due to persistently low demand and the challenges of running two different events simultaneously, please note that the Solo Acting Event has been removed from this year's Junior tournament.

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Communicable Disease Policy:​

• Participants who are experiencing fevers or other symptoms of a communicable disease are asked to stay home both for their well-being and the well-being of others. If such circumstances arise, please contact speech@bcdebate.ca as soon as possible.

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Academic Integrity for Prepared Categories (Interpretive Reading and Persuasive Speaking):​

• All pieces presented at this event must not have been performed at any public speaking event or competition prior to September 1st, 2025. Examples of past public speaking events and competitions include Speech Provincials, Vancouver Speech and Drama Festival, S&DC Persuasive Speaking Competition, etc.

• Interpretive Reading pieces must be published. Readings found exclusively on blogs, websites, or unofficial transcripts do not count as published pieces. 

• If you are unsure if your reading or solo acting piece meets the criteria, please enquire by emailing speech@bcdebate.ca for review.

• Persuasive Speaking speeches must be written primarily by the competitor presenting the material. While teachers and coaches can provide feedback and guidance, students cannot present speeches primarily written by someone else. Similarly, students cannot compete using speeches written by AI tools such as ChatGPT.

• Starting this year, all students will be required to submit a copy of their Persuasive Speech script or notes ahead of the competition. While we understand that small changes may be made on the spot while presenting, intentionally submitting false notes that do not match what you present constitutes academic dishonesty. This policy is being implemented to combat academic dishonesty and the rise of AI-written speeches. Speeches will not be shared beyond the board and will only be reviewed if a complaint or allegation is launched.

• Any other forms of academic dishonesty will be subject to review with the potential for disqualification. 

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Academic Integrity for Impromptu Categories (Impromptu Speaking and Debating):

• Impromptu speeches cannot be pre-written and memorized. Any student found to be repeating content essentially verbatim will face review and possible disqualification.

• Students are not permitted to consult any outside resources or pre-written notes during the preparation time for Impromptu Speaking and Debating. 

• All notes must be taken on blank paper unless the student has emailed in advance for an accommodation.

• Any other forms of academic dishonesty will be subject to review with the potential for disqualification. 

 

Judging Expectations:

• Schools must provide two judges per three competitors (rounded up) as per the chart found here for the duration of the tournament. 

• Schools that do not fill this judging requirement may have students disqualified from the tournament.

• Chaperones are also permitted to act as judges. 

• Additionally, all judges who have previously judged a competition must be available to judge finals; otherwise, no competitors from their school will be eligible for the break.

• Schools traveling from outside the Lower Mainland can ask to have their judge obligation reduced by emailing a request to speech@bcdebate.ca. 

• If any schools from within the Lower Mainland are facing extenuating circumstances that prevent them from meeting the judging obligation, please email speech@bcdebate.ca explaining the circumstances.

• This judging obligation can be split by submitting one judge for Saturday and another for Sunday. It is not possible for us to receive two different judges splitting the obligation partway through the day.

• Experienced Grade 12s can be used as Junior judges for this event.

• Otherwise, judges must be above the age of 18, fluent in English, and comfortable with following fast-paced speeches using moderate to high-level vocabulary.​

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Chaperone Policy

• All students are required to have a school-approved "chaperone" present at all times. The DSABC accepts no liability for any student left unsupervised at any DSABC-sponsored event.

• A chaperone can be a coach, teacher sponsor, or parent/guardian who is authorized by their child’s school and is willing to take on all chaperone-related responsibilities.

• Senior students are not considered chaperones. 

• All adults acting as chaperones are expected to uphold the DSABC Code of Ethics.

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Tentative Schedule

Saturday, November 29th

8:30-8:50 am - Check-in at Collingwood School (light breakfast will be provided)

9:00-10:00 am - Judge and Competitor Briefings for Persuasive Speaking
10:15-11:15 am - Persuasive Speaking Round 1
11:15-11:30 am - Break
11:30-12:30 pm - Persuasive Speaking Round 2
12:30-1:00 pm - Lunch Break (lunch will be provided)

1:00-1:30 pm - Judge and Competitor Briefings for Impromptu Speaking

1:30-2:30 pm - Impromptu Speaking Round 1

2:30-2:45 pm - Break

2:45-3:45 pm - Impromptu Speaking Round 2

3:45-4:15 pm - Judge and Competitor Briefings for Interpretive Reading

4:15-5:15 pm - Interpretive Reading Round 1

5:15-6:00 pm - Dinner Break (dinner will be provided)

6:00-7:00 pm - Interpretive Reading/Solo Acting Round 2

7:15 pm - All students picked up

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Sunday, November 30th

8:30-8:50 am - Check-in at Collingwood School (light breakfast will be provided)

9:00-9:30 am - Judge and Competitor Briefings for Debate

9:30 am - Debate Motion Released for Round 1

10:00-11:00 am - Debate Round 1

11:00-11:15 am - Break

11:15 am - Debate Motion Released for Round 2

11:45-12:45 pm - Debate Round 2

12:45-1:30 pm - Lunch Break (lunch will be provided)

1:30 pm - Finalists Announced

1:30-5:00 pm - Finals in all Categories

5:00-5:15 pm - Awards

5:30 pm - All students picked up

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Tournament Contacts:

Anna Saint - DSABC Public Speaking Coordinator: speech@bcdebate.ca

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