Venture Week Press Release


The Entrepreneurship Program, now in its’ thirty fifth season, is the ultimate, Westmount Collegiate Institute eighteen-week job interview, where candidates compete, in teams, over the duration of the semester in a series of rigorous business tasks, that require the perfect balance between street smarts and book smarts to conquer, in order to show Mr. Coates, the boss, that they are the best candidate for his company, Coates Securities. In each task, the teams are sent to the boardroom, where Mr. Coates and his hired associates judge the job applicants on their performance in the task.

The current season include seven teams of four, challenged to combine both "Street Smarts" and "Book Smarts" as they go head-to-head to see which team is most innovative and enterprising. This season’s ventures include everything one might need this winter and beyond. As the tasks have become tougher, the judging has become harder, and the contestants have become fiercer.  All profits raised are combined with the profits raised through Bare Necessities and Marketing Event Week, to support the Canadian Cancer Society. Over the past thirty-four seasons, over $171,000 has been raised to support those in need.

In the end, the question will be answered in the showdown of the semester – The Final Challenge – Venture Week 35 (January 6th to January 10th, 2025 in the atrium during period 2). Who will take their well-earned place, this season, with Mr. Coates on the other side of the boardroom table? Who will succeed? Who will be ordering a taxi? And who will be hired?