YELLOWKNIFE - It's amazing what people can do with 1,000 popsicle sticks and a bottle of non-freezing glue.

Architects and engineers aged five and up (there's no upper age limit) will soon be hunkering down with their elementary-school style building materials to vie for the trophy, and the glory, that comes with building the strongest and lightest miniature-size bridge in the territory.

Dennis Kefalas tests the sturdiness of an entry at the bridge-building competition in 2006. Bridges go through "destruction testing" to see how much weight they can withstand. - courtesy of Lloyd Henderson

"Bridge-building competitions have been around for quite a long time," said Lloyd Henderson, executive director of NAPEGG (the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut), the organization that runs the annual event.

In Yellowknife, the competitions have been going on for about five years, according to Henderson.

Each year, NAPEGG puts together kits filled with everything would-be bridge builders could need - which basically comes down to sticks and glue. And instructions, of course.

The kits go winging across the North - to every school in the Northwest Territories - thanks to the generosity of First Air and Air Tindi.

Then it's go time. The kits arrive before Christmas and the young (and old) architects have until the end of February to complete their bridges.

There is no limit to how many people may be on a team, however, more people means more sharing of the prize money. First place will win you $300, while second and third get $200 and $100 respectively.

When the bridges are complete they are flown back to Yellowknife.

"We have specifically designed cardboard boxes that are the shape of the bridge," said Henderson.

Bridges have to meet certain specifications in terms of length and width, he added, so if they don't fit they can't compete anyway.

This is also the part where the non-freezing glue comes in handy.

It became a necessity "because you're shipping these packages around the North and it's winter and things freeze," he said with a laugh.

The bridges go through judging to test their strength. They are also weighed, and points are awarded for style as well, said Henderson.

Beyond the students, the general public are now allowed to participate, and there is even a category for professional engineers, geophysicists and architects.

However, the non-student bridge-building enthusiasts have to pay $35 for a kit.

To be judged, bridges go through "destructive testing" where weights are attached until the bridges reach, literally, the breaking point.

When a bridge collapses, then testing is over.

The judging will be held in Yellowknife at Centre Square Mall on March 3.

Bridge kits are still available for anyone just dying to bust out their architectural know-how in an arts-and-crafts adventure.