Donald Teuma-Castelletti
FORT COULONGE
Feb. 24-27, 2019
A group of students from École secondaire Sieur de Coulonge (ESSC) travelled through high winds and freezing rain in a four-day trek to the nation’s capital, solely by cross-country skis.
After weeks of training, the crew of 10 left the school on the morning of Feb. 24 and endured four days of skiing through harsh weather to arrive at Parliament Hill on Wednesday, travelling over 130 km.
“There’s no doubt that we had crazy weather, right? For the whole trip,” said Martin Bertrand, an ESSC teacher and organizer of the trip. “We had freezing rain and downpours on Sunday, on Monday we had snow drifts and high winds … then we had extreme cold on the river.”
With some spots, the group pushed through snow drifts as tall as Bertrand. But it was scenarios like this that really brought their group together, encouraged the students to double down on their goal and achieve an unforgettable experience.
Bertrand said the adventure helped all 10 students grow in character and into young adults. For the majority, just seven weeks ahead of the trip they had never been on cross-country skis.
When they hit the trail, they motivated each other as they all worked to complete the journey as a group, knowing the destination would be worth it if they’d all succeeded.
“These kids have grown so much on this trip,” said Bertrand. “Not only have they grown, but they’ve inspired other people, they’ve inspired those that were accompanying them on the trip and it was just magical.”
“I saw kids cry, I saw kids hurting, I saw kids working hard and then I saw them smile,” he continued. “I saw them creating bonds with each other. I saw them becoming young adults and maturing a lot. I was not prepared to witness all the awesomeness of what this trip was going to be.”
After travelling for four days, spending their nights in sleeping bags at community centres, they arrived at Parliament Hill on Wednesday.
Even after skiing through the cold and ice, many did not hesitate to say to Bertrand they’d continue another couple of days, given the chance.
Though this admittance may have been astonishing, the teacher was more surprised at the parents’ reactions.
“They came to me and said, ‘Where are our kids?’ And I said, ‘Well they’re right here,’” said Bertrand. “They said, ‘No, these are not the kids you brought with you on the ski trip. We can’t recognize them.’”
For the kids on the trip, it certainly left an impression. Bertrand said they arrived to Parliament with a new level of energy and sense of adventure, ready to take on the next goal.
“Some [of the students] said, ‘We could go further next time,’ and I laughed and said, ‘Maybe we’ll go to the Parliament of Quebec,’” said Bertrand.
For Samuel Eadie, one of the students taking part, the ski trip proved a unique experience even for the lifelong skier. He was impressed by the group and proud of those that he skied alongside, of especially as he took in some new sights.
“On the river it was really nice just being out in the open,” said Eadie.
Though he admits it was awesome to be able to crash into his own bed once the trip was over, Eadie said he’d highly recommend going on the next one to other students.
“I think it’s a really good experience for anybody and I think that anybody that actually wants to, could [complete it],” said Eadie.
Once at Parliament Hill, the group met with MP Will Amos and joined him in his office. Eadie said they had the chance to learn a lot from him, and understand more about the role of federal government.
“They made my job fabulous that day,” said Amos, of connecting with the students.
Amos said the group asked all sorts of questions from the number of municipalities in their home riding through to the renovations going on at Parliament Hill. He said this proved a valuable lesson, as he could see the students understanding the roles tradespeople in their community can have in completing bigger projects beyond their home borders.
“They could connect the dots between the Parliamentary building renovations and economic growth … and business opportunities, job opportunities in the Pontiac,” said Amos.
The MP also praised the Ski at School program for allowing the students a chance at accomplishing a journey as large as this.
“I think the important thing to recognize with the Ski at School program is it’s addressing a need in communities that are socio-economically disadvantaged,” said Amos. “Cross-country skiing costs money – it’s not cheap. Just like hockey isn’t cheap, just like downhill skiing isn’t cheap. The gear can cost a bunch of money and it can be a barrier. With the Ski at School program they’re providing good ski gear, some instruction so people feel comfortable and cross-country skiing is a lifelong sport that can be done anywhere in the country.”
The program, run through the Canadian Ski Marathon (CSM), looks to encourage cross-country skiing from a young age by working with schools to provide the equipment and instruction.
Bertrand said he had come up with the idea to take a group to Parliament via ski after watching so many outdoor adventure films. When he met up with CSM’s Paul Throop, the group was onboard and made the trip possible.
The teacher hopes the students’ success will help inspire others to participate in similar events and to take part in more outdoor activities. To this end, the MRC Pontiac afforded a videographer to join the trip, who will be cutting together a documentary about it.
Bertrand said he plans on showing this film in April to ESSC, and would like to tour it to other schools in the region to help encourage the program further.
“I strongly believe that this [trip] opened the world to them, they’re going to make a difference to somebody else someday, if not a lot of people,” said Bertrand.
