Pontiac High School’s (PHS) librarian, Jennifer Davies, the event was part of a student exchange program through Experiences Canada. It involved 13 PHS students hosting 16 students from Pitt Meadows Elementary School in Pitt Meadows, BC, to live in their homes for the week and experience life in the Pontiac.

“They’re twinned with each other,” she said. “So, each student is hosting one or two students here and when we go out West we’ll be staying with the same kids.”

As part of their first day of a week-long experience of exciting excursions in the region, Davies said that the students from BC wanted to see what a true Canadian winter was like.

So, they decided to head north for a few hours of dogsledding and snow shoeing and had a blast of a time.

Students had the opportunity to drive the dog sleds themselves, which made the experience quite memorable. Others made snow-castles, snow-angels and did some tobogganing to soak in the outdoors.

“I think they had a great time with all the snow,” she said. “They’re from metropolitan Vancouver. So, they don’t get a lot of snow like we have here.”

Throughout the rest of the week, the students participated in a number of activities in the National Capital Region, including visits to places like the Canadian Museum of History and Snowflake Kingdom in Gatineau.

On Monday, the students travelled to Ottawa to check out a number of eye-catching attractions, including Parliament Hill and Winterlude on Sparks Street.

Davies has participated in PHS’ student exchange program for the last four years and said that the school has been offering it for almost two decades.

One of the most rewarding aspects about the exchange program, for the students, is that it allows them to experience a different part of the country that they may otherwise not get a chance to see, Davies said.

“Some of the kids from here and the communities that we get twinned with don’t get the opportunity to travel,” she said. “They get to see a different part of the country and to see how differently people live, different communities, different geographies.”

“Even for myself, I had never been out West until I started these exchanges,” she added. “I’ve gotten to see the Rocky Mountains and I went to Drumheller, Alta. – stuff that I never would’ve done probably without this trip. It’s the same for the kids.”

Providing youth with such a beneficial opportunity, that includes so many enjoyable people and activities, Davies said that PHS’ students exchange program is something that any student would be thrilled to participate in.

“The kind of things we get to do and see, even in our own backyard, like I had never driven a dog sled until yesterday,” she said. “The experiences that they get to have are just wonderful.”

In April, PHS students will travel to Pitt Meadows to spend a week in the homes of their friends from out West.

Pictured, Kathleen Kelly, Norah Park and Makenna Soulière enjoy themselves while showshoeing.

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