On day two, we ventured into Victoria for a full day of learning and exploration. In the morning, students participated in a special Indigenous Innovations workshop at the Royal BC Museum, where they explored First Nations technologies and traditions through hands-on exhibits and discussion. The afternoon brought a truly unforgettable adventure: a private whale watching charter through the Salish Sea, generously provided at a discounted rate by Eagle Wing Whale Watching. To our delight, we encountered sea lions, and other marine wildlife, including a rare sighting of a sea otter! We capped the day off with dinner at Fisherman’s Wharf, where the salty sea air and floating homes created a setting that felt almost dreamlike.

The next day, our journey continued with a walking tour of downtown Victoria. With a focus on Chinatown, the oldest in Canada, we explored themes of migration, multiculturalism, and resilience, with special stops at Songhees Point and the Inner Harbour. Afterward, we switched gears with a kayaking adventure up the Gorge Waterway. Paddling together in tandem kayaks, students navigated the currents and wildlife with laughter and teamwork. The day concluded with a sunset dinner at the beloved Red Fish Blue Fish, a uniquely Victoria experience that delighted everyone’s taste buds.

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On Wednesday our group went on a 30-minute Ski-doo ride into the bush, and we came to a campfire. Ww cooked marshmallows, had hot chocolate and played hide and seek before lunch. Then we had Bannock burgers and hotdogs for lunch and learned some Ojibwe words and phrases, as well as shared stories with our buddies. After that Black Sky, an elder who is also the Ojibwe language teacher, took us on a trail walk. He told us some of the Ojibwe names of the plants around us, as well as their traditional uses and had us pick some mashkiigobag (Labrador Tea) to make into a tea. We also learned about the names of animals and how to identify their tracks and traces in the bush.

On Thursday morning we were taught how to make ribbon shirts and ribbon skirts. These are important pieces of cultural attire that we were honoured to get the opportunity to make with guidance from experienced ribbon skirt and ribbon shirt makers. Some are used for daily wear, and some are used for cultural celebrations. We got to pick colors of ribbon, and we sewed them to the shirts and skirts. We also visited the local planetarium, and they had some excellent videos about first nations star stories projected on a dome. They told stories of constellations in the night sky from Cree and Anishinaabe cultures.

We then went into a sweat lodge led by an elder named Gilbert. Sweats are for physical and spiritual cleansing and healing. Gilbert sang songs, told stories, and gave us juniper medicine. He talked about the importance of sharing in these times of turmoil and the importance of sticking together, no matter how many horrible things happen in the world.

In the evening, we went to a round dance hosted by the community. A round dance is an event where drummers in the centre will sing songs and people will hold hands and dance in a circle around them. The round dance is a celebration for healing, honouring ancestors, celebrating life, and fostering community unity. The round dance at Sagkeeng was held to welcome us to their community and show how much they appreciated us coming to which we were extremely thankful and honoured. We were welcomed so beautifully, and they gave us a handmade beaded medallion with the community emblem on it and other gifts.

On Friday we drove into Winnipeg. We first went to the Manitoba Museum and learned about many things including the environment of current and past Manitoba and the people who have lived there over the ages. We then went to the Forks for lunch which is an indoor market where the Red and the Assiniboine rivers combine. It was a trading spot for thousands of years for indigenous groups and still is today. We then went to the Human Rights Museum and learned about the evolution of human rights across Canada. We also saw the Witness Blanket and the Canadian Journey’s exhibit. It would have been great to have stayed longer though due to time constraints we sadly had to leave. We learned so much about Canadian history and it was a great day to round off the trip. We flew back to Victoria on Saturday.

While on this exchange we learn a lot about the Sagkeeng First Nation and Ojibwe ways of life. We also learned lots of indigenous techniques and indigenous ways of knowing. We are really excited to host the students from Sagkeeng in May and to show them around Victoria and the South Island.

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The next day we got to go to Saskatoon. There we went to the Western Development Museum. Some of my favourite exhibits were the historical cars, the train you could go in, and the mock 1900s town including the jail cell. There were also very detailed exhibits on farming equipment from the Industrial Revolution to now. There were many fun interactive displays too. This museum taught us a lot about the story of Saskatchewan, and how vital farming is to both the province and the country. After the museum we went to a skating rink right in the center of the city surrounded by some very cool old architecture, it was kind of a park but covered in ice. We skated for about forty minutes then we drove to the University of Saskatchewan, which is Saskatchewan’s biggest university. We got a tour of a lot of the buildings and after the tour we got some more background information about the history of some of the rooms. After that we went home to our homestays.

On Thursday we started the day by going bowling at Biggar’s local five pin bowling lanes. We also got to learn about some of the fun things that Biggar locals do to wind down like playing sports and horse riding in the summer. In the afternoon we went on a Goosechase, which is an online application where you run around the town and taking photos with various Biggar landmarks such as a statue of the Hanson buck (the highest scoring buck in history), the water tower, and the credit union, or completing wacky tasks in certain locations. This was a really special way of experiencing the town and the weather, as well as connecting more with our Biggar buddies.

On Friday we got invited to participate in the school’s annual Metis winter festival. We learned some traditional Metis practices such as beading and dot art. Both of which were fascinating to learn about. We got to try dot art for ourselves, and it was very satisfying. We also got to spend a lot of time outside snowshoeing and hearing Metis stories by a roaring fire. At the end of the night, we had tacos in a bag with all of the homestay families together and got to watch all of the other team’s videos from the Goosechase and play basketball in the gym. The next morning, we had to say goodbye to our homestay families and the community as we travelled back to Victoria.

Even if a destination is not on your bucket list, it can always be an incredible experience. It doesn’t matter where you end up, it is who you are with and who you meet along the way that makes an experience what it is. We met some amazing people and shared some incredible stories and experiences with them. This was a wonderful journey, and we want to thank Experiences Canada, Biggar Central School 2000, and the community of Biggar, for allowing for this exchange to happen and welcoming us into their beautiful community.

Written by: Merric Hanton
Edited by: Eagle Class
Photos Selected by: Ares Van Koeveringe and Morgan Friest

Westmont Montessori High School students

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Picture this:

You are next to a 130 foot tall totem pole in the capital of British Columbia, and then, you walk over to the sign and it says “Memento of the nation’s infancy, symbol of a proud race, monument to a rare native art, proof of united community interest and the purest form of Canadiana.” What do you think of this quote? Is it true? Were residential schools proof of a united community interest? When we first read this sign, our hearts sank. It was quite clear that this sign was not written by an Indigenous person, but rather, a British settler talking about a Indigenous form of art. This represents the lack of perspectives on Vancouver Island and across Canada as a whole. This trip was a form of truth and reconciliation, and honouring First Nations culture in Canada, admiring and thinking about what is there, and questioning what isn’t.

The class of Chief Paul Niditchie School (CPNS) toured around Vancouver Island for the first time. For them, it was an eye-opening experience. On the first day of their visit they hiked through Metchosin and visited the mayor, where they learned about the skills required to be a successful political figure and how an area, like Metchosin is lead. We picked up some valuable information on how communication and dealing with people is the single most valuable skill in politics.

On Saturday we started off the day by going to the Malahat Skywalk. The Skywalk was made as a way to see the beauty of Vancouver Island from above the treetops. We took a bus from the school up there, got our tickets and then walked on a boardwalk through the trees until we reached the base of the Skywalk. We walked up 20 metres to get to the top and the views were breathtaking. You could see so far and they had a net that you could stand on to see straight to the ground. There was also a slide as an option to get back down to the ground which was very amusing. After that we came back to school to let the CPNS students bond with their host families and pack for the next day. Then for dinner we went to the Lang’s house. We had a wonderful dinner of Salmon burgers and vegan burgers. After dinner we all played games together such as Avalon and Battleship. Finally we all went home to our families. The week was slowly coming to a close and this was our last full day together and many of us were wishing that there were a lot more full days ahead.

On the very last day of our tremendous experience with the Northwest Territories students, we started our day off with kayaking in the Victoria Gorge having a phenomenal time gliding through the Pacific Ocean. We saw various types of wildlife including seals, and various birds such as blue herons, seagulls and crows, even though the weather made us feel cold and unpleasant we still had a wonderful time. Later we bussed back to our school and had a barbeque lunch with the students, families, and individuals who helped us make this encounter a remarkable experience. 

Throughout our week with the CPNS students we continuously learned about different perspectives and formed new bonds. Some key takeaways include learning about the Indigenous cultures on Vancouver Island and seeing how much of their culture is excluded in historical Canadian literature. This brought home the point that you have to read between the lines and look for what isn’t there, rather than what is there.

Thank you for reading!

By Agneya Pradhan, Alwynn Waddington,
Merric Hanton, Ani VanKoeveringe

Westmont Montessori High School students

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