Miss-Delectable
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Belleville Intelligencer - Ontario, CA
Fresh back from an exchange trip to Nunavik, Jonathan Nicoll is now busy planning to show what southern life is like for his Inuit visitors this fall.
Excursions to Niagara-on-the-Lake and a live theatrical stage production there as well as the Quinte Mall for shopping and a movie theatre here are among the activities planned for a group of 10 Inuit students -- four of whom are deaf -- and some staff that will spend Oct. 27 to Nov. 2 at Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf in Belleville.
"We want to show them what life is like in the south, including how we celebrate Halloween here," said Nicoll, a high school teacher at Sir James Whitney.
Nicoll was among four adults and 10 deaf students from the Dundas Street West school for the deaf that spent a week last month in Umiujaq, a remote community of 400 Inuit located more than 1,200 kilometres north of Montreal on the eastern side of the Hudson's Bay.
Their trip to experience Inuit culture -- including eating raw Canadian goose -- and the Inuit return visit here this fall, were arranged through YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada, a program run by the YMCA of Greater Toronto to promote cross-cultural awareness and a sense of belonging among Canadian youth ages 12 to 17. Travel costs are funded by the Canadian government.
Nicoll said the Belleville contingent thoroughly enjoyed their weeklong stay in the Far North April 25 to May 2 with their Inuit hosts. He wants to return the favour and plan exciting adventures for his exchange visitors this fall.
"One thing we hope to do is Niagara- on-the-Lake and see a theatre show combined with ASl (American Sign Language) interpreters. We may also make a trip to Niagara Falls," he said.
"We will be going to the Quinte Mall. They don't have many stores or a mall in the north and I think Inuit students will enjoy doing some shopping here," said Nicoll.
He's also planning a movie outing to Famous Players at the mall "because it has rear window captioning," a dining experience at Montana's Restaurant and participating in some kind of Halloween event Oct. 31.
Visiting students will stay in residence at Sir James Whitney and eat in the cafeteria with other students, thereby enabling them to experience life in a provincial school for the deaf.
"I am excited to see them come down here. We have to start focusing on fundraising to show our visitors what life is like in the south and if anyone in the community wants to support us, that would be great," Nicoll said.
Nicoll said his students are still talking about their exchange visit with the Inuit in northern Quebec.
"It was a good experience for everyone, experiencing the Inuit culture and being immersed in a very small community of 390 people," he said.
Temperatures during their stay reached a high of -10 but with winds ranging from 20 to 50 km/h, it felt much colder, he said.
Nicoll said students couldn't get over the tundra environment of the north.
"There is no grass, no trees. The land was barren, rocky, snowy and had lots of ice," he said.
"The Inuit people were friendly, hospitable and welcoming."
A highlight of their visit was a day-long outdoor camping trip. Visitors were taken by snowmobile to a remote area and pitched tents. They ate bannock (a form of bread) and even tried raw Canadian goose.
"We also ate cooked caribou, but no raw fish," Nicoll said. "We were not successful in hunting a seal."
The Belleville contingent also went on a scavenger hunt to find such elusive things as a hibernating bug, rabbit droppings, tree branches and various animal bones.
They also participated in Inuit games, like wrestling using only your legs, arm pull wrestling and one leg high kick.
Fifteen-year-old Sean Bennett said he thoroughly enjoyed his first trip to the Far North and would love to return.
"I learned all about Inuit culture, all the different languages and how everything in the north depends on the weather," the Grade 9 student said through an interpreter. "I have never done anything like the Inuit games before. They even taught me how to write my name in Inuit."
Bennett said he also enjoyed eating bannock and caribou meat.
As far as the raw Canadian goose, Bennett said it didn't look appealing "but it tasted good, like candy."
Wyatt Scott, 16, said his favourite memory is the all-day camping trip.
"We got to see the landscape, try different foods, play Inuit games and learn the Inuit language," he said.
"Sure I would love to visit there again. It's been one of the best experiences of my life."
Fresh back from an exchange trip to Nunavik, Jonathan Nicoll is now busy planning to show what southern life is like for his Inuit visitors this fall.
Excursions to Niagara-on-the-Lake and a live theatrical stage production there as well as the Quinte Mall for shopping and a movie theatre here are among the activities planned for a group of 10 Inuit students -- four of whom are deaf -- and some staff that will spend Oct. 27 to Nov. 2 at Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf in Belleville.
"We want to show them what life is like in the south, including how we celebrate Halloween here," said Nicoll, a high school teacher at Sir James Whitney.
Nicoll was among four adults and 10 deaf students from the Dundas Street West school for the deaf that spent a week last month in Umiujaq, a remote community of 400 Inuit located more than 1,200 kilometres north of Montreal on the eastern side of the Hudson's Bay.
Their trip to experience Inuit culture -- including eating raw Canadian goose -- and the Inuit return visit here this fall, were arranged through YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada, a program run by the YMCA of Greater Toronto to promote cross-cultural awareness and a sense of belonging among Canadian youth ages 12 to 17. Travel costs are funded by the Canadian government.
Nicoll said the Belleville contingent thoroughly enjoyed their weeklong stay in the Far North April 25 to May 2 with their Inuit hosts. He wants to return the favour and plan exciting adventures for his exchange visitors this fall.
"One thing we hope to do is Niagara- on-the-Lake and see a theatre show combined with ASl (American Sign Language) interpreters. We may also make a trip to Niagara Falls," he said.
"We will be going to the Quinte Mall. They don't have many stores or a mall in the north and I think Inuit students will enjoy doing some shopping here," said Nicoll.
He's also planning a movie outing to Famous Players at the mall "because it has rear window captioning," a dining experience at Montana's Restaurant and participating in some kind of Halloween event Oct. 31.
Visiting students will stay in residence at Sir James Whitney and eat in the cafeteria with other students, thereby enabling them to experience life in a provincial school for the deaf.
"I am excited to see them come down here. We have to start focusing on fundraising to show our visitors what life is like in the south and if anyone in the community wants to support us, that would be great," Nicoll said.
Nicoll said his students are still talking about their exchange visit with the Inuit in northern Quebec.
"It was a good experience for everyone, experiencing the Inuit culture and being immersed in a very small community of 390 people," he said.
Temperatures during their stay reached a high of -10 but with winds ranging from 20 to 50 km/h, it felt much colder, he said.
Nicoll said students couldn't get over the tundra environment of the north.
"There is no grass, no trees. The land was barren, rocky, snowy and had lots of ice," he said.
"The Inuit people were friendly, hospitable and welcoming."
A highlight of their visit was a day-long outdoor camping trip. Visitors were taken by snowmobile to a remote area and pitched tents. They ate bannock (a form of bread) and even tried raw Canadian goose.
"We also ate cooked caribou, but no raw fish," Nicoll said. "We were not successful in hunting a seal."
The Belleville contingent also went on a scavenger hunt to find such elusive things as a hibernating bug, rabbit droppings, tree branches and various animal bones.
They also participated in Inuit games, like wrestling using only your legs, arm pull wrestling and one leg high kick.
Fifteen-year-old Sean Bennett said he thoroughly enjoyed his first trip to the Far North and would love to return.
"I learned all about Inuit culture, all the different languages and how everything in the north depends on the weather," the Grade 9 student said through an interpreter. "I have never done anything like the Inuit games before. They even taught me how to write my name in Inuit."
Bennett said he also enjoyed eating bannock and caribou meat.
As far as the raw Canadian goose, Bennett said it didn't look appealing "but it tasted good, like candy."
Wyatt Scott, 16, said his favourite memory is the all-day camping trip.
"We got to see the landscape, try different foods, play Inuit games and learn the Inuit language," he said.
"Sure I would love to visit there again. It's been one of the best experiences of my life."