Editor’s Note: This is the third article documenting our Quebec Trip with Bellport High School. Refer to this link to read our post about day one and this link to read our post about day two.

Day three of my trip with Bellport High School began with an amazing breakfast at Eggsquis, before heading to Onhoua Chetek8e, Wendake’s major attraction. The reconstructed Huron village located about 45-minutes outside of the city is the only Huron-Wendat community in Canada and offers various authentic housing possibilities, from a 4-star boutique-hotel to a traditional longhouse. There, we were able to taste the different culinary experiences and participate in an aboriginal arts and crafts workshop where the students were instructed on how to make a dreamcatcher. The learning opportunities offered at the Huron Wendat Museum are abundant and their animation team offers many hands-on activities (including archery!) in order to give the feeling of being part of the Wendat culture and not just a spectator.

The most impressive display by far is the aforementioned re-created longhouse, complete with a fire pit. There’s also a sweat lodge, a smoker, and a shaman’s hut, where we learned about the spiritual belief of the Native American culture as well as the ongoing struggles and social conditions of Indigenous peoples living in Canada. Areas of particular social concern include housing, employment, education, health, justice, and family and cultural growth. While the trip offered plenty of highlights, our visit to Onhoua Chetek8e was by far the most emotional. It was inspiring to see the young students, ranging from 14 to 19 years of age, take such an interest in the problems Native Americans face on a daily basis and express such concern and poignancy in hearing their stories. It was especially heartfelt to see the students ask if there was any way they could help and continue to discuss these issues long after we left the village.

 

After an emotional afternoon, our group ventured off to the Galeries de la Capitale. The mall located in the Lebourgneuf neighbourhood of Les Rivières borough, in Quebec City, has 280 stores, 35 restaurants and an indoor amusement park (le Mega-Parc) with 20 attractions and rides including a Ferris wheel, roller coasters and a skating rink for hockey games. Taking a break to go shopping was a great idea since all the kids wanted to get souvenirs and gifts to bring back home. From there the students headed to Cuisine Là Là, a cozy French restaurant located near the Chateau Frontenac. One of the things I love about Prometour is how the company goes out of their way to choose the best places to dine but of all the restaurants we visited during our trip, Cuisine Là Là was hands down the best!

Last but not least, the group made their way to a nearby theatre workshop where they were able to practice not only their French but also their acting skills in an improv workshop. Improv classes are available everywhere around Quebec City and are a phenomenal resource for practicing a foreign language since it drags you out of our asynchronous, virtual-reality world, and drops you into a situation of high-energy, immediate, person-to-person interaction. Improv also forces us to listen more patiently and to respond more quickly, and since it usually ends up being so fun, it elevates any stress and apprehension students may have. Needless to say, if you ever do have a chance to participate in one of these workshops, I highly recommend it.

Day three was a blast, to say the least, but our biggest highlights came the next day. Tune in tomorrow for our report on day four. In the meantime, feel free to browse through more photos from our trip below.

“Remember that happiness is a way of travel – not a destination.” -Roy M. Goodman