Student paddlers retrace historic route

by Matthew Brett
Hudson Gazette

With the even stroke of eight paddles, two massive rabaska canoes travel down the Ottawa River under a heavy sun. But these aren't the voyageurs who created Canada's 17th and 18th-century fur trade routes. they are students from John Grant High School in Côte St. Luc who undertook the four-day canoe trip to get a taste of what life must have been like.

"It brings Canadian history to life," said John Grant Principal Michael Cristofaro, who joined the young adventurers with his son on Saturday.

"The educational value of a field trip as opposed to a classroom is immense. You can talk about canoes all you want in the classroom, and describe the experience and show them on videos or whatever, but it doesn't come close to actually sitting in a canoe and actually paddling down a river.

"Teenagers love adventure, obviously, and sometimes the adventure they get themselves into in the city is not always the most positive kind of adventure," he added.

Twelve John Grant students between the ages of 12 and 14 were split into two canoes, each overseen by a teacher and a professional guide. John Grant is an alternative special education centre for students with learning difficulties.

The trip began north of Hawkesbury, at Grand Ville sur le Rouge, where event sponsors H20 Adventures generously supplied everything from the guides to the gear for free.

John Grant teachers Nicholas Arsenault and Karen Kleihaue joined the students on their maiden voyage in partnership with Warren Zelman of H20 Adventures and outdoorsman Richard Joyner.

Zelman said the pilot project with John Grant was a success. "A wilderness trip just takes you out of the everyday experience," Zelman said.

Arsenault agreed. "Just the opportunity to be in a wilderness setting, and just a different venue for the students ­ you see them in a different light, and they see you in a different light," he said. "It's always good for the teacher/student bond to take it out of the classroom. It's nice to see them be a little bit uncomfortable, take these risks, and challenge themselves and work though it, and work through it together.

"I've done this with many other populations and groups but these students certainly haven't had a chance to do this," Arsenault said. "It's great for them to get away from video games and television and whatever else their life holds for them in the city."

Parents received a Power Point presentation prior to the trip, and students visited the Montreal Fur Trade Museum to help breathe a sense of history into their trek. Some formal teaching points were also presented throughout the trip about living in a wilderness setting.

As for the students, muscles were bulging after the trek and student Christopher Sousa Paiva said the food was fantastic, but the 80 kilometres of paddling wasn't quite as good.

Alex Haras praised the food above all else as well. "The food was really good," she said. As for the trip, "first it was kind of boring, then it was fun."

Students also learned about the cycle of life on their trip. "The most disgusting thing that I really don't like is the maggots eating through the fish," Matthew Boceta said as he munched on a peanut butter cookie.

Unlike the voyageurs who survived for weeks on a mixture of dried meat and berries, the students chatted over snacks at the Hudson Yacht Club after their trip, but it was apparent they had absorbed nature's lesson. It was also clear that, despite their snide jabs and quick puns, a sense of friendship and teamwork had formed that no classroom environment could provide.