St. Pius Returns From Europe

By: Maria Ray

Nearly every year, the staff at St. Pius X High School organizes a trip for students to various countries around the globe. This trip gives a fantastic opportunity for students to explore the world and have lifelong experiences to share with their friends and family. This year’s trip was an essential part of Canadian history. Students had the opportunity to travel to the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom, as well as participate in a moving event for both Canadians and Dutch people alike. 

A total of seven students from St. Pius and two from St. Paul travelled to Amsterdam with more than twenty students from All Saints on May 3rd, for a total of about 40 people, including teachers. After a long day of travelling, students and staff arrived in Amsterdam, a lovely city in the Netherlands. 

In Amsterdam, students and staff embarked on a serene boat cruise, learning fascinating facts about the city and its history. The travellers also got to visit Ann Frank’s house. Anne Frank was a Jewish writer in hiding during World War II. Amsterdam is a city over 750 years old, and cycling is a key part of the city's character, with numerous bike paths throughout. Biking makes up approximately 38% of all travel throughout the city. After Amsterdam, travel continued to Bergen op Zoom, where both staff and students participated in the immensely moving 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. The ceremony acknowledged the losses from World War II and the help the Canadians provided in the liberation of the Netherlands on May 5, 1945. Students from across Canada completed a project called the “Soldier Project,” where each student made something for one of the soldiers in the gravesite where the ceremony was held. Over 900 students from across Canada then marched through the city, carrying flags, posters, and Canadian pins, which were given to the locals. 

Next, the travellers headed to Bruges, a city in Belgium. The travellers got to observe beautiful historic buildings, such as the Belfort Tower, and enjoy delicious Belgian food from the various shops nearby. After Bruges, travel continued to Ypres, where staff and students had the opportunity to attend the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate. The Last Post Ceremony has been in existence since World War I and takes place every day at 8 o’clock to commemorate the soldiers lost in the war. Travellers also visited the Essex Farm Cemetery, a WWI cemetery where John McCrae worked at some point during the war, a long time ago. It is in this place where McCrae’s famous “In Flanders Fields” poem was written.

Afterwards, the trip continued to Vimy Ridge, a historically significant site in Normandy. Vimy Ridge was a pivotal location for Canadian soldiers during World War I. Canadian soldiers built many tunnels and trenches to protect themselves from enemy forces. These tunnels and trenches are largely intact to this day. Vimy Ridge is considered the most significant battle for Canadians during World War I. Students got to place flowers at the base of the Vimy Ridge Memorial, a towering and bold memorial to the Canadian soldiers with no known graves from WWI. Afterwards, the travellers went to Juno Beach Centre to learn about the battle at Juno Beach. On D-Day, the 6th of June 1944, 14,000 Canadian soldiers landed at Juno Beach in an attempt to free a part of German-occupied France. There were immense casualties, but ultimately they secured the beach and started travelling inland. This was a significant accomplishment considering the strength of the German defences.

Finally, the travellers arrived in Paris and got to see classic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Notre-Dame Cathedral before leaving and travelling by train through the Chunnel, a tunnel underneath the ocean, before finally arriving in London. In London, students had the opportunity to tour the Natural History Museum, a museum featuring a diverse collection of exhibits, including dinosaur fossils and precious jewels. The Natural History Museum is also known for its ornate architecture. Students also had the opportunity to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and the London Tower, where they could view the Crown Jewels. The Crown Jewels are important English artifacts, including historic crowns, swords, and sceptres. Finally, after a long and impactful trip, staff and students returned home to their families.

The Europe trip would have been impossible without the bus drivers, tour guides, and excellent staff who gave their time and effort to make such a prominent and influential trip possible. The travellers from St. Pius are forever grateful for the opportunity they were given for such a fantastic and moving trip. This year’s Europe trip was undoubtedly one of the most memorable experiences in St. Pius' history.

The Art Trip to Montreal

By Maeve Ludmer

On May 26th, St. Pius X art students set out on an exciting day trip to Montreal, eager to explore art, history, and hands-on creativity.

A photo of the Old Montreal Skyline from L'île Sainte-Hélène, Photo by Maeve

Students were required to arrive at the school by 6:40 a.m. to board the bus that would take them to Montreal. Everyone was on the bus and ready to go, and left with much excitement at 7 a.m. After a long drive and a slight detour involving a wrong address, the bus arrived safely at its first location: circus school.

At circus school, students were put into groups and sent to four different stations: hoops, acrobatics, trapeze, and aerial hammocks. Every station covered the basics of their given skill, most involving different types of movement. A highlight for most was the trapeze, where everyone was given a chance to swing a few times before landing safely in the net below. 

After a morning of fun, and rather humbling physical activities, the art students headed off to lunch. Everyone was given the choice between Subway, McDonald’s, and Maxi. Once lunch was over, the bus full of well-fed students headed off to their next activity: a tour of Old Montreal.

The tour of Old Montreal began outside the Notre Dame Cathedral, where the students were taught about the history of the building, as well as the founding of Montreal, as they stood next to the Maisonneuve Monument. Next, the tour took a drive down to L'île Sainte-Hélène, where they saw many interesting landmarks, the most notable being the Biosphere. With short time left, the tour had one last significant sight to visit: the street art of Old Montreal. Walking through a labyrinth of streets, the students got to see some fascinating works of street art, as well as some lovely murals, and they learned the difference between the two. At the end of the tour, and right before the end of the trip, the students made a pit stop at Tim Hortons for a nice little treat. 

With their delicious treats in hand, the students boarded the bus to head home. On a long trip back to Pius, the bus was filled with quiet chatter and many sleepy students, tired from the day's fun and excitement. The bus arrived back at St. Pius X around 7 p.m., where everyone met with their rides home. 

After a full day of fun and discovery, the students returned home tired but inspired, their minds buzzing with new artistic energy.