Students brave the cold for Carnival in Quebec

March 24, 2023

By Megan Joyce, Staff Writer (Photos courtesy of Mr. Dan Gately)

QUEBEC CITY, CANADA- A group of 27 students and three teachers from Rockland High School took on the cold in Quebec City, Canada from February 2 to 5, having four days of action-packed fun. 

The trip’s itinerary included a stay at  Hôtel Palace Royal, a tour of the Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux National Historic site, dog sledding, snowshoeing, tobogganing, a visit to Hôtel de Glace, L’erabliere du Lac-Beauport (sugar shack), and, the frozen Montgomery Falls, as well as Quebec’s Winter Carnival.

The trip is not only fun but crucial for students learning a world language. 

Mr. Daniel Gately, a chaperone on the trip and a Spanish teacher, explained, “It is an opportunity to talk to people who are native speakers of that language and it's an ability to practice natural conversations rather than in class [where] it's stuck to whatever topic you are teaching at the moment.”

Students also agree that exposure to French outside of the classroom was pivotal to gaining a deeper knowledge of the language. 

Sophomore Shannon Gustin claimed, “I definitely feel the exposure to the French language was helpful since it helps us learn about different types of french and accents that people use in Quebec versus people in France.”

More than the opportunity to communicate in a foreign language many students went outside their comfort zones. 

Sophomore Ben Willis, expressed, “I usually never do anything crazy but I tried new foods and experiences and it paid off.” 

As part of the stay in Quebec, the group visited a new breakfast place every morning. The meals were very hearty with lots of eggs, potatoes, and bacon/ham. Furthermore, they visited a variety of restaurants getting to try Poutine and Canadian Hot Pot. 

It seemed the group was prepared for the trip itself, but the most unexpected part was the below-zero temperatures and the amount of walking. 

Mr. Gately alleged, “it was colder than I expected and that was probably the most unexpected thing.” The lowest temperature that weekend was -24.

Such temperatures caused the group to miss out on tubing. On the other hand, they got to spend extra time at Les Galeries de la Capitale, a shopping mall with an amusement park inside. 

In addition, Mrs. Julie Dore, a French teacher and the trip’s coordinator, explained, “I think I would put a better emphasis on all the walking. I felt like you were all prepared for the cold and everyone kept up fine with the walking but I feel like it might have been a surprise for some, that it was that active.”

Despite frigid temperatures, the students seemed to be well prepared for it, as Gustin said, “I felt I was very prepared for the trip with layers and making sure that I wasn’t going to get cold, especially with the extreme temps that were going on at the time.”

Some were even “overly-prepared” for the cold. 

As sophomore Lily Bossie pointed out, “I ended up not using half of my things.”

Despite this, the travelers had so much fun, dog sledding being the top favorite activity. Mr. Gately remarked, “I've never done dog sledding before and it was a lot of fun, and different, a unique experience [that] I got to experience and it was great.” 

Students and teachers alike fell in love with the dog sledding experience, as they were grouped into pairs and got to do both driving and riding the sled. 

Other activities were breathtaking, including Hôtel de Glace which is a hotel made of ice and snow. The rooms featured different sculptures and themes all lit by colorful lights. 

Also, the group visited one of Quebec’s natural beauties, Montgomery Falls. The falls start about 276 ft up (higher than Niagara Falls) and in the winter, the mist from the falls freezes in the air which created a quiet ambiance on the grounds. 

Another fan-favorite was a visit to L’erabliere du Lac-Beauport or Sugar Shack where the group got the true taste of Canadian culture: maple syrup. The visit offered maple taffy rolling, maple butter tasting, a history of tree tapping, and dinner with live music.

The trip was so memorable in fact, the student travelers said they would love to go again and that it went beyond their expectations.

In agreement, Willis said that his expectations were, “exceeded,” and that, “I thought it was going to be average but it was actually really fun.”

Bossie also agreed and shared that, “I would 1000% go again.”

Mrs. Dore added that she was most excited about the group of students going and also, she “was impressed with how all of you kind of rolled with the itinerary changes and how you were able to manage in the cold and no one complained and everyone was remarkable so it was a perfect group to travel with.” 

This was the first trip to Quebec City since the COVID-19 pandemic and it will hopefully remain a warm memory for the students and teachers.