Grades 7 to 9 Take on Ottawa

The Grade 7-9 students and their teacher supervisors had a fantastic, if a bit chilly trip to Ottawa! Leaving Chisholm at the crack of dawn on Monday, May 15th, we made our way to the Nation’s Capital for a boat ride along the Rideau Canal and a walk through the history-soaked Parliament grounds (which are under heavy renovation at the moment, so all our tours there were outdoors).

On Day 2, a tour and simulated trial at the Supreme Court of Canada led to a surprise on-the-stand confession from one of our Grade 8 students to masterminding the theft of chess boards from one of our Grade 9s. We also enjoyed the high culture of the National Gallery followed by a massive, delicious meal at the Sucrerie de la Montagne sugar shack; much souvenir maple syrup was purchased.

On Day 3, we enjoyed engaging tours of the Canadian War Museum and beautiful Rideau Hall grounds and public spaces. This was followed by a decidedly less educational visit to Fun Haven for laser tag, games, and the best small rollercoaster any of us had ever experienced.

On our final day in the nation’s capital, we toured the Bank of Canada museum and took in its amazing collection of historical Canadian and foreign currency. Some students made use of an interactive exhibit to create currency with their faces on it – now that’s a scary thought! After a final visit to the Byward Market for lunch and souvenir shopping, it was back on the bus for our return to Oakville; many naps were had by our very tired students (and staff!).

Thank you to our supervisors Ms. Leslie Moss and Ms. Diane Turriff!

Graeme Schnarr
Vice Principal and Head of Guidance