Canada's culture, its climate and its people charmed Mexican students during their visit to Orillia and area which culminated Sunday with a trip to Shaw's Maple Syrup.
“I like Canada very much because it’s nice and cold,” said Meghan Marshall, 11. “But if you have the right clothing, it’s not very cold.”
The group of 35 was visiting from two schools from the Sierra Nevada School Board in Mexico.
The trip was organized by Red Leaf Student Programs, which housed them at the YMCA facility at Geneva Park and took them to tourist landmarks in Toronto and Niagara Falls.
“I’m staying at a camp and it’s surrounded by a lake,” said Marshall. “I’ve seen lots of wildlife on the lake and squirrels.”
She said squirrels are a rare sight in Mexico City and there, they are of a different colour.
Marshall said she had come to Canada before this school trip, but prior to visiting the country, all she knew about Canada was that it’s the second largest country in the world after Russia and that it has very cold winters and gets metres of snow.
She said she had also heard some myths about a Canadian accent, but felt the claims were unfounded.
“I had heard that Canadians have accents and speak different than Americans, but they don’t,” said Marshall.
Where that myth was debunked, another was proven to be fact.
“People are very polite here,” said Alex Cortés. “The cashiers were very kind in helping us with our money.”
The 11-year-old said he found Toronto to be a great city.
“It’s not like Mexico City, where there are lots of cars and driving is bad sometimes,” said Cortés.
As for Orillia, he said, “It’s small, but looks like the people are happy and having fun with friends and family.”
The two weeks the students spent in Simcoe County were divided between five days of being at school: Lions Oval Public School, Orchard Park Public School, and Severn Shores Public School.
“I like the school; they’re pretty nice,” said Cortés. “The teachers were great and the classes were good. The teachers and students were very kind.”
They also spent four days visiting tourist sites. The remainder of the time was spent at camp taking part in leadership, survival, and teamwork activities while at Geneva Park.
Camp activities, he said, taught them how to be a team and to cooperate with one another.
“We learned how to be in the woods, and we learned about Canadian culture,” said Cortés.
The trip is supposed to cultivate independence and confidence among students, said Rosa Elena Ponce de Leon, principal at Interlomas, an elementary English school that participated in the exchange.
“It’s great for them to be exposed to a different culture,” she said. “They can also practice in English without falling back on Spanish.”
When Red Leaf is designing an exchange program, education is a critical factor kept in mind, said Erica Derrickson, program coordinator.
“We want them to go home feeling they’ve really learned something about Canada,” she said. “We take them to schools because we want them to experience the difference between Canadian schools and their schools.”
Camp activities make sure the students get to enjoy the outdoors and play in the snow, Derrickson said.
She said the visit also includes uniquely Canadian stops, such as Shaw’s Maple Syrup in Oro-Medonte, where they traipsed through the woods, learned about making maple syrup and indulged in pancakes on their last day in Canada.
“Canada has recently received more interest from companies planning school trips,” Derrickson said. “It may be because they’ve recognized Canada is a safe and welcoming place to be.”
Ponce de Leon said it’s all about making it a learning experience and a trip to remember.
“I hope they take back a love of nature and appreciation of multiculturalism,” she said. “And a sense of pride in growing more responsible and independent.”
