Un Voyage au Cœur du Québec: Cultural and Linguistic Immersion
By Mme. Fransen
Last week, 18 Grade 10 French students embarked on a transformative journey to la belle province, turning the province of Quebec into their personal classroom. Far beyond a simple sightseeing tour, this trip was designed as a deep dive into Francophone culture, challenging students to move beyond textbooks and engage in authentic conversations with locals—whether at the top of a ski hill, in the heart of a boutique, or over a traditional meal.
The immersion began the moment we arrived in Quebec City. As the sun set, the students navigated the cobblestone streets of the Old City while listening to the tales of French colonists and the dastardly deeds of some criminals as part of our walking ghost tour.
Thursday was a blend of natural beauty and architectural wonder. After a morning refining their skiing and snowboarding skills at Stoneham Mountain Resort, students explored the world-famous Hôtel de Glace. Marveling at the immaculate carvings of the only ice hotel in North America, they saw firsthand how the Quebecois people turn the harshness of winter into a stunning work of art. Topping off this day of adventure, students whizzed down the epic tubing runs at Valcartier, one of Quebec's key winter playgrounds. A particular favourite were the giant tubing runs, taking 6-10 students at a time.
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The cultural education deepened on Friday with a visit to the Huron-Wendat traditional site. Students explored a reconstruction of a traditional village, gaining vital insight into the social structures and lifestyle of the Wendat people. This year, the ice hotel at Valcartier was dedicated to the Wendat, a nice circular moment that we discovered on the trip.
The true test of their linguistic progress took place on rue Saint-Jean and in Petit-Champlain. Students were given the independence to navigate the city in small groups, practicing their French "in the wild." They successfully:
- Ordered their own meals and snacks using long-practiced vocabulary.
- Conversed with local shopkeepers while souvenir shopping.
- Sampled tir d’érable (maple taffy on snow), engaging with the artisans behind this Quebecois staple.
The group’s physical and historical limits were tested as they snowshoed across the Plains of Abraham that afternoon, the very site where the fate of New France was decided. The active day was rewarded with a masterclass in French-Canadian gastronomy: a traditional fondue chinoise followed by delicate maple crêpes for dessert.
To top off the cultural immersion, students fully embraced the spirit of Carnaval. From admiring the intricate ice sculptures at the Palais de Bonhomme to attending a live concert and riding the Ferris wheel.
As a last parting moment on the trip, we stopped at a traditional Cabane à sucre (sugar shack), to listen to live music and play the spoons while eating a family-style feast of all the favourites: pea soup, eggs, pancakes, baked beans, sausages, and ham, all liberally doused in maple syrup produced on the premises. By the time the bus pulled back into CDS on Saturday, the students returned not just with souvenirs, but with the confidence that comes from successfully navigating a different culture in its native tongue.
Does this trip sound incredible? More information will be provided in September to all students registered in Grade 10 French for the 2027 edition. À bientôt!
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Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
Junior, Middle and Senior Schools
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
