by Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

FORT PROVIDENCE (Apr 24/98) - Just seconds after the space shuttle Columbia disappeared from sight, a Fort Providence student turned to her teacher and said the following:

"You know, we have to do this every year," the student said to teacher Barb Killbery.

In a sentence, this sums up the experience the 10 kids and two teachers from Fort Providence's Deh G'ah elementary and secondary school had last Thursday while on hand for a space shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

"There was this amazing 'kaboom,' a slash of fire and then up it went," teacher Barb Leuze said from Florida. "It went over our heads in this beautiful arc."

Student Sabrina McLeod agreed.

"It was fun and exciting," she said of the launch. "It was my first time in Florida and the first time I've seen a launch."

As a bonus, Killbery said that the students met and were photographed with Marc Garneau, the first Canadian in space. The astronaut was at the special VIP launch-viewing site Canadian Space Agency officials had placed the NWT kids at.

And, Killbery said another person at the VIP site with an important interest in the flight, Cathy Williams, wife of Canadian astronaut Dr. Dave Williams, sought out the Fort Providence delegation.

"Dave had wondered if you would make it," she told the group.

The students had interviewed Williams before the flight and he took their school pin into orbit with him.

On Thursday night, CBC Radio's As It Happens broadcast their reactions to the launch around the world on the famous radio show.

After the flight, the group moved over to Orlando where they visited Walt Disney World, the Epcot Centre and MGM studios.

Killbery reported that the temperatures were remaining in the mid-30 C range.

As for Sabrina, she also said the chance to swim in the ocean and play on the beach have been among the highlights of her dream trip so far.

"I swam in the ocean," she said by phone from Florida Monday. "It's really salty and when you go under water your eyes get sore if you open them."

Sabrina says she will be returning to the North with seashells for her grandparents.

The group will arrive back in Fort Providence tomorrow.