TSIIGHETCHIC - Seven months of raising money translated into a seven-day trip for a group of Chief Paul Niditchie students, who returned from Ottawa June 10.

The five Grade 8 and 9 students toured the capital taking in the Parliament buildings, the Royal Canadian Mint, an IMAX theatre show and several museums. The group also had some fun at Montreal's La Ronde amusement park, a highlight of the trip for many of the students.

Chief Paul Niditchie School students travelled from Tsiigehtchic to Ottawa June 3 to June 10, 2009. From left, teacher Renie Koe, Robert Macleod, Ashley Kay, Deron Andre-Stewart, Chavaughn Blake, Travis Andre and principal Dan Gagne. - photo courtesy of Cynthia Wagner

The field trip cost $16,000. A quarter of the funds were raised by students who sold tickets to fundraising breakfasts, luncheons and movie nights beginning in November. Sponsors from the hamlet – including the Designated Gwich'in Organization, the district education authority and the charter band – chipped in the remaining $12,000. Principal Dan Gagne said the most expensive part of the trip was flying out of the territory. The remainder of the cost was $4,000.

He said school officials organized the year-end excursion as a hands-on learning experience for students who earned good grades and had high attendance records.

"The trip had to be deserved, and these were quite deserving students, the five of them," Gagne said. "We had a great time. We gave them curfews and deadlines for the mornings and they were dead-on on, every one of them, and there were no problems whatsoever. They were quite enthused and they learned a lot."

The students kept daily travel journals and snapped the sights with disposable cameras.

Grade 9 student Ashley Kay said she was really tired by the time she got home, but that her favourite experiences were going on rides at La Ronde, watching an IMAX film, checking out the Canadian War Museum, and St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal.

"It was a good experience because I never did see a church like that in my life before," she said of the oratory.

In general, she thought the cities were "kind of big and confusing to get around" but she said she was really happy about going on a trip that far south.

"We learned a lot of things," Kay said. "I'll always remember that week."

The travellers presented their newfound knowledge to their classmates on June 11, the last day of school before graduation.