CORAL HARBOUR
The first major exchange program in Coral Harbour during the past 22 years got underway this past month.
Sixteen Grade 10 students and two chaperons came from Centre Wellington District High in Fergus, Ont., for nine days, while 17 Grade 10 Sakku School students and three chaperons will travel to Ontario from May 14 to 22.
Making the trip south will be Destiny Dion, Gail Angootealuk, Ashley Eetuk, Ciana Eetuk, Victoria Ell, Katelyn Kalai, Elaine Matoo, Joe Bruce Nakoolak, Jenna Natakok, Brandon Natseck, Richard Netser, Aidan Saviakjuk, Dennon Nakoolak, Faith Nakoolak, Shana Nakoolak, Clifford Jr. Natakok and Jay Pudlat.
Accompanying the Coral kids will be teacher Kathryn Stewart and parents Bridgette and Andy Saviakjuk.
The program is sponsored by the Society for Educational Visits and Exchanges in Canada with funding from Heritage Canada.
Stewart said the program is good for the students, the school and the community in general.
She said the southern students slept in an iglu on the land and participated in many other cultural activities.
"They went on a caribou hunt and saw a caribou being skinned," said Stewart.
"We had a qulliq-lighting ceremony, throatsinging, drum dancing, Inuit games, square dancing, elder storytelling and country food.
"They also spent a lot of time with their twins and host families while in Coral."
Stewart said the Fergus students enjoyed the traditional activities, and really took to the elder storytelling.
She said life in a remote Inuit community was a fascinating experience for them.
"The weather was sunny and beautiful every day, so they got to go out on the Ski-Doos and qamutiik, as well as a little dogsled riding.
"Some parents felt it was too early in the spring for them to stay warm, but their twins looked after them.
"They were layered up when they got here, and we gave their clothes a good check two days before they went out on the land to ensure they'd be warm and comfortable."
Stewart said the interaction between the two groups was excellent.
She said the Coral students are counting down the days until they go south.
"This was a real shot in the arm for Coral.
"The southern kids came through the school doors laughing, talking and totally enjoying themselves.
"A couple of our kids said the Ontario kids talked so much it gave them a headache.
"That may have been a little taste of their own medicine, because they like to talk a lot in the classroom too."
Stewart said about 90 per cent of the Coral students have never been anywhere near as large as Toronto.
She said the Coral students will spend two days in Toronto on their trip, and plan to visit MuchMusic, the Blue Jays Hall of Fame, CN Tower, Wonderland, Niagara Falls and Royal Ontario Museum.
"It's going to be a lot of fun and a great experience.
"The days can't go by fast enough for our students until it's time to leave."
Stewart said a lot of people worked hard fundraising for the Coral students to take part in the exchange program.
She said the Hamlet of Coral Harbour, Kivalliq Inuit Association and AREVA Resources all helped out.
"The kids also showed movies, sold hotdogs and held teenage dances.
"It took $10,000 to feed and look after the southern students while they were here.
"Our kids will need the same amount, as the bus tickets to Toronto from Fergus and back cost $1,000."
The southern students slept at the library in Coral, while the Coral students will sleep in a church while in Fergus.
Stewart said legal issues prevent visiting students from staying in the homes of their twin families.
She said the Coral-and-Fergus exchange was the first program of its size to have been held in Coral since 1991.
"The parents of our students are very supportive of this because they have warm memories of when they went to Winnipeg on an exchange trip.
"We found some old pictures of that, so we framed and hung them on the school walls for the parents to see when they came to organize the Ontario students' visit here.
"This took about two years to organize and, once we got the final paper accepting our roster of who was going this past January, we only had about eight weeks to fundraise.
"People would have complained if the fundraising went on too long, so we kept it short and sweet."
Stewart said the southern kids were shocked by food prices in Coral and took pictures of them.
She said they were also shocked by just how cold it can really get here.
"Our kids gave them kamiik and sealskin mitts for their hands and feet, and some also needed sealskin pants.
"The mothers made a jacket for the boys and an amauti for the girls, and it looked very nice when they came out on the floor for the first square dance in their black jackets and white amauti.
"The Ontario students came here for fun and adventure and I'd certainly say that was fulfilled."
