IT'S REALLLLLLLY HOT IN OTTAWA!

I'M IN OTTAWA!!!!

Ottawa is the capital of Canada.

Hey guys I call this Big Mini Ben.  It's the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill. It was big and grandiose and we got to go up inside it. It was really hot and full of marble. We got to see giant bells in the tower on the way up. 

The view from Mini Big Ben. It's the Ottawa River, the Parliament Building library and Quebec on the left. The library was overrated. I thought it was just a giant dome with a lot of books in it. There is a book worth $14 million dollars in it though.

Really tasty ribs!!!! They're having Rib Fest till monday. People were serving ribs all down the street. 

After this we went to a museum and my heels started hurting and I was totally bored. The best thing was giant whale blubber and a display of an old codfish processing table.

I'm really tired because it's so hot here so I will write more tomorrow.

The East Coast Journey for Kids' Trek Has Begun!

We've started our journeys!

Yesterday,  Morgan and I got up bright and early to catch a non stop flight to Ottawa. When we left it was a cool foggy morning.... and when we landed, it was so hot and humid that the walls of the corridor from the plane felt like they were on fire. It was quite a shock! We had a fairly relaxing first travel day - my friend Laurie picked us up at the airport and we drove out to her home outside of Ottawa to get our bearings and make some plans. We had supper with friends and then crashed at Laurie's house - the early morning and heat took it's toll!

This morning was our first day to check out Ottawa proper. It was over 40 celsius with the humidex and we didn't really want to spend the day outside in that - standing still made us sweat buckets. So, we decided to see if we could catch a tour of the Parliament Buildings. It was an abbreviated tour (mumble mumble something about summer holidays starting after today) so we couldn't get in to see the House of Commons or the Senate, but what we saw was great. We were able to take the elevator to the top of the Peace Tower and look around. Fantastic!

Here is Morgan trying to stay cool in front of the Peace Tower.

We were crossing the road and I took this photo of Morgan, and it happened that the Prime Minister's motorcade and security detail were in the background. They didn't seem to mind.

After the elevator to the top of the Peace Tower - this is looking down at the Library. Morgan counted over 45 Canadian flags starting with almost twenty visible from the tower. We were right under the clock. 

True.

Some interesting facts about the tower. 

From there, we went to the Memorial Hall. This hall contains the names of every Canadian killed while on active duty since the Boer War, right through to Afghanistan. It's very impressive. The pages of the books are turned every day at 11 a.m. so that every page sees the light of day in its turn. The hall is neither heated nor air conditioned, to give an idea of the conditions people fight in (they did have fans on today so that people wouldn't 'drop like flies' as one security guard said). In the winter, it is so cold in there that water freezes on the floor if it's spilled. There was so much detail in this beautiful hall.

These floor markers are made from melted down WWI shells.

Some of the books of remembrance.

The gorgeous book pages.

We did our tour of Parliament and learned about the democratic process in Canada. I'd like to say that Morgan was enthralled - I'm just hoping he remembers some of it, some day! The guides are excellent and very friendly.

From Parliament, we went for a cold drink at a little coffee shop, did some souvenir shopping, and discovered Rib Fest - several restaurants bring bbqs to a major outdoor walking mall and cook up racks and racks of delicious ribs. Of course, we had to sample!

After ribs, we went to the Museum of Civilization and the Children's Discovery Museum. Both were excellent, and the bonus was that entry is free after 5 p.m. on Thursdays, and they stay open til 8 p.m. There was so much to see there that it would take an entire day to read it all. Each province has its own little area of the museum representing life in that province. It's a great place to spend time and even if you rush through because the eleven year old has sore feet, you see lots!

The Grand Hall with a Bill Reid replica on the right (original at Canadian Embassy in US I think).

Saskatchewan's ever-present community notice boards made it to the museum :)

Whale blubber!

Tomorrow we plan on the War Museum, the National Gallery and hopefully the Mint. We'll see what we can get through on our second and final full day in Ottawa. It's beautiful!

The Anderson family began their train journey from Saskatoon to Halifax today. We will be meeting them in Montreal on Saturday. I bet they are enjoying their cabin on the train!

One Week From Now....

The countdown is on - we are only a week away from departure for our first official Kids' Trek journey, and oh boy, are the kids getting excited. Our fundraising was a big success - thank you to everyone who came to our movie nights, garage sale, and family games nights; to everyone who bought chocolates and candles; and to all the businesses who supported us on our journey through letting us help with advertising. Watch for regularly scheduled events starting in the early fall in and around Saskatoon (and wherever you live, if you decide to become a member!) as we continue our educational expeditions around Canada each year!

The kids are eagerly reviewing maps of the areas we are planning to travel to. Because one member of our group requires dialysis and is only able to receive it in Halifax, one family is travelling directly to Halifax from Saskatoon. The Anderson family leaves June 21 and they are taking the VIA Rail train the ENTIRE way to Halifax! The Quintin family is leaving Saskatoon on June 20 and flying to Ottawa.   In Ottawa, we will have the pleasure of exploring Parliament Hill and the Museum of Civilization, as well as visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. From Ottawa, Quintins will take a VIA Rail commuter train to Montreal and meet the Andersons at the station stop. We will then travel together by train to Halifax, where we are staying in a vacation home located within easy walking distance of almost everything we want to see in the Halifax area. We are going to ensure the kids visit Pier 21 (Canadian Museum of Immigration), the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Citadel,  the Discovery  Centre Halifax, and more. Day trips from Halifax will include some time at the Bay of Fundy and maybe, if we're lucky, the Fortress at Louisbourg.

From Halifax we are driving to Prince Edward Island on Canada Day, to experience the biggest fireworks festival east of Montreal. As we drive in, we hope to spend the day at Cavendish and at the beach in Prince Edward Island National Park (with a stop at Green Gables, of course!). On to Charlottetown for Canada Day festivities, visits to Founders Hall, Confederation Players Walking Tours or a Harbour Hippo Tour, and hopefully a visit to Province House, where the Charlottetown Conference was held in 1864 to hash out Confederation. While in Charlottetown we are staying at the beautiful Hotel on Pownal.

On July 3rd, Quintins hoof it back to Halifax early in the morning to catch a flight to St. John's, Newfoundland, while the Andersons fly home on July 4th. While in St. John's, we'll be staying in a bed and breakfast for three nights before flying home to Saskatoon on July 6th. We are hoping to see the Johnson GEO Centre, Signal Hill, The Rooms, and much, much more - including a lovely lighthouse picnic if the weather holds. I don't think we'll be in time to watch icebergs, but we might see humpback whales!

Do you think we can experience it all??? Stay tuned! Daily blog updates will start on June 20th!

Garage Sale

One of the ways we decided to raise funds for our group was to have a garage sale and BBQ. This works to the benefit of Kids' Trek and to the families of Kids' Trek. We make money and clean out our garages at the same time!

The weather was beautiful. We had a clear, sunny day. It was a little windy in the afternoon, but that kept us from getting too hot.

Occasionally we ran down the street chasing a stray item trying to make a break for it, and the rose vase tipped a few times. But thanks to a tip from one of our supporters, we managed to make it so the roses would not tip over - we put them in one of those big "pickle" jars. At the end of the day, we were able to raise another $300 for our trip.  

Thank you to everyone who came out to our sale!  It was encouraging to talk with our supporters today.  

New Logo

Thank you to Corrina Rasmussen-Turner for creating a new logo for Kids' Trek! We love it!

Exciting Changes and a BIG Event!

Well, there have been some big changes since I last updated this blog. Kids' Trek has taken the plunge and begun the process of officially registering as a member-based non-profit group. We are waiting for our incorporation documents for it to be official. There are many reasons for doing this that make it worth the time and effort - a big one being liability and accountability - another big one being the opportunity to apply for community-based funding - and another big one is for the opportunity for people to become supporting or regular members depending on their interest levels. A supporting membership will be $10 annually and you will then receive minutes, planning notes, etc and will be able to see exactly what we are doing, and how. This is open to anyone regardless of their choice of educational style. Should a homeschool or alternative education family wish to join the trip, they can upgrade to a regular membership and start planning with us. Exciting! It's a very interesting process to start an organization like this from the ground up - really with just the idea that families can best learn about their country by exploring it in person.

Our Christmas party wasn't a go. It turns out that we picked a date and time that wasn't workable for a lot of people so we decided in the end to cancel it and try again next year! Once we have a regular weekend that works for more people, we think this will become an annual event.

Our big news right now is that we are working on bringing three fabulous movies from one series back to the big screen at the Roxy Theatre in Saskatoon. This series of events takes place March 23, March 30 and April 6 with the show starting each night at 6:45. It's a series of three movies that I can't name publicly, but if you are a fan of elves, orcs, giant glowing eyes, and rings - you might want to check your email for an invitation. This is a private invite only event. If you haven't received your invitation by email, or accidentally deleted it, leave a message here or email me at clmquintin@gmail.com and we will send it to you! Costume contests, door prizes, official merchandise....it's going to be great! The theatre seats 480 but we are only selling 300 series tickets. See you there!

The Kids' Trek Families

A Christmas Party, and Some Plans

We've been cooking up a great new event for homeschoolers in and around Saskatoon. We decided on a Christmas party event and it's looking like it will be a great time! Thank you to the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation for helping us out with part of the cost of renting their banquet hall. The other bonus is that they are decorating their hall for their own event, and they will leave up their Christmas decorations for our party!

We have begun doing some research on where to stay while in the Halifax area. We all have friends or family to stay with in Ottawa, which is our first stop. We may end up in hotels in Niagara Falls and Quebec City (second and third spots) but in Nova Scotia, we'd like to rent a house for the ten nights we will be there. We've looked at a few options, but the nicest and best so far hasn't been available the time that we want to be there. So, if anyone knows of any  welcoming places for 8 (so far) people to stay in  in the Halifax area, please let us know! We would also consider home stays with other homeschool families, but ideally, renting a house will work best. We are aiming to leave Saskatoon on June 13th, 2012, and return to Saskatoon on July 4th.

We have calculated our travel cost and here is the plan: fly to Ottawa; VIA Rail to Niagara Falls; VIA Rail to Quebec City; VIA Rail to Halifax; fly home to Saskatoon from Halifax. The total cost looks so far to be $1200 per adult and $1000 per child (total). Accommodations total is hoping to be under $3000 total (for all of us for the entire trip). The cost of our activities will actually be the smallest amount.

If you are interested in joining Kids' Trek in travelling and exploring Canada as a fun-loving group this summer, you still can. However, at this date you will be responsible for your own costs in full. You are welcome to find accommodations on your own if it may help you. Just a reminder for new viewers - we want this to be an annual homeschool trek to explore different parts of Canada. Next year we were thinking of Churchill, MB; so if you are interested at all, please let us know by posting here and we can send you more information. You can sign up for future years and benefit from the group's fundraising efforts. We can get better travel deals by travelling as a group and it's WAY more fun!

Here are the details to our latest fundraiser, and you are invited! Stay tuned for more details as they are finalized.

1st Annual Kids' Trek Family Christmas Party and Dance

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

at the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation Banquet Hall

Complimentary Late lunch served at 8:00 p.m.

Cash Bar (beer, coolers, wine, pop)

Gingerbread House Competition ($5 per entry for adults, $2 for the kids' competition, preregister by email) 

with great prizes for the winner including a Grand Prize from Epicure valued at over $70 for the adult competition, and fun prizes for the kids' winners!

This is an event to bring together homeschool families past and present, 

along with their supporters, during the holiday season. We hope to see you there!

$5 per person or $25 per family 

(kids 2 and under are free)

Door prizes, raffles, caroling, games and lots of fun!

Please order your tickets from clmquintin@gmail.com.  No tickets available at the door.

This family-friendly, fun holiday event is brought to you by, and is a fundraiser for, Kids' Trek.

Donations of trays of dainties are appreciated, please let us know if you can bring something to share for dessert.

Tickets will be available for pickup, or mailed out if payment has been received, at the beginning of December. Tickets will not be available at the door.

Thank you from the Anderson, Hiller and Quintin families! We look forward to putting on a great evening for you!

A Magical Fundraising Success - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2!

Last Thursday July 14th, Kids' Trek was fortunate to be able to provide an advanced screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 for our supporters. We sold over 300 tickets to this event, and the costumes were outstanding! The price for each ticket exactly covered what we were charged for the 3D movie, a small popcorn and small pop. We were so fortunate to have some fabulous door prizes sponsors:

McNally Robinson
Dragon's Den Games
Riverside Badminton and Tennis Club
Teachers' Trunk
8th Street Books and Comics
Leven's Coffee
Burron Lumber
Dairy Queen
Benesh Bitz & Company

It took a while to get through them all and have everyone come down to the table and choose something, so thanks to the staff at Galaxy Theatre for holding off the previews until we were done - greatly appreciated!

We also had some fantastic raffle prizes. I was so excited that everyone who won the Potterabilia was about eleven years old - Congratulations to Mason, Breanna, and Sheldon, who won the following prizes (in no particular order):

Dumbedore's Wand in Ollivander's Box, sponsored by Saskcon Repair Services Ltd.
Voldemort's Wand in Ollivander's Box, sponsored by Dragon's Den Games
Harry Potter Artefact Box, sponsored by Kids' Trek.

and last but certainly not least - a remote control mini helicopter provided by Hobbyworld in Saskatoon. This was won by "J" and I hope he is enjoying it!

Thanks to everyone who came out to support our journey to eastern Canada and the Maritimes. Here are some photos of the parents in our group in our Potter costumes to make your day!

Alice (who found a great robe that I would have snagged if I'd spotted it first!), Mom to Kodi

Adelle and Bruce (parents to Brendan and Shaeleigh), as Trelawny and Hagrid.

Kim and Carol-Lynne (parents to Morgan), as Snape and Molly

Special Guests prior to the event - thanks for coming, Harry and Rita!

If anyone has any other photos from the pre-event (of course there were no photos during the movie!) please feel free to email them to us at clmquintin@gmail.com and we will post them. 

Three Families Strong - and an Advanced Screening of a Magical Movie!

Alice and I are happy to welcome Bruce, Adelle, Brendan and Shaeleigh to our journey! This brings our participants to eight, which is a great size of group. We can accommodate around twenty, so we will continue spreading the word, but I am so happy to finally have a committed group!

Our first fundraiser of this year is taking place on July 14th at Galaxy Cinemas in Saskatoon. We are hosting an advanced screening of the final installment of a very popular young wizard movie. We have a pre-event planned starting at 5:30 and the movie itself starts at 6:30. There will be door prizes, a 50/50, Potterabilia prizes, and of course, the movie itself, in 3D. Tickets are $20 and include the pre-event, the movie, a small drink and a small popcorn. Message for details or leave a comment if you want an invitation. We aren't allowed to publicly advertise for this event but I can tell you I am wishing I'd read all seven Rowling books before now :)

Thank you to our existing prize sponsors so far - McNally Robinson Bookstore, Riverside Badminton and Tennis Club, and Dairy Queen. You guys rock!

Carol-Lynne

We are Joined by a Second Family!

Morgan and I are happy to let you know that we have been joined by a second family. Alice and her daughter Kodi are working with us on making our journey to Halifax. We have moved this larger trip from this year to next year. We hope to be in Ottawa for Canada Day 2012 and to move from there to points further east. Morgan tells me that if we make it to Halifax, that he'd like to go to Newfoundland if we can, because he thinks it would be beautiful. We are still looking for more families to join us; we could accommodate up to twenty people, but fundraising is a requirement, fyi. Hard work pays off!

In our History Club, we have spent a lot of time on the history of Canada this year. Our trip to Quebec City really opened Morgan's eyes in regards to much of this history, but what I appreciated the most was that during the flooding in Quebec, Morgan was truly concerned, and it was no longer just a news item. This is because he had been there, and seen parts of the province, and spoken with people who lived there, and enjoyed them. That is the reason for Kids' Trek - the connection our kids make with other Canadians and parts of Canada.

More to come! We are starting to sell tickets for the super-secret magical ADVANCED screening on July 14th in Saskatoon. If you look for magical movies opening July 15, you'll know what I'm referring to. I can't say it by name though, but it's going to be a great time and a great fundraiser for Kids' Trek. If you know me or Alice, you'll be getting an invite soon!

Carol-Lynne