La Fin: Tears, Hugs & Smiles

Well, we've come to the end of an extraordinary journey across our amazing country and across two cultures. Berend and I are sitting in our hotel room within a few hours sleep of our return journey from Montreal back to sleepy little Comox, reflecting back on the week behind us.

This morning we left Magog at 10am for the 2 hour drive to Montreal aboard the bus - all 34 kids -- we met up with parents at an interactive museum called Pointe-à-Callière and learned about how Montréal was founded and developed over 400 years. Then we headed off to La Patinoire des Quais - an outdoor skating rink in Vieux Montreal for a last skate together under blue skies and -15C.  Marie-Helene, Salomee's mother, commented that going home will be just like going to Mexico for the climate change!

Then it was off to supper and then back to the hotel for final goodbyes. It was quite an emotional time for the kids - some of it freely expressed with tears and hugs amongst both boys and girls.

Angelo, Zach's dad, commented that SEVEC has given us a truly amazing opportunity to experience part of what makes our country so special - the presence of two very unique cultures with two different languages.

So some thanks are in order:

- To SEVEC for helping make this dream that started over the dinner table at the Henckel house become realized in such an extraordinary way
-To all the parents of both clubs for believing in it and getting on board with so much enthusiasm
-To the kids of both Orford and Strathcona for being such amazing, good-will ambassadors for their cultures, their communities, their ski clubs and their families
-And to my co-chaperones Cheryl and Berend for being such integral parts of this amazing group.
-To Gilles and Ann for being such warm and excellent hosts for Berend and I
-To the Strathcona Nordics Ski Club and the Mont Orford Ski Club for their extraordinary support over the last year.

Presque la fin

Our last full day in Orford before heading to Montreal. The day began for Tim and Berend shovelling sh$# in the horse barn at Gilles and Anne's country estate. Tim had to redeem himself for his poor performance earlier in the week. Gilles and Ann said we had to earn our breakfast. It was actually a nice way to get some hang time with Oscar and Sassy, their two horses. I think they liked me. After our horse chores were done, Gilles rewarded Berend and I with his special Buckwheat pancakes. These were pancakes the size of tractor tires topped with freshly cooked bacon, cheese, and fresh apple and then smothered with what looked like a litre of maple syrup. Gilles said we couldn't leave the table until we each had three pancakes. I think the cold has done something to my metabolism - I'm eating more than Sassy, Oscar and Berend combined.

Another beautiful sunny but cold day hovering between -6 in the morning and -15 in the afternoon. We spent the whole day at Mt Orford on skis - classic in the morning and a skate race in the afternoon. A big congratulations to Strathcona Nordics Tallon, Jared and Connor who put in a 20km morning ski along with Tim, Berend, Gilles and Orfordians Alexandra, Zach and August. We skied 10km along some beautiful trails through the forest to a chalet where we stopped for hot chocolate before skiing the 10km back to the base.

Here is a pic of our 20km possee upon their return:

In the afternoon we had a team relay in bitingly cold wind. Congratulations to Zach and Alexandra for a strong winning performance. 

Then we all headed home to shower and prepare for the final banquet. The banquet was great fun. We were joined by the MP for the region M. Pierre Jacob with all the parents and many siblings. The boys played hockey in the rink wearing running shoes. 

The Orford team and parents did a wonderful job of hosting the banquet. Special thanks to Audree and the many Orford parents and Richard Morin for the great slideshow. We even had a special cake:

Video from Gold Medal Women's Hockey

Gold Medal Women's Hockey: Orford v. Strathcona

Another brilliant blue sky in Magog today - crisp, cold morning -20 degrees celsius - perfect for an outdoor hockey game. We met at 10am at the outdoor skating area along the shore of Lake Memphrémagog. They have a beautiful 2.5km ice path along the lake that had coach Berend drooling - he brought out his vintage speed skates and raced along the path. When all the kids showed up the gold medal men's final took place on the small hockey rink by the lake. The guys played 8 aside no slapshot hockey and the Strathcona Nordics drafted a couple of Orford ringers to help us out. It started out friendly and polite before our competitive nature came out. Alex Brown, Matthew Salmon and Alexandre Boutin, our Orford ringer, came through with some clutch plays to give Strathcona a commanding lead. Then the Morin twins and Zach from team Orford stepped it up a notch with ringers Connor and Tallon to even it up. The game was getting heated in overtime before the ladies stepped in and took over the ice for the women's gold medal game -- so the men's final ended in a tie. Then the REAL hockey began with the women's final. I won't spoil the drama..you'll have to watch the video.....I'll post the video tomorrow....

After lunch we headed back to Mt Orford for a technical classic ski session with coach Gilles. It warmed up considerably to -12 and it was nice to put something other than klister on our classic skis. Tim and Berend took the opportunity to put to bed the notion that BC skiers are soft, lily-livered people who like skiing in +10 and bucketing rain - we stripped down to our shorts and did a little tour around the training area. They no longer think BC people are soft but now they definitely know we're crazy.

Videos from our trip to Vieux Quebec

Vieux Quebec

Up early for a 6am departure from Magog for a day trip to Quebec City. With all the kids in 2 vans we headed for Levi where we took the ferry across an ice choked St Lawrence to Cap Diamant and Les Falaises - the huge cliffs above which sits Vieux Quebec - the old city - founded in 1608. We spent the day wandering the old city, exploring museums and receiving a guided tour of Le Parlement du Quebec - their legislative chambers. The kids got in a short shopping spree in Vieux Quebec before heading home - a 14 hour adventure!

This Just In....

Fabien, Connor's twin dad, and Christian, Salome's father, just sent me some shots from our museum and ski day....

School of Pain

Another great day today. In the morning the gang went to the Bombardier museum to learn about this company which is a Quebec institution and a Canadian icon. It is a company started by a young 19 year old, Joseph Armand Bombardier, who began the company tinkering in his father's garage - a little bit like Apple Computers.

In the afternoon, we met at Mont Orford to SKI!! The kids were pretty excited to get on skis. Mt Orford is a provincial park and very different from our own Mt Washington but equally fantastic for skiing - beautiful rolling terrain winding through the forest on nicely groomed skate track. Half our group were on skates and the other half on classic. We divided the group up accordingly. Tim headed off with Gilles and a  mix of Orford and Strathcona Nordics athletes for an exceptional technical skills session led by Gilles on offset technique. Berend headed off with Audree for a classic session and Cheryl headed off with some of the Orford mums for some personal ski time in the forest around Orford. My gang did really well with the offset technique work -- and it is clear now that Orford coach Gilles and Strathcona coach Dave B both attended the same School of Pain - having the kids do repeated circuits of off-set up some steep terrain.

After the afternoon session, the kids headed home with their twins while Berend and I headed off to Orford coach Gille's next training session with Sherbrooke University students. There, he inflicted more pain on Berend and I where we did more offset work pulling someone up a steep hill. It was beautiful to ski right in downtown Sherbrooke on the university campus in the semi-darkness.

At dinner Gilles told some great stories of our own Strathcona Nordics coach Dave Battison. In 2006 Dave was driving a truck in northern Italy near Bergamo with Gilles as his copilot. They were working at the Under 23 World Championships in Slovenia. As they approached an overpass, Gilles casually commented that the overpass looked a little low. Dave said 'Nah, no problem'. Below, I've inserted a photo which is a recreation of the description that Gilles provided of the ensuing aftermath.

Sorry no photos of skiing just yet. It was snowing heavily and I didn't have my iPhone out but some of the Orford parents have promised to send them to me so I'll post tomorrow. Tomorrow morning we are up early (5am!!) for a trip to Quebec City. Stay tuned....

More video from Glissade Normand

Here are some more videos from our tubing afternoon and La Tire sur Neige

Glissade et Sucre

This afternoon we all met at Glissade Normand, a spot similar to the Mt Washington tubing park. We had great fun screaming and tubing before retiring to La Cabane a Sucre - the sugar shack - for something called La Tire sur Neige. La Tire is where they pour hot toffee on cold snow and the kids take a 'baton' - a wooden stick - and roll up the hardening toffee on the stick. Snow + Sliding + Sugar = Fun! A great way for Morgan to celebrate her 14th birthday...she got birthday songs in french and english on the bus. The kids all seem happy and seem to practising their french with their twins. Berend and I have retired back to Gilles and his wife's Anne's country estate for a well-deserved outdoor sauna and a nice home cooked meal.

First Day in Magog

We woke up this morning to a beautiful and sunny but cold day here in Magog ( -20 ). The kids are off to school with their buddies (Connor's twin dad sent me a shot of him setting off to school with Jules) and so Berend and I took advantage of Orford coach Gille's private sprint track that he built in his farm field across the road. Berend wanted to race the horses. This afternoon we are are meeting up with the kids to go sledding and to visit a Cabane a sucre.

Total Length of Subway eaten today

The kids asked me to post the cumulative length of Subway sandwiches
we've eaten today. In case you're on the edge of your seat wondering
-- it is 9 feet! We are on the bus about 30 minutes from Magog. The
kids are behaving themselves except for one brief outburst where they
shouted out their respective love interests on the team. And Berend
and I thought this was just about skiing. I promise to post more
riveting details tomorrow. Oh...and the temperature outside is -17

Touchdown

Waiting to get off the plane in Montreal 8 hours later! They're
getting squirrelly - they need to get off the plane.