District School Board Ontario North East

Introduction: Beyond the Walls of the Traditional Classroom

School trips are a rite of passage for many students. Lifelong memories are made, horizons are broadened, and students get to learn in ways that just aren’t possible within the four walls of a classroom. For students at Timmins High & Vocational School (THVS), a recent journey to Moosonee and Moose Factory proved that real-world experience is the best teacher.

“We have many students originally from the James Bay region, who are incredibly proud of their home communities,” said Elizabeth Innes, Indigenous Education Lead in DSB1. “We thought this was a perfect way for them to share their pride and knowledge about life up north.”

Solution: 'All aboard' the Polar Bear Express

“Northern Connections” wasn’t a typical school field trip; it was a strategically designed journey into the "Gateway to the Arctic" aimed at blending cultural connection, community service, and career exploration. By travelling on the iconic Polar Bear Express train, students embarked on a transformative experience that challenged their perspectives and expanded their understanding of leadership in a Northern context.

The trip included several kinds of experiences to help students learn a variety of new concepts. The itinerary was carefully crafted to ensure students engaged with the community on several different levels.

In one activity guided by local experts, students stepped into the boreal forest to learn traditional survival skills, such as setting rabbit snares and fire-starting. These lessons went beyond technique, emphasizing a deep respect for nature and the sustainability practices that have guided Northern life for generations.

Students also learned about the impact and rewards offered by philanthropy and leadership by running hockey clinics for local youth in both Moosonee and Moose Factory. These sessions focused on building confidence in younger children and sharing a communal love for sport.

Finally, to connect learning to future employment, students toured Northern College’s Moosonee Campus. They were introduced to local apprenticeships and major regional developments, such as the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) Redevelopment Project, which offers a future for healthcare careers within the region.

Results: New Perspectives, new horizons

Students returned to Timmins with a unanimous sense of gratitude for the hospitality they received. From survival skills on the land to the cheers at the local rink, they left with a profound appreciation for the people and traditions of the North.

“We also wanted to highlight the opportunities for pathways and careers, particularly in the healthcare field, with the WAHA Redevelopment project,” added Innes. “Our students are proud of their home, their culture, and excited about what the future holds.”

The visit to Northern College was a turning point for many. Several students admitted they had never previously considered staying close to home for post-secondary education. After seeing the local facilities and apprenticeship opportunities, many are now viewing their future through a new lens of regional possibility.

But the heart of the trip was the hockey clinics and a charity hockey game that galvanized the local community.

One of THVS students is from Moosonee, and was excited to show his classmates his hometown on this trip. But just weeks before the journey, he was diagnosed with a rare condition that required him to be treated at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa.

In his honour, the trip organizers decided to host a charity game while in his home community of Moosonee to raise money for his family. It was a great game, with both the girls' and boys’ THVS teams playing alongside skaters from the Moosonee community.

Students helped raise over $2,000 for a fellow THVS student and his family, showcasing the power of the "Northern spirit" and collective action. Needless to say, the student and his family were very grateful for the support.

The journey of the THVS students is a testament to the fact that when we invest in experiential learning, we show students the concrete connections between what they learn in the classroom and the real world that they’ll enter once they graduate. And in a world that is increasingly digital, DSB1 is proving that the most important connections are still those made face-to-face, heart-to-heart, and person-to-person in our own northern communities.