The STUdents at Mactaquac.

Students had fun doing winter activities. Saint Thomas University organized the first winter event to bring people together since the pandemic began.

This event was open to all St Thomas University students, with the majority of those in attendance being international students. On February 18, 2023, 2 buses were rented to transport the seventy-four registered students. To attend, a $10 participation fee was required.

The students had a meeting to check in at James Dunn Hall before the big departure at 12:15 am since the bus would leave at 12:30 am. Everyone was impatient to go. Once there, they had to sign a paper in case something would happen.

STU was given access to a lounge, which provided free drinks, including hot chocolate, as well as a variety of snacks. It was a place to rest and keep warm in between activities. There was also access to the washroom.

The Mactaquac Provincial Park offers a variety of activities, such as cross-country skiing. The ski was adapted to fit shoes with laces; no special boots were needed. A trail made a small loop, making it short and accessible to beginners. Some people experienced skiing for the first time.

Those who want to admire the landscape and go for a walk in the snow could take snowshoes. Mactaquac Provincial Park is 4 hectares in size and has many trails. On request, a map is available at the reception.

In the forest, the ice-skating trail was closed due to a snowstorm that occurred the day before. Many people wanted to try it and most one of them retreated to another activity.

In fact, this activity was one of the most popular and it was tubing. A mix between a buoy and a sledge that go full speed on a slope. Just arrived that all the helmets required were already taken. As a result, fewer people ride fat bikes.

Then, it was time to return to school. The meeting time was at 5:00 p.m., with arrival at St. Thomas University at 5:30 p.m.

The organization was a collaboration with STUISA, the international student’s association that contributes to the university’s dynamism. They recently held a bingo game in which the winner received a free meal at a restaurant.

This fall, students visited St-Andrews. Carrie Monteith-Levesque and Brett McCavour decided to visit Mactaquac Provincial Park this winter. Brett McCavour is a Healthy Campus Coordinator at Saint Thomas University. Carrie Monteith-Levesque is STU’s international student coordinator. Carrie agreed to do an interview after everyone returned.

“So, the whole idea behind it is just to get people out and active,” said Carrie Monteith-Levesque.

It was the result of collaboration, and it allowed the students to skip the academic setting of the university for an afternoon. They are pleased with the results and had some memorable moments.

They try to vary the activities every season, and this success will result in many more activities for Saint Thomas University students in the future.