On Tuesday, June 10, theÉcole secondaire catholique de La Vérendrye proudly celebrated the launching of their canoe birch bark, the result of a collaborative effort by her students and the students of ÉSC des Satellites, supported by an initiative of the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) and the Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales.
This unique educational and cultural project, which ran throughout the second half of the year, was carried out with Christian Pilon, a Franco-Ontarian Métis traveller renowned for his ancestral knowledge.
The canoe has been named "Wendigocon", an Anishinaabe word that Christian Pilon unveiled, meaning the clown of the ceremony, to remind us that it's important to know how to laugh at ourselves.
Yet without the suffix "-con", the word "Wendigo" refers to a powerful and frightening creature in Anishinaabe culture, a true duality between humor and strength, light and shadow, which this name embodies perfectly.
Over and above technical skills, this project has enabled the young people to develop essential aptitudes such as problem-solving, time management, but above all communication and teamwork.
According to Christian Pilon, the project reinforced respect and cohesion within the group. Tensions were channeled constructively thanks to more direct communication and student commitment.
"The finished project is beautiful, touching and unifying," says the Métis traveller.
Sarah Ouelette, the school's vice-principal, comments: "It was a touching moment to be able to witness the launch and see our students' achievement. The learning they've had the chance to do through this project, both in construction techniques and personal development, is truly impressive. The students were visibly proud, and some were moved, by their achievement.
The initiative at ÉSC de La Vérendrye is part of a series of projects begun in 2023 and 2024, when Christian Pilon led introductory workshops in traditional canoe-making at each of our schools. Each school now has its own little canoe.
The canoe launching ceremony, which brought the community together, was a highly symbolic moment marking the culmination of a meaningful project that fosters pride in aboriginal knowledge handed down from generation to generation. A number of community members also took part in the evening event.
