Thoughts on culture, education, and having been a Canadian in the US
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Canadian Studies Ottawa Trip Itinerary

Here is the itinerary for our upcoming Canadian Studies Trip to Ottawa which runs from Oct. 23-25. This trip has been running annually since the 1950s and is one of the great traditions of our program here at the University of Vermont.

As I do have a few readers of this blog from the political sphere in Ottawa, I’ll use this space to put out a call for assistance. We’re still trying to finalize the list of MPs who will meet with our group on October 23rd. Needless to say, this is impossible to finalize before the election results are in, but if you are someone who could help us out once the election’s over, please get in touch with me.

This year, there will be 109 of us heading to the nation’s capital and this promises to be an amazing trip for students and faculty alike. The majority of this trip is funded through student fees, but we also get generous support from the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC, the James and Mary Brigham Buckham Fund from the Dept. of English, and from the College of Arts and Sciences.

You can find the complete itinerary by following the link below.

Itinerary for Ottawa Field Trip: October 23-25, 2008

Thursday, October 23:


Depart from south side of Waterman Building (College Street) at 7:00 AM sharp. Participants will arrive by 6:45 in order to assure a prompt departure, because Parliament won’t wait for us (and we won’t wait for you). Students ought to be dressed for Parliament (i.e. “business attire” -jackets and ties for men) because there is no time/place to change once we are on the bus. We will plan on arriving at St. Michael’s at 7:05 to pick up the St. Mike’s group.

· Brief lunch at the Rideau Centre in Ottawa before walking over to Parliament.

· Go to Parliament for tours and to go up the peace tower and view the Memorial Chamber. Tours for Massell’s students (Group A) are at 12:10 and 12:15. Tours for Ayres/Martin/Bose students (Group B) are at 12:30 and 12:45.

· Group photo outside of Parliament after the tours

· 3:00-4:30: Meet with Members of Parliament in room 752 at 131 Queen Street.

· 5:30: Quick meeting in the Pearson Room after checking in at the Lord Elgin Hotel.

· Dinner on your own.

Friday, October 24:


· Breakfast on your own.

· 9:00-3:30: Tour of Canadian art at the National Gallery of Canada and tours of the Grand Hall and Canada Hall at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Before walking over to the National Gallery, Group A will be in Lord Elgin lobby by 9:00 AM (10:00 AM tour), and Group B will be in Lord Elgin lobby by 10:00 AM (11:00 AM tour).

· Lunch on your own at National Gallery before heading to Museum of Civilization. Group A leaves for Museum of Civilization at 12:45 PM, Group B leaves at 1:15 PM.

· 3:30: Both buses leave Museum of Civilization for Carleton University.

· 4:00-6:00: Speaker/reception at Carleton University, Southam Hall, Room 416.

· 6:45: Bus leaves for hockey game, Ottawa 67s vs. Sarnia Sting at Ottawa Civic Centre.

Saturday, October 25:


· Breakfast on your own. Morning free for shopping, sightseeing, touring, etc.

· Check out of Lord Elgin by 12:30 PM.

· 1:00: Buses depart from Lord Elgin. Arrive in Burlington around 5:00 PM.

PARTICIPANTS SHOULD NOTE:

Crossing the border: Either A) birth certificate and government-issued photo ID (driver’s license) or B) a passport is now required as proof of citizenship to cross the US-Canadian border. Students will need to present these documents before boarding the bus. Only a driver’s license is not enough.

Dress Code: Dress is “business attire” Thursday, and “neat and clean” Friday. In general, pack for chilly weather.

Money and Food: We will provide refreshments at the Carleton reception and vouchers for concession food at the hockey game. $75 – 100 US should cover other meals. We strongly suggest that students exchange at least some of this at a local Burlington bank (including the Chittenden bank inside the Davis Center) before October 23. You may want to bring a few snacks.

Ground Rules: Attendance and participation at all scheduled activities is required. “Downtime” is your own. Be aware that your conduct and actions represent UVM, St. Mike’s, Vermont, and the USA.