May 20, 2015

On Friday, May 22, at 10 a.m., students and staff from Sudbury’s École secondaire du Sacré-Cœur will celebrate the completion of the construction of a 13-foot birch-bark canoe with an official launch ceremony. This activity will take place at the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area (2309 South Bay Road, Sudbury). Members of the media are invited to attend.

Since February, students from École secondaire du Sacré-Cœur have benefited from their privileged relationship with Marcel Labelle from the Métis and Anishinaabe nations. During his frequent visits to the school, Marcel Labelle shared his knowledge with students registered in the Native Education Studies and Woodshop courses. Through this learning experience, students became familiar with the importance of the canoe for Métis and Native communities.

“The canoe-building project was part of the curriculum of the grade 11 Native Studies course that was taught at École secondaire du Sacré-Coeur, which was the first secondary school in Ontario to offer this course in French,” stated Mrs. Lyse-Anne Papineau, Director of Education at the Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario (CSCNO). “This hands-on initiative has had a huge impact, enabling students to discover the bounty of Métis and First Nations customs and traditions.”

The grade 11 Native Studies course, entitled “Current Aboriginal Issues in Canada,” focuses on existing and emerging issues of importance to Aboriginal peoples of Canada. Students investigated issues related to identity, relationships among Aboriginal peoples and between Aboriginal peoples and other Canadians, sovereignty principles as presented by Aboriginal peoples, and the contemporary challenges posed by these issues. Students also examined such topics as language preservation, the responsibilities of Aboriginal women and men.

The CSCNO, whose Aboriginal Education program is amongst the most proactive in Ontario, is offering this opportunity to its students to support Native students (First Nation, Métis and Inuit) and help them reach their full potential. The Board’s program includes initiatives that support awareness, learning and success at school, and seeks to instill pride and belonging towards the Aboriginal cultures.

The Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario offers a French Catholic Educational Program that is widely recognized for its excellence. The CSCNO provides a quality academic program that runs from early childhood to adult education, with some 7,000 students in 27 elementary and 10 secondary schools.

Info:   

Paul de la Riva
Communications and Community Development Coordinator
Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario
(705) 673-5626, ext. 294
(705) 677-8195 – cell phone