Now, I am in Canada for one month.

I’ve had enough time to get used to my schedule, to get an opinion about my classes, to get to know new people, to do some parties, to do sport, to get into a society, to go to a hockey… to be a Canadian student!

I’m rather glad from my experience here, especially because I got in touch with new people.

 As I am christian, I went to the JAM, the chaplaincy group of the university. I met quite a few nice people, really welcoming. The second weekend of January, there was a retreat with them in a center, led by sisters, at the edge from the town. It lasted two days, and it was really amazing. We were around people. We have especially thought and discussed about our faith, in little and bigger group, prayed together, but also acted in sketch, ate together, talked, laughed, played…have fun!

Canada, behind the stage

Description of its government and political system

Canada is a parliamentary democracy. The Constitution Act, 1867 forms the basis of Canada’s written constitution. It states that there will be one Parliament for Canada, consisting of three distinct elements: the Crown, the Senate and the House of Commons. However, as a federal state, responsibility to make laws in Canada is shared among one federal, ten provincial and three territorial governments:

British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Yukon Territory, the North West Territories

In Canada, there are 3 levels of government. Each level of government has different responsibilities.

First of all, there is the federal government (the Government of Canada) who is responsible for things that affect the whole country, such as citizenship and immigration, national defence and trade with other countries. The federal government is represented by the Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada and led by the House of Commons, the prime minister and the senate.

Next, there is the provincial and territorial governments (for example, the Province of Ontario), responsible for such things as education, health care and highways. At this level, the Lieutenant Governor represents the Queen and the Legislative Assembly makes law, represented of Members of Provincial Parliament. The political party that has the largest number of MPPs forms the government, and its leader becomes premier. The premier is the head of government in Ontario.

To end, there is the municipal (local) governments (ex: cities, towns, and villages in Ontario), responsible for firefighting, city streets and other local matters. If there is no local government, the province provides services.

The major political parties in Canada are the Liberals, the Progressive Conservatives, the New Democratic Party, the Reform party, and the Bloc Quebecois.

The current Prime is Stephen Harper. He leads the conservative party and was elected in 2006.

Canada, on the international stage

Canada is part from LENA, a free exchanges agreement between USA, Canada and Mexico that allow them to reduce or even cancel tariffs upon their products, services and financial flows. The agreement was filled in 1994 and set up one of the biggest free exchange area.

Canada is a developed country and one of the wealthiest in the world: it is the eleventh-largest economy in the world. It is a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Group of Eight (G8). Service industry is a major part from its economy, which employs about three quarters of Canadians. Meanwhile the primary sector remains important with the logging and oil industries. Automobile industry and aircraft industry are especially important.in Canadian industry. It is also one of the global leaders of the entertainment software industry.

As an economic power, it plays a major role in the global exchanges.  With a long coast line, Canada has the 8th largest commercial fishing and seafood industry in the world.

First school days, first observations

The class has begun on the Monday 6^th January. The first classes from each course were shorter: it was just introducing the topic, the teacher, and how the semester will go on (exams, evaluations, work, group presentations, book…).

I will spend almost my entire courses with Caroline and Jérôme Oudert.

The timetable is really light: there are just approximately 13 hours of class a week. But more preparation for each class is asked, by reading some pages of the book before each class. That’s why teachers wait for us more participation and implication in their course, and a grade on participation is dedicated.

Moreover the academic system is also different. It is much more independent than ours. People are not spread in classes, that mean they don’t stay with the same people for their whole courses. Here, as each student can choose his subject, they have their own timetable. It is a very independent way to work. Students come often alone or in small group in class, and don’t speak between each other during the lesson. In that way, they are more respectful towards the professor. But it is harder to speak to the others and so to meet people.

And I was rather disappointed about it. I knew before coming that academic system was more independent, but I did not think of this consequence. In fact, people meet each other more through the associations, evenings, parties, housing, than in class.

As I really wanted to meet people, I went to the “wellspring group”, that means the chaplaincy of the university, on the Monday evening. It was great! I met quite a few people, really nice and welcoming.

Concerning the apartment, the Canadian girls are really nice, really helpful. They inform us, when we need to have some pieces of information (about how getting that, where is that building…) and we went together to shop some stuffs. That is just a pity that we don’t eat together. The social aspect of the meal is not part of their culture. It is part of the adaptation process.

About the language point, that is not so easy, above all for the beginning. To understand, the professor in class or people in general, it is not so difficult. But to speak and to be understood it is harder, especially due to my very French accent. Even if we are French and come from “the country of luxury, fashion and gastronomy” and so on that people are quite “impressed” and pleased to welcome us, as we don’t speak very well, it is harder to meet people.

But things would come step by step. Let’s wait and see…

From Halifax to Antigonish

Blog’s goal: to show the students a view of the country and an experience in a university abroad.  

Before going to Antigonish, to begin my semester at StFX, I spent three days in Halifax, the main city of Nova Scotia. I arrived there on the 28^th December, I stayed until the 1^st January. I was in a youth hostel, where I met quite a few people, including foreign people who were in travel, all very nice. It was a great experience.

Then I took the maritime bus, to Antigonish. Caroline Delepoulle joined me in the bus, at the airport station. Brenda Riley, the lady from the international exchange, welcomed us on the campus. The campus was totally white, completely recovered from snow. It is quite impressing! We visited it by car, she gave us some piece of information about the accommodation, the courses, etc, and we moved into our flat. It is an apartment for 4 people, that we share, Caroline and I, with two Canadian girls. Ii is situated in the residence Power Hall.  It was the Wednesday 1^st January.

Then we occupied ourselves for 5 days, until the end of the week. The campus was totally empty, as all the students were gone back at home for the vacations. We got to shopping, to buy some foods and products at the Sobeys just near. There was a snow storming on Friday, so we stayed the whole day inside. It was exceptional! During the whole day long, it did not stop to snow and to blow. The window from the living room was completely covered by snow! We heard that this storm was coming from the east coast from United States and has moved on Canada. It is an exceptional weather situation that has occurred for a few years! Without being aware, we have attended to an historical event!

During these few days, the hardest was the adaptation to the weather. It was often less than -10°C. I have had the impression to go to ski each time I went outside!

Saint  Francis Xavier University is a small university, with around 4500 students. It has been created in 1853.

There are 4 faculties in this university: business, letter and human sciences, education and information system.