On Sunday, May 24, 130 grade elevens and thirteen teachers walked 12 kilometers along the Trans Canada Trail, starting at the Kinsol Trestle and finishing in Glenora, at Alderlea Farm, where all enjoyed a delicious homemade meal in a pastoral setting. In keeping with Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, a classical work of literature that all of the grade elevens are currently studying in their English classes, students wrote their own tales and shared them with each other as they walked. Each “pilgrim” carried a symbol that related to the tale. These symbols will be posted on a board in the English department to serve as a reminder of the connections that were made through the sharing of these stories. This mini pilgrimage was inspired by The Reverend Holland’s real pilgrimage, where he walked the Camino de Santiago, an 800 km trail in northern Spain that he completed in 30 days. To pilgrimage is to “take a long journey, especially one of exalted purpose.” Our journey on Sunday was one of community building through sharing: sharing stories, sharing the trail, and sharing a meal.

– Cari Bell, Head of English