quebec roots 2016 - Des mots pour changer

QUEBEC ROOTS 2016
10th edition
STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES:
THE PLACE I WANT TO BE
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3
• Kuujjuaq
4
4
• Rouyn-Noranda
7
72
66
55
1
• Montréal
• Gaspé
1
Introduction
page 5
James Lyng High School
page 6
2
Kahnawake Survival School
page 18
3
Arsaniq School
page 30
4
Asimauttaq School
page 42
5
Pontiac High School
page 54
6
St. Thomas High School
page 66
7
Dr. Wilbert Keon School
page 78
Meet the Mentors
page 90
Acknowledgments
page 94
3
Quebec Roots, qui célèbre cette année son
10e anniversaire, est certainement le vaisseau
amiral de nos programmes éducatifs. Rendu
possible grâce au soutien financier du
ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport
depuis 2005, Quebec Roots a non seulement
donné une voix aux élèves du Québec, mais il
leur a permis de s’exprimer librement sur des
enjeux qui les préoccupent.
Cette année encore, la Fondation Metropolis
Bleu met en lumière le travail remarquable des
participantes et participants du projet Quebec
Roots. Cette initiative inspirante donne à
quelques centaines d’élèves une occasion
privilégiée de prendre position sur des enjeux
qui les touchent et de devenir des acteurs de
changement dans leur communauté.
SÉBASTIEN PROUX
Minister of Education, Recreation
and Sport, Minister of Families
and Minister responsible
for the Gaspésie—Îles-dela-Madeleine region
Qu’ils s’expriment par l’écriture ou la
photographie, ces jeunes vivent une
expérience humaine et créative des plus
enrichissantes, qui leur permet à la fois de
développer leur sens critique, d’agir contre les
préjugés et l’intimidation, et de véhiculer des
messages positifs à leurs pairs. C’est toujours
avec grand plaisir que nous découvrons le fruit
de leur démarche.
Au nom du gouvernement du Québec, je suis
très heureux d’être associé à ce projet emballant
et je salue chaleureusement l’engagement de
celles et ceux qui y participent.
***
This year, the Blue Metropolis Foundation once
again showcases the remarkable work of participants in the Quebec Roots program. This
inspiring initiative gives hundreds of students a
special opportunity to take a position on issues
that concern them and to become agents of
change in their communities.
Whether they use writing or photography
to express themselves, these young people
are taking part in a human experience that is
both creative and highly enriching—one that
allows them to develop their critical faculties,
act against prejudice and bullying, and convey positive messages to their peers. We are
always pleased to welcome the results of their
discoveries.
On behalf of the Government of Québec, I am
pleased to be associated with this exciting program and I warmly applaud the commitment of
all those who have taken part in it.
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Conçu avant tout pour stimuler le goût de
l’écriture, le programme est arrimé au cursus
scolaire et permet de développer plusieurs
compétences transversales, pour ultimement
de lutter contre le décrochage scolaire.
WILLIAM ST-HILAIRE
President-General Manager
and Artistic Director
La présente édition a été réalisée par
quelque 150 jeunes provenant de sept écoles
anglophones, incluant deux écoles du Grand
Nord. Les textes et photos qu’elle contient
reflètent les enjeux, mais aussi les valeurs et
traditions familiales de ces jeunes et de leurs
communautés.
of several cross-disciplinary skills and ultimately provides support to keep young people in
school.
This year’s edition was produced by some 150
students from seven English-language schools,
including two in the Great North. Their writing
and photography are a reflection not only of
their communities, the challenges they face
and their values, but also of their family traditions.
Engaged in the ongoing effort to combat
homophobia and bullying, while helping
young people at risk, the Quebec Roots program takes an open-ended approach to key
issues in the development of young people.
Students use this creative ‘’free zone’’ to talk
about the problems and challenges they face.
Résolument engagé dans la lutte contre
l’homophobie et l’intimidation, le programme
Quebec Roots, en plus de soutenir les jeunes
à risque, permet d’aborder indirectement des
thèmes clés portant sur le développement de
ces jeunes. Ces derniers utilisent ainsi cette
zone franche de créativité qu’est l’écriture pour
parler de leurs problèmes ou de la réalité de leur
quotidien.
***
Quebec Roots, celebrating its 10th anniversary
this year, is undoubtedly our flagship educational program. Made possible since 2005
by the ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et
du Sport, Quebec Roots has given a voice to
students across Quebec, allowing them to express themselves freely on issues that are important to them.
Developed primarily in order to stimulate an
interest in writing, the program is linked to the
school curriculum, promotes the development
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Photo by Michael Gomez
Authors & Photographers:
Patrick Brown
Allan Colosino
Alyna Davis
Cedric Forbes
Michael Gomez
Meagan Kearney
Morgan McIntyre
D’Shon McPherson
Dawia Medjadi
Bioncé Oliver
Ashley Pacheco
Josiah Pitter
Shakur States
George Sungura
Kane Whitehouse
Sean Whittick
James Yaxley
Mentors :
Writing: Carolyn Marie Souaid
Photography: Joel Silverstein
Teacher: Amy Karawi
JAMES LYNG HIGH SCHOOL
UNDER PRESSURE
• Kuujjuaq
• Rouyn-Noranda
• Montréal
• Gaspé
Lost
Text by James Yaxley
Being lost feels
like you’ve lost everything
and you can’t
get it back
you feel alone
and afraid
and no one
comes to help you
you feel terrible
when you’re really lost
you sometimes wish
you could just start a new path
Vulnerable
Text by Allan Colosino
Photo by James Yaxley
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I feel it when I’m walking alone
down a road at night.
I could get attacked or kidnapped
by some crazy person
and no one would know
what happened to me.
In my room, I’m safe.
I play games on my PC.
Sometimes it feels like
I’ve jumped into the game
and become a character in it.
James Lyng High School
9
Sometimes, I Feel Vulnerable
Regret
Text by everyone
Photo by Ashley Pacheco
Text by George Sungura
Photo by Ashley Pacheco
Like when I get a new haircut.
Or when I’m put on the spot
because it “baits my scene.”
I’m scared around people who are snitches.
It’s too painful to remember
all the things you’ve been through.
Just thinking about
how some treat you like trash—
I feel vulnerable in court—
but that’s confidential.
You don’t un-dig the graves from the past.
When you’re drunk or on drugs,
you feel vulnerable.
You can do stupid things
like get into a fight for no reason.
A rapist can take advantage of you.
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I feel vulnerable in the ghetto of America,
scared when I’m out of my comfort zone.
When I was ten years old and lived in Montreal
North, I went to a French school called St. VincentMarie. Most of the kids who went there were Haitians. I knew a lot of them. I remember there was
also this one Asian kid in the school. The only one.
Pretty crazy if you ask me. I remember him perfectly. His name was Lee Paru. Not every day but
most days, the Haitian kids would bully him. They
called him names and said his eyes were so small
he had no vision. Rumour has it Asians are yellow, so they also called him the Simpson, Sponge,
la pisse and the Flash. The thing that I really regret is not ever helping him. I should have told
my friends to stop, but I always hesitated. I was
scared that if I helped him they would look at me
differently and then turn against me, too.
James Lyng High School
11
Being Different
The Day My Teacher Bullied Me
Text & photo by Ashley Pacheco
Text by James Yaxley
Photo by Ashley Pacheco
Some people go after looks only. Some boys go
for big boobs, big butts, a good looking face and
nice hair. Girls go for guys who are in shape and
hot looking. It makes others feel bad about themselves, including me.
When I was in Sec. I, I used to look in the mirror and ask myself, “Why do I look like this? Why
don’t I look like them?” I felt like I didn’t belong
in this world because of the way I looked and the
way I was. So I decided not to eat breakfast or
lunch, only dinner. I wanted to be like those girls
that the guys always went after.
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One week later, I looked like a zombie walking
around looking for something to eat. My skin was
white as snow. I wondered, “What the hell am I
doing to myself? I look a hundred times worse. I
looked better when I was eating every meal. I’m
not doing this anymore!”
Yes, I’m different but I’m different in my own way.
If they don’t like me, they can kiss my a**. I don’t
need haters in my life. These days I love my body,
no matter what happens.
I remember a time when I was in grade one.
I was only seven years old. Accidentally one winter morning, I forgot to put a shirt on and went
to school. I walked into class with my jacket. The
room had blue walls and the kids were sitting in
groups of five or six. The teacher’s desk was in
a corner of the class. For some reason that I still
don’t understand I was the only kid in the class
she didn’t like. She began yelling at me to take
off my jacket. I told her I couldn’t because I wasn’t
wearing a shirt. She kept yelling rude things at me
and distracting the whole class. Then she sent me
to the office to call my dad so that he could bring
me my shirt. When I got to grade six she finally
started being nice to me. I have no reason why.
James Lyng High School
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Words Hurt
Connecting
Text by D’Shon McPherson
Photo by Ashley Pacheco
I had a friend on Facebook who I used to talk to all the time but then I sent
him a message and he ended up taking it the wrong way. We haven’t talked
since. I feel like it’s because of the way I say things. That’s why I want to learn
to speak better. Once I know how to make conversation, I’m going to be
friends with everyone in my class and attempt to get back those I’ve lost.
Look at Them
Text by Bioncé Oliver
Look at them—
Laughing at me. Laughing at me
Because I didn’t wear the same brands as them...
Laughing, because I wasn’t the same size as them.
Now I’m growing up and they love all my curves and edges.
Pretty! Just like my Mommy and Daddy expected.
Now look at them, trying to wear the same brands that I wear.
Now look at them wearing waist trainers to get the curves and edges
They made fun of me for having.
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Text by Meagan Kearey
Photo by Ashley Pacheco
i got bullied
because of who i liked,
i felt like they would hate me.
My stomach always turned,
i felt sick.
Bunch of kids laughed
When i walked by them,
called me names–
Fag
Gay
Lesbehonest
Stop eating fish
EVERYONE disowned me!
Yes, I’m GAY!
Yes, I’m a lesbian
!
Yes, I’m proud to be!
Yes, I’m happy!
If anyone disowns me,
I’ll still be happy.
Nothing will change.
James Lyng High School
15
Wishes vs Reality
Text by Shakur States
Photo by James Yaxley
My eyes are closed real tight – strong enough to
conceal light, if it weren’t night. But enough of
that – here comes the real fight. I see great brothers and sisters with pride; they flash before my
eyes. What a surprise; they rise up before their
demise. Each of these cats telling their own story
– their visions – recreating History. I guess we can
say that they were really living. They weren’t fake.
They had a mission; real blood was drippin’, real
love was mentioned in this sequel. The evil didn’t
let none of these brothers live. It slashed them
in the ribs, robbed their men and raped their
women, snatched them away from their kids. It
stole their homeland so that they could not live.
No such thing should have happened... but it
did… during slavery. People without a home built
another man a place to live.
In this story, I don’t mention entertainment – out
of respect for the black leaders that stood for me.
I shall not let Hollywood’s illusion lead me as it has
misled others. The pain digs in my heart as my
real eyes realize the real lies.
From the start, we value materialistic things like
gold chains and cars, putting our souls up for auction and pushing our hearts into the dark, ill-love
of all of God’s creations, even when death does us
part. As I drift into a deeper sleep, I lay my head
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on the pillow and my body beneath the sheets. I
see my brother, Martin Luther King. His motivational speech helped prevent wars, leaving small
pieces in Tupac, who helped save the poor. I sit
next to a shocked Zulu – front row seat – ask what
he would change in these times of grief.
“To make a change you gotta be a man. The
death of your story is like a powerful, staggering
punch that you can’t understand. The punch has
an impact. You’re in shock, like you don’t know
what’s happening next. Just like Malcolm X before
his death.”
I’m still trying to understand what he meant, but
I’m 15 years old, born August 12th, 2000. He was
born, 1787. Before he went to heaven, he took
matters into his own hands, went out swinging
like a grown man. He had his own plan. He was
the ideal of our black men. But where’s his credit? He’s left out of today’s History, black kids belittled by mysteries. It’s a straight disrespect to all
our black heroes, whom we are not taught about.
February, “our month”, is being suppressed by
information, held in contempt, lurking in the dark,
waiting for a chance to be seen by some of our
smart youths, sparking their minds. The plan:
Black History... we damned.
James Lyng High School
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Authors and Photographers:
Santan​a Cross
Taylor Cross
Karonhiano:ron Curotte
Karonhiawa:kon Diabo
Brant Diabo
Tiakotierenhton Diabo
August Giasson
Bryar Lawrence
John Mayo
Tehatokenhtha McComber
Jersey McGowan
Nikki Phillips
Storm Phillips
Onerahtaken:ra Rice-Commando
Tehotenion Skye
Ridge Snow
Karis Brown
Bria Cross
Gary Jace Curotte
Brock Diabo
Wenhniseriiostha Goodleaf
Kiana Harper
Aianon:ni Jacobs-Rice
Ethan Johnson
Katsenhaien:ton Lazare
Tehanerahtaneken McGregor
Hannah McGregor-Pelletier
Taierahkwenhawi Montour
Daniel Norton
Shale Stacey
Cole Two-Axe
Okwa:ri White
Othore:ke Barnes-Delisle
Chase Brascoup
Alyssa Corss
Ietsistohkwi:io Delisle
Kahrhano:ron Diabo
Kon wana’ke:ren Diabo
Reilly Anne Diabo
Iohteneratatenion Goodleaf
Kahawitha McComber
Kawera’shatste McComber
Kobe McComber
Ebony Montour
Katsistohkwano:ron Moses
Iawenhontsaieshon Peterson-McGregor
Adam Rice
Karon:tatsi Rice
Mentors:
• Kuujjuaq
Writing: Monique Polak
Photography: Monique Dykstra
Teachers: Jocelyn Dockerty,
Christie Chandler,
Krissy Goodleaf,
Akenhnhahse White
Heather White
Photo by Daniel Norton
KAHNAWAKE SURVIVAL SCHOOL
• Rouyn-Noranda
• Montréal
• Gaspé
How K.S.S. Came to Be
On September 11, 1978, Native students
attending Howard S. Billings High School
in Chateauguay organized a walkout. Their
parents were involved too. The students
(and their parents) were protesting Bill 101,
a provincial language law that forced Native students to provide a certificate of eligibility to qualify for English language education. The community felt this was unfair
because we Natives were here in Quebec
before anybody else!
The students organized a walkout. After
the walkout, the community had several
meetings. That was when they decided
they needed to build their own campus,
which they planned to call Kahnawake Survival School (K.S.S).
While the school was under construction,
classes were held in trailers, people’s basements, and a local bar called “The Moose.”
11 shìskare ne seskehkó:wa 1978.
Shiiohserò:ten. Onkwenhón:we, Billings
ronteweientho iah tehotirihwanonhwè:’on
bew Bill 101: wahón:nehre tsi iah
tetkarihwaié:ri tsi nahò:ten ko:ra
rotiianerenhse:son, ase’ken ì:’i se’
ohén:ton iakwe’skwe ne ratihnarā:ken.
Billings tsi ionterihwaienstahkhwa tsi
niiò:re Kahnawà:ke wa’thonte’khahahkwe’.
Sha’tewatenenhrakhasi. Tóhka nihá:ti
wahontkennisa tanon ia’thotirihwaien:ta’sa
kanà:takon ahontenonhsón’ni
tsi ionterihwaienstahkhwa.
K.S.S. wahatiná:tonhkwe.
Tsi nikari:wes shihonatenonhsōn:ni
nia’té:kon tsi nonwehshon
wahonterìhwaienstá:na. 1979
shiiohserò:ten wahatinonhshisa ne K.S.S.
K.S.S. was completed in 1979.
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Kahnawake Survival School
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The Eagle Watches Over Us
Text by Hannah M.Pelletier
“The school was birthed
out of an act of resistance
to Bill 101. It started as a
dream, but grew to what it
is today — a school which
weaves together our Indigenous ways of knowing with
academic excellence. It has
seen hundreds of graduates
leave through its doors, who
are now committed members of Kahnawake, and
citizens of our Nation.”
— Associate Principal Kanento:kon Hemlock
We ponder what would have happened
if our school didn’t exist.
Would we still have learned so much
about Kanienkeha, our Mohawk
language, and our culture?
The people who founded our
school wanted a future for us.
They wanted us to know who we were.
The founders of K.S.S. chose an eagle
for the symbol of our school.
The eagle represents strength.
The eagle watches over us.
There is an eagle on the sign outside our school.
There is a picture of an eagle on
the middle of our gym floor,
Photo by Wenhniseriiostha Goodleaf
And two paintings of eagles
outside our cafeteria.
When I see those eagles,
I feel proud to be here.
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Kahnawake Survival School
23
I Am Reborn
Text by Ebony Montour
The Voice of K.S.S.
I am the beautiful walls,
Slowly I suffocated.
I am the high ceilings and sturdy floors,
I was lifeless.
Hi! I’m K.S.S. I’m a high school by Highway 132,
with a huge forest behind me. My teachers teach
subjects few schools teach such as the Mohawk
language and culture. Some of my students are
big and tall; others are short and small. All of them
are special to me.
I am each room and each window.
I was a depressing disappointment.
I see all and watch over all.
Until one day I saw daylight again.
I know every burst of laughter and every
drop of tears.
I saw my community working to rebuild me.
Every Monday morning and Friday afternoon, a
student recites our thanksgiving address, called
Ohenton Karihwentekwa. This means “The words
that come before all else.” By doing this, my students give thanks to the natural and supernatural
world around them.
I know every mistake a child makes
and every reward a child earns.
Text by Onerahtaken ra Rice Command
Photo by Iawenhontsaieshon Peterson-McGregor
Something that annoys me about my students
and makes me sad is how some of them smoke,
do drugs and get in trouble with the law.
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At first, I was an undercover school,
housed in many different buildings.
I was scattered all over the place.
Some disrespectful teenagers burned me down.
I was no longer a depressing disappointment.
I am bold and strong.
I am a survivor —
Like my people.
I am reborn.
Kahnawake Survival School
25
Family
Thoughts About My Future
Text by Daniel Norton
Text by letsistohkwiio Delisle
I remember a day I came to school and I was
upset for some reason. When I walked in, I just
became happy.
I am not saying that I like learning, but sometimes
it’s fun. School is where I let my mind go and my
ideas flow. This school helps teens of K-town learn
our culture. You won’t see a school like this ever
again.
If I was in a different school, I might get teased
and pushed around. Here, the school is made for
kids like me: an indigenous teenager with the will
to write. No matter who we are — a kid, a Native,
a scientist, a cop — we are all equal.
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On this day two years from now, I will be in Grade
11, preparing to start a new adventure.
Leaving high school and moving on to college is
going to be a big step for me. Not long ago, I
was in elementary school surrounded by all my
friends. We used to color and math was as easy
as adding and subtracting. Having to grow out of
that stage is sad and makes me wish I could stay
young forever.
But I have been waiting for prom since I was five. I
will get to design my traditional outfit. It will have
beadwork. My tota, which means grandmother
in Mohawk, taught me how to bead. She will be
there when I graduate.
Kahnawake Survival School
27
A Rabbit Outside My School
If K.S.S. Wasn’t Invented
Text by Karonhianoron Curotte
Photo by Wenhniseriiostha Goodleaf
Text by Noron Diabo with a little help from his friends
Often, during gym, we go cross-country skiing. One day, I saw a wild white rabbit scurrying
across the trail. I was surprised that I could even
see her through the thick snowfall. The rabbit
hopped through the fluffy snow, kicking the snow.
How I wish I could experience it all over again!
Remembering that wild white rabbit reminds me
how lucky I am to be at K.S.S. Here, we are close
to nature. Nature is a kind of teacher.
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If K.S.S. wasn’t invented I think people from our
town would be way more assimilated than we
are now. I think people might have eventually forgotten some of our language and culture.
I would like people outside of K.S.S. to know this is
a good school, where we are taught our culture and
language. Without it, we’d be lost. How else could
we have our ceremonies and celebrate who we are?
One day, our children will come to K.S.S. We
hope they will also learn what it means to be Kanien’keha:ka and pass that on to their children.
Kahnawake Survival School
29
Authors & Photographers:
Jugini Ilimasaut
Adamie Tuniq
Markusie Alaku
Kaudjak Alaku
Jessica Pilurtuut
Andy Nappaaluk
Charlie Alaku
Mark Sakiagak
Lucasi Kiatainaq
Randi Nappaaluk
Shirley Sakiagak
Robert Adams
Mentors:
Writing: Catherine Kidd
Photography: Thomas Kneubühler
Teacher: Aurora Gibbons
• Kuujjuaq
ARSANIQ SCHOOL
KANGIQSUJUAQ - LIFE AROUND THE ICEBERG
• Rouyn-Noranda
• Montréal
• Gaspé
Photo by Shirley Sakiagak
What I Think About
Text by Markusie Alaku
Photo by Adamie Tuniq
I wish there was a snowboarding course and
that travelling was free. I wish to be a champion
at hockey. Once I was in Montreal and I used to
play basketball. Once I was young and I used to
be happy. Now I play volleyball often and food
is more expensive. I remember when I used to
go sliding, and when I used to sleep over at my
grandmother’s house every day.
I am a spiderman. I am a superman. I am a batman. I am a famous actor. If I were a superhero
or a famous actor, it would be amazing to be a
role model to many people. My life would be only
sometimes boring and sad because of missing
my family and friends. If I could travel anywhere,
I would go to many places, including Hawaii and
many other good places, and it would be the best
time of my life.
32
KANGIQSUJUAQ IS MY HOMETOWN.
My hometown is a small village of 800 people.
It is breath-taking. It’s amazing once you get out on the land.
You can go out hunting for food for your family to eat and to make clothing.
We have some beautiful icebergs in our bay.
You could go and get some ice to have fresh water to make tea.
We have a National Park called Pingualuit.
During the summer time, you could go hiking to the crater,
fish in the rivers and lakes, kayaking, star-gazing and go berry picking.
During the winter, you could go cross country skiing, and hunting.
Pingualuit is one of my favourite places to be.
— Kaudjak Alaku
Arsaniq School
33
Photo by Lucasi Kiatainaq
34
Photo by Charlie Alaku
I WANT MONEY, got no cigarettes. In W-b summer time there are a lot of mosquitoes. They can
be so annoying, that’s why I wish zombies would
exist. The zombies could be sucked by mosquitoes instead of sucking people. But then maybe
this town would turn into Zombie Land. Kangirsujuaq is a beautiful town, I don’t want it to turn into
Zombie Land.
People do fun things, sometimes boring, like
sports or games. My favourite sport is hockey
and my favourite games are the Inuit games. The
views from the W-b camps of the land, mountains,
and animals – it’s amazing that God created them.
I WISH I had a gun, so I would probably go hunting. I wish I wasn’t shy to play sports. I wish I had a
best friend and that my sister was here. I wish my
parents could understand how my life is going. I
wish I had glasses.
But there is one thing people have to stop! That is
committing suicide.
When we go hunting there are lots of animals. In
winter, there are dog sledding teams, musk ox
sometimes, polar bears, caribou, fish, seals. There
are many things to take pictures of on the land, in
both summer and winter. In the summer, the animals that come are caribou, snow geese, stupid
mosquitoes and Minke whales.
Once I caught my first caribou. I remember the
date. I was very excited and thought that I was a
real hunter. Once I made a parka, and I wanted to
make more. Once I had a dog, my dog was like
my best friend.
— Charlie Alaku
Now I really have to graduate because I want my
parents to be proud of me. I like school, I used
to hate it. I want to be a firefighter when I grow
up. Now that I have a passport, I want to travel
the world. I remember when my biological mother
was still living in this town.
— Jessica Pilurtuut
Arsaniq School
35
Photo by Adamie Tuniq
TWO YEARS AGO, my classmates and I passed
by Seattle trying to get to Fairbanks, Alaska.
There were so many flights to get there but it was
worth it. We went there to watch the Arctic Winter
Games. It was my second time leaving town for a
school trip. Spending time with good friends and
having a good time with them – it was the best
class trip yet! There were times when we wanted
to go home but it turned out okay at the end of
the day.
When we spent a night in the Montréal airport,
we couldn’t sleep all night because we were excited to go home the next morning. My classmates
and I played with the wheelchairs because there
weren’t any Securities on the second floor. We
got home the next day and we had so much fun
thanks to Christina Garrett who picked us to go to
Fairbanks, Alaska.
Photo by Lucasi Kiatainaq
— Shirley Sakiagak
Zebedee Jaaka is a former dogsled
musher who is enjoying a game of
solitaire at the elder’s residence.
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Arsaniq School
37
Mental Images : Photos in Words
ARPIK IS WORKING AT THE CO-OP, he works
from 9am to 6pm. He works as a stockboy, he
fixes engines. He is a good man. He helps people
who need help. This photo was taken beside the
co-op in the afternoon. In this picture he looks
happy because he works hard. Andy took this
photo when Arpik came out in the co-op truck.
He was happy that we took a picture of him.
— Robert Adams
THIS IS ME wearing goalie equipment. I was practicing with other hockey players. That picture was
taken yesterday. I have been playing goalie since
2010. It’s hard to play goalie and sometimes I get
highlights. Sometimes I get hurt. I am not really good at it. It is fun playing goalie. Someone
should come to our village and teach me to be a
pro. I want to have a first career shutout. I want to
see Carey Price and watch him while he’s playing
goalie, and I want to see Braden Holtby.
SKIDOO SHOP. The workers were on break time.
There was only one person. He had to do all the
work. He had no time to take photos. He was fixing a skidoo, trying to make it work well. He was
alone for about 30 minutes. I think he fixed the
skidoo. There were a lot of skidoos to fix.
— Mark Sakiagak
Yaaka Yaaka is a
respected culture
teacher and
craftsman who
makes traditional
Inuit tools in his
workshop.
— Andy Nappaaluk
FROM TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. My friend Adamie took a photo yesterday of our home town.
The land is very beautiful and it is bright at night.
The town looks like an airplane at night because
of the lights. Sometimes when we are outside we
have nothing to do on the weekends, and sometimes we have fun outside when the arena isn’t
open in the town. There are so many lights in this
town but in America there are more lights. The
town is very small compared to Montreal. The picture looks like it has been edited.
— Markusie Alaku
Photo by Lucasi Kiatainaq
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Arsaniq School
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Photo by Lucasi Kiatainaq
Photo by Lucasi Kiatainaq
I AM A SNOW GOOSE. I fly all day,
at night I spend my time at the lake.
Some of my fellows get shot by hunters
because they slow.
I am the fastest goose in the world.
If a hunter tries to hunt me, I can see
the bullet in slow motion so I move quickly.
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— Adamie Tuniq
I AM A WOLF. I am sensitive and I get mad easily.
If I see what I don’t like I growl under my breath
and walk away. I mostly go on by myself during the day,
but sometimes I can get into a group. If I see the animal
I love, of course I’m gonna kill it and eat it all to myself.
If the other animals try to eat what I’m eating,
I get scary because I don’t like sharing.
I can live well in the winter and in the summer.
I am beautiful on the outside and dangerous
on the inside. I am a wolf.
PRO WHEELER
If I did not have to pay for the gas,
I would be hunting or skidoo riding.
When I go riding I feel free because nobody is telling me what to do.
When I’m going to the mountain I always feel awesome.
I climb the biggest mountain with the slowest skidoo.
If we had very soft snow, I would go every day to do wheelies.
My goal is to go down South to go mountain climbing and wheeling by skidoo.
Sometimes I have lived down South, near the mountains where there is lots of snow.
I would like to live near the Rocky Mountains so I could go skidoo riding.
— Randi Nappaalu
— Adamie Tuniq
Arsaniq School
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Authors & Photographers:
Timothy Crow
Charles George
Julia George
Minnie Ittoshat
Raymond Ningeocheak
Malaya Sala
Miana Sally Quarak
Miikwin Masty
Mentors:
Writing: Catherine Kidd
Photography: Thomas Kneubühler
Teacher: Catherine Panagakos
• Kuujjuaq
ASIMAUTTAQ SCHOOL
KUUJJUARAAPIK - BREATH-TAKING AND BRIGHT
• Rouyn-Noranda
• Montréal
• Gaspé
Photo by Raymond Ningeocheak
Seal
Text & photo by Raymond Ningeocheak
I am a seal. I live underwater. I breathe through the ice in the winter time.
Hunters of the North try to catch me, while they wait for me on top of the ice.
I lie down in my den feeding on shrimps and tiny fish. I am a seal.
Polar Bear
Text by Timothy Crow
Kuujjuaraapik is breath-taking and isolated. I do
believe this place is breath-taking because of the
land, the river and the bay. In the summer, the
warmth and the colours of the land is beyond
amazing. How green the grass and trees can be.
How blue the sky and water can be. On rainy
days, you can smell the trees. The clouds can be
dark and grey, like grey paint smudged on a plain
white plain piece of paper.
I like the way we are isolated. It may be harder to
travel, but it will definitely be worth it when we
do. Some people will travel on business or vacation. Some people will leave when they want and
some will work hard to do it. I am definitely one
of those people.
— Julia George
I am a polar bear in the middle of nowhere, a beast of the Arctic,
King of the Arctic as the lion is king of the jungle. I ate weeks ago
but I am still full. I will need to start hunting before it’s summer,
walking almost five hundred kilometres tracking a seal.
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Asimauttaq School
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Photo by Raymond Ningeocheak
I am a wolf.
Text & photo by Julia George
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My pack and I howl in different harmonization
to sound as if we are more than us seven.
We hunt other animals to feed our pups and ourselves.
We travel great distances on all four paws.
Our thick coats of fur keep us warm even
on the deadliest days and nights of winter.
I wish I was in college because I really want to
finish high school and want my little sister Beatrice
to go to college, too. College looks and sounds
awesome to me and it might be fun, but the thing
is I don’t like a lot of homework. It gives me a big
headaches, going out of my mind.
My own pack challenges me in a fight,
questioning my leadership. An alpha and an omega.
I am the alpha, in case you questioned.
My challenger’s mate acts scared and is leaning on him.
But in reality, she protects him by covering his neck
with her own body, in hopes I do not kill him.
Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. I am the alpha,
my pack should never forget.
— Miana Sally Quarak
Asimauttaq School
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Photo by Raymond Ningeocheak
Photo by Charles George
KUUJJUARAAPIK is fun because there is a Triple
Gymnasium and a Youth Centre that has everything to make it fun – sports, video games, a pool
table. There are games with the village that happen at least once a month. It is expanding because there are new buildings that always are being built, new people seen every day.
In Kuujjuaraapik there are a lot of recreational activities going on in town. There is kite skiing, an
outdoor hockey rink, cross country skiing, indoor
hockey, a weight room and many more activities.
Kuujjuaraapik also has quite a few jobs. There’s
probably a job opening here at the school. I have
two jobs, at the swimming pool as a lifeguard and
as a kite ski instructor.
— Timothy Crow
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— Raymond Ningeocheak
Asimauttaq School
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Mayor Lucassie
Inukpuk looking
over the land
toward the
frozen Great
Whale River
Photo by Raymond Ningeocheak
Puppy
Text & photo by Miana Sally Quarak
Once I had a puppy named Angel.
She was just a few months old when
I got her. My mom loved her also.
My dad was playing around with the puppy,
like chasing or the puppy chasing him.
One night the puppy was sick,
very sick and I had nothing to do
with it so I just put it in the
garbage when it died.
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THE SOUND OF PEACE and calm you hear different things
The wind going through the trees, the water dripping
on the ground after pouring rain, the birds chirping
the sun glaring at you, waiting quietly.
— Minnie Ittoshat
Asimauttaq School
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Photo by Julia George
Caribou
Text by Miana Sally Quarak
Photo by Julia George
I REMEMBER going camping with my whole family out on the land by canoe.
I wish I could go back to those times. We went hunting every weekend.
I wish I could see my mom again. My sister could stay here with me,
my family could get back together.
Once I broke my arm. Once I had a beautiful family and a job.
Once I failed my report cards and dropped out of school.
Now I am in school, writing about me,
I don’t know why. Now I am hungry.
Crunch, crunch… Caribou stepping away
from me. Crunch, crunch…getting closer
while the Tuk tuk (caribou) is going away.
Mosquitoes everywhere, flies everywhere
As I get closer slowly, quiet and calm.
I tried getting closer and closer while
it was eating grass, drinking water
I try not to disturb but I sneezed
and it went away.
— Malaya Sala
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Asimauttaq School
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Authors & Photographers:
So many lies, rumours and gossip have
been told on these roads. Secrets revealed—friendships lost. After so many
years of putting up with it all, they have
started to crack and crumble. With the
ice-cold hate and scorching love, the
cement has started to shift and lose its
vibrancy. People take a toll on these
poor old roads.
— Precious
William Bastien
Samuel Buchwald
Hannah Caldwell
Jonathan Hamilton
Courtney Hodgins
Alida Horner
Hollie Kingsbury
Chevy Larocque
Nicolas Lemaire
Ryan Murdock
Erika Richardson
Precious Ryan
Mentors:
Writing: Raquel Rivera
Photography: Pierre Charbonneau
Teacher: Jordan Kent
• Kuujjuaq
PONTIAC HIGH SCHOOL
THEY KNOW. THEY ALL KNOW. EXPOSED.
• Rouyn-Noranda
• Gaspé
• Montréal
Pontiac High School
Exposed
Fast-Forward
Text by Hannah
Photo by Precious Ryan
Text by Erika
Photo by Hannah Caldwell
Uncomfortable. Like a newborn babe, you are laid
bare and naked to the entire world. You have no
cover. Nowhere to run. You are caught in a trap,
and even more lie before you.
Frozen. Shocked by the stares, the whispers. You
know what they are discussing—you. Their glances weld you to the floor, and their words chip
away your soul piece by piece. They know; they
all know. No longer does your secret shackle you;
the truth is your freedom, your escape. You have
no way out, but you don’t need it: the truth has
given you wings. Liberated.
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Friday night you have one too many drinks and
say things you shouldn’t and before your hangover has worn off ten people have texted you because they didn’t like what you said. Your newest
guy friend comes to pick you up and you make
the mistake of driving through town and when
you turn your phone on when you get home four
friends saw you in the passenger seat of his car
and all they can do is question you. Too many
drinks lead to you falling down the stairs which
lead to your broken leg and before you even get
out of the hospital three family members text you
asking why you did something so dumb.
Pontiac High School
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The Flames
The Beginning of My “Stories”
Text by Sam
Photo by Erika Richardson
He received a blow to the face, neck, and hands.
16% of his body up in flames, literally!
He walks through the school doors nervous of reactions.
Fortunately for him they already know. But lost in translation was the truth.
I was trapped in a dark room and couldn’t see
When I was there, it was private
My thoughts to myself and no one knew
But then the day I came out, everyone knew me
It was seen in newspapers and
there was a photo so the people knew what I looked like
The people who knew my dad probably talked about me
I was born
— Nic
While we were walking downtown, our little minds
were in need of an adventure. An old abandoned
house seemed appealing to our eyes so that’s
where we went. The adrenaline of trying not to
get caught, or someone seeing us, was eating us
alive. Every sound made us cringe, but when we
were done exploring, we got some great pictures
out of our little adventure.
— Hollie
Between the hockey players,
the old folks
and the kids at school,
nothing is hidden for long as
assumptions travel from the mouths of curious gossipers.
— Ryan
Seized by the Moment
Text by Erika
It was easy coming home; everyone understood
why I couldn’t eat, why my face was swollen like a
balloon, and why I was home from a ten-day vacation six days early. Every family member, family
friend—even acquaintances—knew I’d had a seizure. That’s why I was home early, exhausted and
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cut up. My life had forever been changed by a
forty-five minute seizure on a boardwalk in Rome.
No one asked me about my trip until a month
later because it was such a touchy subject. That
was the only time I ever considered exposure to
be good.
A little foggy but back to the bench, “take one for
the team”, then back out on to the ice. A week
and three hospitals later all to the same conclusion… Concussion. A month and a half of people
spreading their take on what happened, and then
the dreaded return to set them all straight.
— Chevy
Pontiac High School
59
I am.
Four Sisters
Text by Sam
Photo by Nicolas Lemaire
Text & photo by Hannah
I am the endless rolling snow covered fields.
I am a beaver tail sprinkled in real brown sugar and lemon juice which almost evaporates
off its surface from the warmth of the crust.
I am “I shit you not.”
I am a beautiful, peaceful place…. I am home.
In a line they stand; tall, narrow, and pointed.
Their roofs are sparkling sable; the white trim and
lattices are bygone and beautiful. Sisters in architecture, but like siblings, they’ve their own quirks.
The oddest sister is perhaps the oldest, for her
walls are cracked and her paint chipped. She
stands apart from the line. Her colouring is like
that of a newly blooming rose, yet she is well past
her prime. A cave-in of the porch and floorboards
could have been separate events, or the result of each
other; no one truly knows.
This place is not the centre of town, nor even its thriving heart. The residents are nearly as old as the buildings themselves. Yet it is breathtaking, and beautiful,
and a testament to our history, our endurance, and our
pride and joy.
I am
Text by John
I am the old railroad tracks
I am driving the combine we just bought with the sun setting and a huge smile on my face
I am a rural, close-knit, caring and friendly community
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Pontiac High School
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I stand through seasons
I watch time flow around me
Exposed outside
— Ryan
Haiku Exposed
Text by Nic
My story is out
Without me even knowing
How interesting
Rambling the Roads
Text by Courtney
Photo by Hannah Caldwell
Cut From Another Cloth
Text by Alida
She was an ocean. Such beauty and grace yet
deep down a terrifying mess. All the intoxicated
nights she spent alone started to get her down.
She did not bleed for attention. That’s where they
were wrong. They did not know. They did not
know her obstacles at home. She was an ocean,
an exposed, beautiful mess. One we will never
see again
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Trapped in a box of people’s thoughts. When
he was an early teen he went down some rough
roads. He was influenced by the wrong people
and involved with party acts, which created his
identity in a town where nobody believes your
reputation can be changed. We are trapped in a
box of people’s thoughts, dreaming to get out.
In this town I don’t feel comfortable. I don’t want
to go into a store for something I need, I don’t
want to go eat dinner in a restaurant on Main
street.
In this small town you’re like an object. People use
you to make themselves feel better. Run-down
buildings are the same as people with bad reputations.
Pontiac High School
63
Blinded (when she did not know)
My Eye
Text by Precious
Photo by William Bastien
Text by William
Photo by Precious Ryan
Even when you’re surrounded by darkness doesn’t
mean you can’t find your way out. It’s not nice
when you’re surrounded by darkness and the only
light is on you; you’re exposed. Everyone can see
you but you cannot see them; a spotlight. Sometimes you have to be put on the spot to come to
realization.
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They may compare your eye to the sea,
its blues and greens frozen in an eternal waltz.
Your eye may hold the beauty and grace of the sea,
but my eye, my eye
has the power and heat of the earth.
Your eye may break into song in the sun,
but my eye gains its melody in the night. In the shadows,
my eyes gain the immeasurable beauty of a black hole and the
sparkle of all galaxies.
Pontiac High School
65
Authors & Photographers:
Maya Ben Ayed
Alyssa Bensoussan
Callee Chesser
Livia Costenaro
Tyler Cowan
Ilaria D’Alessio
Colin D’Amour
Athanassios Douzepis
Ethan Dubé
Madison Edward-Wright
Sarah Fournier
Olivia Frangedakis
Anabel Gemma
Madison Handfield
Nicole Handfield
Maatheeswaran Kathiresu
Michael Marcovecchio
Jonathan Masciotra
Yaniv Mellul
Michael Minichiello
Lucas Norkis-Kostka
Adriana Pavone
Giuliana Pichirallo
Michaela Principe
Darci Reilly
Massimo Riccio
Shania Shinde Jadhav
Jacob Soles
Hailie Szabo
Kiera Tordon
Jack Tsonos
Jane Weber
Julianna Woolgar-Nielsen
Mentors:
Writing: Elise Moser
Photography: Chris MacKenzie
Teacher: Colleen Murphy
• Kuujjuaq
ST. THOMAS HIGH SCHOOL
• Rouyn-Noranda
• Montréal
• Gaspé
I pick up the puck
My skates carve the ice like a pumpkin
Moving faster now
The puck and I are dancing down the ice
The crowd is silent
The red light shines
— Massimo Riccio
I fought with my parents and everyone around me.
One day my dad slammed the door and walked
out. We sold our house. He bought an apartment.
Individuality vs. Society
Text by Yaniv Mellul
I am a free individual.
Born by the grace of God and trapped in a cage of discrimination.
Held captive by the thoughts and opinions of others.
My unique identity, locked away by society.
It holds me down.
When my parents separated I thought it was the
end. I felt lost, betrayed and alone. It was hard
enough on me, but even harder on my sister.
At the beginning I did not understand why this
was happening to ME. My friends all have happily
married parents, what do I have? TWO homes.
I cried for the longest time. I finally stopped. I
never got over it. But I stopped. All the pain was
GONE.
— Anonymous
To be yourself is the key.
For the idea of individuality is not to care what other people think.
To be who you are because you are a stronger link.
Why should we care
If we are judged by our shoes
or our hair.
To see if we abide by the laws of conformity.
It is just the mechanism of our society.
Beauty lies in diversity.
Although we are raised with minds of our own.
We tend to sit in the pile, just another stone.
We should all just be,
Just breathe and let our individuality be free.
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I am me because of my love and passion for soccer. No matter the temperature outside, I am running down the road with a ball at my feet. The
feeling of the wind against my face when I’m chasing the ball down the road is exhilarating.
— Tyler Cowan
St. Thomas High School
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Winter
Shoulders and Knees
Text by Livia Costenaro
Text by Sarah Fournier and Anabel Gemma
millions of snowflakes
making their way
through twists and turns
ups and downs
they descend
the streets covered
rooftops white
wind blowing
winter is here
cold and harsh
but beautiful
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How can we be individuals
when there are restrictions placed upon us,
when we no longer possess
the right to express ourselves?
We try to explore individuality,
but in the end we are forced into the same category,
accused of seducing the boys.
As girls,
why should our shoulders and our knees
not be seen?
Haven’t we always been told to be comfortable in our own skin?
To love ourselves and the way we look?
Imposing these rules on girls only diminishes our self-confidence.
Boys parade around the school in their Speedos,
while we are unable to show an inch of our stomachs.
This is clearly a double standard!
How can we be individuals
when THESE restrictions are placed upon us?
St. Thomas High School
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Ain’t Nothing But a Hound Dog…
Text by Ethan Dubé, proud volunteer of the Greyhound Rescue Québec
Dedicated to the numerous greyhounds
that need saving and to the great rescuers
that try their best to save them.
Speed
And they’re off
Do not blink as dust is all you’ll see
Great muscles exploding as the dogs break free
Grace
Regal and precise
Like a wave they crest and roll
Hitting their stride, running with soul
Contest
Their swift legs
Carry the day
The pads of their feet wearing away
Hunger
Back in their cages
They hope for a meal
Simply losing a race could mean the death of the deal
Torture
Exhausted, starved,
They struggle to survive
Only winners keep racing and continue their lives
Death
The torture finally comes to an end
In comes the killing
Their bodies to dust, though their
hearts are still willing
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Rebirth
Someday, for some lives
Darkness comes to an end
People come forward to look for a friend
Life
When the racing’s all over
The hounds can relax
Finally free of fear and stress
Acceptance
Taken out
And let in
This family is where their new life will begin
Dog
A life full of cruelty
There must be some more
To be dogs and be loved is what they ask for
Passion
We volunteers save their lives
We’ve sworn an oath
Giving hope to us both
Pride
I am proud
The greyhounds, so delicate and so bright
They are dogs of strength and pure light...
I am an individual.
Text by Callee Chesser
I fight everyday to express myself to show others who I am.
I share my likes and dislikes no matter the consequences.
“Wear this makeup”
“Buy this bag”
How can I express myself when brands and styles are shoved down my throat every day?
I try to run from society’s judgement.
I find myself with an armful of shopping bags filled with clothing I do not like.
Why do I have to look like that model?
Some say that everyone is an individual.
I disagree.
In order to be an individual, one needs courage.
Who decides who gets to be an individual and who has to look like someone else?
Why can’t I just be me?
An individual has the courage to put themselves in a vulnerable position in order to show others who they are.
I am an individual.
St. Thomas High School
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Freedom
Art
Text by Jack Tsonos
Text by Livia Costenaro
To be free is to be who you want.
To be free is to do what you want.
Freedom is a lost cause.
Freedom is a false hope.
I am not free.
I never will be free.
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My pencil touches the paper
Masterpieces made of lead
Drawings that were trapped in my head
Fill the page
Art is my bridge
To a better place
My imagination runs wild
I lose track of time
I am transported
To my paradise
Where anything is possible
St. Thomas High School
75
Nobody
Text by Julianna Woolgar-Neilsen & Darci Reilly
“Oh, you are Jordan’s brother?”
This is what I hear when teachers see me for the first time.
I am judged based on his actions.
Teachers assume that because we are brothers we act the same.
“No Sir/Mrs., it is Jonathan.”
I am not my brother, I act different, I think different. I am different.
I am an individual.
— Jonathan Masciotra
I have never felt alone
i already HAVE FRIENDS,
THEY make me who i am
i NEVER feel isolated
SEEing THEm REALly makes ME happy.
What can i say?
FRIENDSHIP IS never PAINFUL
I HATE IT WHEN I’M not WITH THEM
I FEEL SO ALONE when i’m not IN THEIR COMPANY
I DON’T know what i’d do without them
we FIT together so well
i’d follow them ANYWHERE . .
if they saw the real me, i would have no friends.
i’m a nobody.
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St. Thomas High School
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Authors and Photographers:
Bradyn Anderson
Desiree Behm
Jenna Boisclair
Alexander Fleming
Adan Fleury
Melody Freeland
Megan Gagnon
Blake Grieve
Sabrina Lariviere- Bourgoin
Isabelle Legault
Graham Michaud
Jayda Michaud
Sabrina Ouellet
Cody Ranger
Kalen Ranger
Kiley Romain
Cameron Tackney
Kole Venasse
Kyle Von Witzleben
Josh Gaudette
Mentors:
• Kuujjuaq
Writing: Raquel Rivera
Photography: Pierre Charbonneau
Teacher: Allison McLaughlin
DR. WILBERT KEON SCHOOL
LEARNING FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES
• Rouyn-Noranda
• Montréal
• Gaspé
Pink Pencil
Lost Moment
Text & photo by Melody Freeland
Text by Cody Ranger
Photo by Koe Venasse
A single pink pencil sat there unwritten, untouched, just waiting for an idea to pop into
someone’s head. Every word counted, every
second of precious time. Slowly the urge to write
began and the words just flowed like a river, deep
and meaningful, to be heaved and told. The story
continued on and was slowly coming to an end.
The pencil was set down on the blue sparkly binder, waiting for another idea, to have a purpose to
write something extravagant again.
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The moment when your math teacher says something really important and you miss it. You were
too busy colouring on the white piece of paper
but he is still explaining what you have on the
midterm. You just explode inside. “What did he
say, what do we have to do? I don’t get it.” All
that just for disengaging from our math class. I’m
not ready!
Dr. Wilbert Keon School
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A pile of papers were dropped on my desk. The
task, a massive response to a text I didn’t even
understand. My thinking was all over the place
like a plane flying across the world. It was a complete brain fart. The only thoughts I had in mind
were, where do I start?
— Cameron Tackney
I was with my friend and he brought over his Ski
Doo and we drove in the field behind my house. I
had a blast, going fast, heart racing really fast. We
drove all until it was too cold to drive anymore. It
was fun until the end when my toes and face were
freezing. We also went ice fishing. That was also
fun. We didn’t catch anything, but it was still fun
racing our skidoos!
People Tell Me to Listen
Text by Anonymous
Photo by Sabrina Ouellet
— Kole Venasse
Staring at a random spot in the classroom sounds
much better than doing work, any day. It’s much
easier. But sometimes when I actually want to
work and get good marks, my eyes still stare out
in the open, and I don’t tell them to. They do what
they want to do.
MY WORST DISENGAGED MOMENT is to be
honest right now. Because I’m writing this story
and I have to come to school every day.
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— Alexander Fleming
People think I don’t want to listen, but I actually
listen too much, and it blocks my brain from doing
anything else. Zoning out feels like waking up in
the morning. You really want to get out of bed
and not be late, but you can’t because you’re too
comfortable, and you usually end up missing the
bus.
Sitting still is actually impossible, because it’s just
shutting me down even more, and I feel like falling asleep. Moving my foot or hand feels like a
hamster is spinning and making me able to work
in class, or anywhere.
When people tell me to listen, I am, even if I’m
not looking at that person. To tell someone with a
disorder to listen is like telling a person with asthma to breathe better.
Dr. Wilbert Keon School
83
Mont Blanc Ski Trip
Math and Exams
Text by Kyle Von Witzlebe
Photo by Graham Michaud
Text by Sabrina Ouellet
Photo by Melody Freeland
The hills were great and there were no line-ups at
the lifts and I boarded ‘til my legs got sore. Then
we went back to our lodge and built a jump in the
powder snow and we all hit it. The next day was
pretty much the same but at the end of the day
we had to leave and go back to the school. One
of the kids in the same room as me bought pepperettes and they stank a lot. We left the stinky
pepperettes behind when we left. That trip was
awesome.
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I really love exams and math. Every time I have a
math exam or midterm I get really excited. I don’t
learn anything during the exam, but the weeks before the exam, while we are learning many things,
are fun for me. I always find learning something
new is fun.
Dr. Wilbert Keon School
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Training Wheels
Text by Kiley Romain
When I was five years old I had a purple bicycle.
It was the greatest and it was mine. But the one
thing I hated was that it had training wheels. I
hated those rough tiny plastic wheels with a passion. One day I guess I felt really anxious; I ran
up to my dad in the kitchen, and asked him to
take those little wheels off. We went outside in
the grass, he took the wheels off and I sat down
on the seat. My dad said he would give me a little
nudge to start. I felt like I was going to puke as I
starting peddling. I was actually doing it—I was
riding a bike. Of course I fell every five seconds.
At least there was grass to soften the fall, but,
eventually, I mastered it.
Grade One
My Turn to Speak
Text by Desiree Behm
Text by Megan Gagnon
Photo by Jenna Boisclair
Learning the play “The Three Little Pigs” in
French: I was always so pumped to do plays like
this. I had the excitement of the energizer bunny.
The day finally came when we got to perform in
front of the school and parents. I was so confident
of getting on that stage and showing everyone
that I could do it. The loudest voice, the strongest
body, the most confident kid there. I wasn’t shaking in fear—never felt discouraged. Those were
the days that I loved the most.
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Sitting in that classroom waiting for my turn to get
up there and say my own opinion. I was nervous
but excited, terrified but happy. I knew that my
teacher loves when people share their ideas and I
thought if I did share, I might just get a good mark.
My hands were shaking but my teacher called my
name. I stood and turned to my classmates. Then
my mouth opens and I just start to talk.
Dr. Wilbert Keon School
87
Photo by Alexander Fleming
Last day of school
Everyone is ready to leave
And all the grades are
Ready to go even if they may
Never come back to this school
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Photo by Jenna Boisclair
Laughter fills the halls as I walk through them.
Everyone has their heads lying on their desks as the teacher tries to teach.
Activities are being planned, ski trips, tournaments, lunch days and so many more.
Reading, writing, trying to learn.
Nothing sticking, I will never accomplish anything
Learning is very exciting!!!
Even though you’re not always in the mood.
Annoying is an adjective that someone might use but say it in a
Respectful way, it might offend people who love it
Not everyone likes it but I love it.
— Jayda Michaud
— Sabrina Bourgouin-Lariviere
— Sabrina Ouellet
Dr. Wilbert Keon School
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MEET THE MENTORS
ELISE MOSER is a writer and editor. Her
YA novel, Lily and Taylor, was named to
the American Library Association’s Best
Fiction for Young Adults list for 2014. Her
book for kids 8-12, about the real-life
woman who invented plastics recycling,
will be out this summer. It’s called What
Millie Did: The Remarkable Pioneer of
Plastics Recycling.
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THOMAS KNEUBÜHLER’s current projects deal with Canada’s far North, where
he investigates how technology and
the extraction of natural resources effects the people and the land. Originally
from Switzerland, he has been living in
Montreal since the year 2000, where he
completed a MFA at Concordia University in 2003. His works have been presented in exhibitions in both Europe
and North America, most recently at the
Musée d’art contemporain, Montréal
(2011), the Centre culturel canadien,
Paris (2012), the Centre Pasquart Bienne (2014), the Manif d’art 7, Québec
(2014), and the Videonale.15 at the Kunstmuseum Bonn (2015). In 2011 he was
awarded the Pratt & Whitney Canada
Prize of the Conseil des arts de Montréal,
and in 2012 the Swiss Art Award by
the Ministry of Culture Switzerland.
MONIQUE POLAK is the author of 19
novels for young adults, as well as one
non-fiction book for kids. Monique is a
two-time winner of the Quebec Writers’ Federation Prize for Children’s and
Young Adult Literature. Monique has been teaching at Marianopolis College for 31 years years. She is
also a freelance journalist whose stories
appear regularly in the Montreal Gazette
and in Postmedia publications across the
country. Monique is the CBC/QWF’s inaugural writer-in-residence
RAQUEL RIVERA is the author of three
books for children, with another upcoming in 2017. Raquel Rivera has lived and
worked in Washington DC, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Barcelona and Toronto
(where she was born and raised). Now
based in Montreal with her family, Raquel
writes books while teaching workshops
and freelancing. For news, pictures and
video-readings, visit www.imho-reviews/
raquel.
JOEL SILVERSTEIN is a native Montrealer, photographer, McGill U grad,
and photography teacher at Dawson
College. He has had the privilege of
working with many incredible students
and teachers on six editions of Quebec
Roots, who have provided him with an
education and life experience beyond
the limits of formal academic curricula.
For this he is greatly thankful.
CAROLYN MARIE SOUAID is a writer,
editor and teacher. She has toured her
work across Canada, Europe and the
U.S., and has been shortlisted for a number of literary awards including the A.M.
Klein Prize and the Pat Lowther Memorial
Award. Her videopoem, Blood is Blood,
won a top prize at the 2012 Zebra Poetry
Film Festival in Berlin. Her seventh poetry collection, This World We Invented,
was published by Brick Books in 2015.
She has just completed a novel for which
she was awarded a writing residency at
The Banff Centre in 2013.
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CHRIS MACKENZIE started his career
in documentary film as a cinematographer and later as a director. Having
also worked on a few short cartoons he
moved into photography to focus on the
creation of imagery. After completing
his studies in photography Chris spent
some time away from home working in
Whistler B.C. as a photographer before
returning home and opening his own
studio.
MONIQUE DYKSTRA is professional
photographer from Montreal, Canada,
and the author of two photography
books. She opened Studio Iris Photography in 1994, a busy Montreal studio
that specializes in wedding photography, family portraits, corporate events,
business portraits, and private photography classes and workshops.
CATHERINE KIDD is a Montreal writer known for zoological performance
poetry. Her solo show Sea Peach won
a Montreal Critics’ Award for Best New
Text, touring to Toronto Harbourfront’s
World Stage, the Edinburgh Fringe, and
the Spier Arts Poetry Festival in Cape
Town, South Africa. A graduate of Concordia’s MA program in Creative Writing,
Catherine has taught writing at that university and elsewhere. A chapter of her
novel, Missing the Ark, was nominated
for a Journey Prize, while her voice may
be heard in air safety messages, video
games, and as the voice of a prehistoric
snail at the Joggins Fossil Museum. Her
solo show Hyena Subpoena toured recently to Singapore.
LISANNE GAMELIN made the great
leap into adulthood in Texas before settling down in Montreal to pursue her
studies. After graduating in communication studies from Dawson College and
then in history and cinema from Concordia University, she began working for
organizations that promote multiculturalism and international cooperation. Wishing to work in an area that would involve
her love of the Montreal art scene, she
joined the Blue Met team in the summer
of 2013.
PIERRE CHARBONNEAU fell in love
with photography at the age of 14 when
he first discovered the joy of the darkroom while visiting a friend’s home. After completing a B.A. in Communication
Studies, he started his career as a magazine photographer for many Canadian
publications including “L’Actualité,”
“Perspectives” and “Châtelaine,” and
he later became a regular contributor
to the Globe and Mail daily newspaper.
This exposure soon led to commercial
assignments.
nual reports, brochures, advertisements
and websites for a variety of corporate
clients. For his assignments, he traveled
extensively to nine Canadian provinces,
twelve U.S. states and to Mexico, the
Dominican Republic, France, Britain and
Tunisia to shoot, hotels and beaches, factories and production plants, company
executives and specialized workers.
He shoots personal work on weekends
and while travelling, most often in B&W.
Throughout his 30+-year career as a
freelancer, his photos have illustrated a
wide array of publications such as an-
Photo by Pierre Arsenault
92
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THIS YEAR QUEBEC ROOTS’ EDITION,
BLUE METROPOLIS FOUNDATION WOULD LIKE TO THANK:
PARTICIPATING SCHOOL BOARDS:
English Montreal School Board, Kativik School Board, Kahnawake Survival School,
Lester B. Pearson School Board, Western Quebec School Board.
TEACHERS & SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVES INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT:
Christie Chandler, Jocelyn Dockerty, Aurora Gibbons,
Krissy Goodleaf, Amy Karawi, Jordan Kent, Daniel Lafleur,
Allison McLaughlin, Colleen Murphy, Suzanne Nesbitt,
Catherine Panagakos, Crystal Speedie,
Akenhnhahse White, Heather White
FOR THEIR PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT:
AUTHORS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Pierre Charbonneau, Monique Dykstra, Catherine Kidd, Thomas Kneubühler,
Angela Leuck, Chris MacKenzie, Elise Moser, Monique Polak,
Raquel Rivera, Joel Silverstein, Carolyn Marie Souaid
PEDAGOGICAL SUPPORT:
Ben Loomer and the LEARN team
FINANCIAL SUPPORT:
Air Inuit, Amazon.ca, Community Learning Centres, the Eric T. Webster Foundation,
LEARN, the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, TD Bank Group and Telus.
And thanks to the students for their participation, creative work and enthusiasm!
94
Quebec Roots
Strengthening Communities: The Place I Want to Be
2016
© Les Éditions Metropolis bleu
A division of the Blue Metropolis Foundation
661 Rose de Lima Street, suite 201
Montreal, QC H4C 2L7
Phone: (514) 932-1112
Fax: (514) 932 1148
bluemetropolis.org
All rights reserved.
The reproduction, transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or storage in a retrieval system, of
any part of this publication without the prior written consent of the publisher – or
in case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence of the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency – is an infraction of the copyright law.
Graphics and Layout
L’abricot
creationsabricot.com
Original Idea and Concept
Blue Metropolis Foundation
Project Coordinator
Lisanne Gamelin
Project Assistant
Marion Vadant
Cover Photograph
Wenhniseriiostha Goodleaf
Back Cover Photograph
James Yaxley
ISBN 978-2-923319-17-9
Legal Deposit – Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, 2016
Printed in Canada
95
If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t
run then walk, if you can’t walk
then crawl, but whatever you do
you have to keep moving forward.
— Martin Luther King
Eric T. Webster
Foundation