Winter Week Without Walls at Algonquin Eco-Lodge

By Deidre Macpherson, Athletics Director and Head of Physical Education

Every two years as part of Linden’s enriched Health and Physical Education curriculum, Linden high school students brave the elements of the cold Canadian winter to head north to the Algonquin Eco-Lodge (run by Call Of The Wild). The mission is to experience all the things winter has to offer in terms of physical activity!

The students are busy every day with activities planned in the morning, afternoon, and evening. They participate in cross-country skiing, bushwhack their own snowshoe trail up to lookout point, learn how to build a fire in the winter, as well as how to build a survivor shelter called a quinzhee! This year, we had six courageous students attempt sleeping overnight in the quinzee — brrr. Also, the students were incredibly lucky to get a "call back" from some wolves in the area during their nightly wolf howl — a certain highlight for some! And many students braved the frigid temperatures by participating in a polar dip (after a 2-foot hole was cut out of the lake's thick ice surface).

As a teacher, it is always so rewarding seeing your students take risks, challenge themselves, and build resilience. Congratulations to the students in Grades 9–11 who demonstrated fantastic perseverance and initiative during our winter week without walls!