For some students, the idea of spending a summer volunteering may not seem very appealing, but for a pair of White Rock twins, it's the perfect opportunity to experience a lesser-known part of Canadian culture.
Gary and Lisa Xie will spend six weeks in "La Belle Province," volunteering at a youth camp as part of an exchange program with the YMCA.
The brother-sister duo – along with eight other Surrey participants – are headed to Laval, Que. on June 30 and will have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in French-Canadian culture.
For Gary, this will be his second trip to Canada's east coast in just over six months. His previous trip took him to Parliament Hill in Ottawa to participate in the Forum for Young Canadians.
"For someone who lives in the southwest corner of Canada, it's easy to lose grasp of how Canada is as a whole. So when I was there, students from every province and territory attended. It was a chance to meet people from all walks of life. They all had different points of view, it was a big eye-opener," Gary said, noting he hopes his trip to Quebec will bring a similar outcome. "I'm intrigued by the separatist movement there, so I'm excited to learn more about it while I'm there."
In order to prepare for the cross-country exchange, the students from both provinces have been swapping information and suggestions through a Facebook group.
For the duration of the trip, Gary and Lisa will be staying at a family home in Quebec while their French-speaking counterparts enjoy the hospitality of the Xies.
"I think they'll be fine. Some of them are bilingual so it will be easy for them, and we have been keeping contact with our Facebook group," Lisa said.
And while Lisa and Gary only speak "un peu" of French, they say they're confident their summer will be a great experience.
"We have lots of trips and activities set up all over the province, so we are really excited," Gary said.