International students get a taste of winter, snow tubing in Montreal

International students studying at the Lester B. Pearson School Board got to experience Montreal’s winter while snow tubing at Mount Royal Park on Friday.

“I think for some young people like children, they will like a little bit nervous, but for me because I have did it in China. So for me, it’s not so scary and I like it very much,” said Junrui Chang, a Lester B. Pearson School Board student.

Students got to slide down designated snow tubing lanes overlooking Beaver Lake.

For many of these students, this will be their first time participating in a winter activity, offering a fun-filled introduction to Montreal’s winter season.

“I think it’s good because people can get what they want, you know, to have some free time to enjoy their life instead of staying at home and playing the video games or studying. It’s a good way to make people feel free, feel happy,” said Chang.

“It gives them a chance to see what it is, and they might enjoy it and they want to come on their own. They’re going to ask their homestay parents or parents that they want to try it again. So it gives them an experience that they might have not had before,” said Gianluca Muia, the manager for the International Programs Department at the Lester B. Pearson School Board.

Muia says when he was a kid he enjoyed tubing and wanted to share that sense of happiness with these students.

“We try to prepare them when they first arrive of what’s to come. They come in August, September, right, when the school year begins. So we want them to know what’s coming, but they’re all excited. It’s nice to see the first time it snows. They’re all outside looking. They never haven’t experienced that,” he explained.

“I think when you think of Montreal, a lot has to do with Mount Royale. I think Beaver Lake, I’ve been here skating. I’ve been here many times. It’s a beautiful area, even in the fall and the winter and the summer. It’s such a nice area. So I wanted the students to see what it is.”

“That’s cool. I like it because I come from the Jiangsu Chinese, China. And in my hometown, it’s a little hot, not very cold,” said Chris Zhou, a Lester B. Pearson School Board student.

“Well, I play a little scary and a little, and I think it’s making me feel relaxed.”

The students are from different elementary and high schools across Montreal. Many say they’re excited to experience tubing with their siblings, parents, or host parents. 

“It’s exciting. The laughter you have with friends. Yeah, it’s cold, but you don’t think about it. You’re young. You really don’t mind it. You’re just having a good time with your friends, and it’s a great opportunity to meet people,” said Muia.

Chang adds, “I will strongly recommend it to try because, for something, you have to try it once. When you try it once and you will think, wow, you need to get the first step of your life. So even though it’s a big challenge in your psychology, but I think you always need to do that.”