From Mexico to Marble: New Canadians experience downhill skiing in Steady Brook
It's not a landscape you can readily find in Mexico.
Chest-deep snow, lifts that climb you to the peaks of powdered mountains and sub-zero winds in your face — it's all a far cry from the jungles of the Yucatán or the plains of the Chihuahuan.
With some detailed instruction, including making pizza slices and french fries with those skis, participants were set for a first-in-a-lifetime experience on the slopes of Marble Mountain this week.
There's not a lot of alpine skiing in the far south of this continent, so when the Association for New Canadians offered an opportunity to give the sport a try, students jumped at the chance.
"I thought it [would be] so hard but it's not too bad," said an excited Georgina Perez Vera, a Mexican woman working in Corner Brook at Louis-Gee's Pizza and Donair. "We have some snow in the mountains sometimes, but not like this. We don't have anything like this."
Perez Vera, one of 11 students with the association's English as a foreign language program, tested out the hill. The school field trip was her first attempt at skiing, but it wasn't long before she was headed to the top.
Perez Vera hasn't taken the trip for granted.
"I think it's a big, big opportunity and I like ANC because they are connecting us with the community, the services and everything. They are helping us a lot," she said. "I ... like adrenaline ... I like that sensation that you're, just like, falling, but everything will be OK. I love that."
Diego Serrano also moved from Mexico to Corner Brook, where his husband now works. Serrano says he's applying for permanent residency so winter activities may be a mainstay. Before that happens, he said he'll need a little practice.
"The first time I tried [but couldn't] control myself, but the second time I could a little more. But I need to turn left and turn right," he said. "This is my first winter sport. I tried to skate — to ice skate — but I couldn't. I fell like 30 times."
Students in the English program range in age from 18 to 50. The Association for New Canadians is working with Marble Mountain on another two of these sessions to further welcome members into the community.
Danielle Burridge is the co-ordinator of the English program. She says taking advantage of what the region has to offer is important to new immigrants.
"It's accessible to us, it's close to us. And they are living in western Newfoundland now, so we think it's very important for them to experience all the things we love about this part of Newfoundland," she said.
"We want to show them that they're not just here for work — that they can make a life here if they have children or spouses, or activities or pastimes. We want to make sure they know where they can connect [with] people."
The Association for New Canadians is also planning a tour of Corner Brook Pulp and Paper in the coming months.
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