MELFORT 鈥� Rotary exchange students staying in communities all over Western Canada came to Melfort to get a taste of Canadian winter sports.
The 17 students skiied, swam, tobogganed and curled during the Jan 12. and 13 weekend. One of those students involved was Noora Ojanen, a Grade 12 student who is studying in Melfort.
鈥淚t鈥檚 my first winter in Canada,鈥� Ojanen said. 鈥淚鈥檓 from Finland so we get a lot of snow and it鈥檚 really cold there too so it鈥檚 not too bad.鈥�
Curling she found to be more of a significant sport in Canada.
鈥淚t鈥檚 never really a big thing in Finland, but I know what it is, I know how to do it,鈥� Ojanen said. 鈥淚 could have had a chance to do it but I just never really wanted to do it.鈥�
Ojanen came to Melfort from Finland last August, and will be staying until July.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 choose Melfort but Melfort chose me,鈥� Ojanen said. 鈥淧robably what Melfort has taught me is hospitality and some kind of being really nice to people. Finnish people are generally really nice, but we鈥檙e just not expressing it very much.鈥�
Gailmarie Anderson with the Melfort Rotary Club said the weekend, which they have hosted for years, is a way to showcase Melfort and the nearby Wapiti Ski hill.
鈥淪ome of them haven鈥檛 experienced winter and snow in their own countries and we just thought it would be a great time to have them here.鈥�
Anderson believes being able to offer winter sports in the area is special.
鈥淲e have the climate to do that. We think it鈥檚 great. They will probably even get the chance to go over to Main Street and try crokicurl.鈥�
She found a great response over the years from the winter sports weekend.
鈥淭he kids all love it, councillors bring them here, and they also like attending. It鈥檚 a great event, even from our local club because we get involved with the community as well. Because we book the curling rink, the bowling alley, the swimming pool, we take them usually to a hockey game, we take them out to Hodgson Farm. All of that kind of thing gets the Rotary Club itself involved in the community as well.鈥�
