Katimavik
We all got off the plane in Saskatoon and were greeting by a flurry of people holding a giant Katimavik flag, and in a matter of minutes, amongst baggage claims and introductions, I had met at least 11 other people, the majority of which seemed to be french. As well, I met my project leader Meagen. We then proceeded to find a table in the cafeteria to wait for others to arrive. Being such a beautiful day outside, almost everyone's planes had been delayed. This, among other travel problems, is a symptom of Katimavik.
Finally we braved the weather and 11 of us piled into a supposedly 11 person van, although the back seat was pretty cramped with 4 passengers. We had a silent ride to St. Denis. I don't know if you have ever heard of St. Denis, but I'm guessing that you haven't. It's a small francophone town about 30 min away from Saskatoon. I think we doubled the population during the three days that I was there. Oh and did I mention that it was cold?
Eventually, all three groups arrived, or most of the three groups arrived, and we finally ate supper. Exhausted, the girls all crashed on foamies in the upstairs of the ranch where we were staying, and the guys crashed downstairs. Katimavik rules prohibit "cohabitation" that is, in English, sleeping in the same room as someone of the opposite sex.
This is when I finally began to understand what it was to be a Katimavik participant. Imagine that every thing, well, that came out of the project leaders (pl's) mouths coming out in two languages. English, which I understand, and French, which I was to soon learn that I truly did not understand.
There was a natural divide between the French and English, with the few bilingual people foating in between. It's very hard to make friends with someone when all you can say is "Bonjour. Ummm Je mapelle Katherine, ummm Comment, uh yeah, comment ca va?" The other divide was between smokers and non smokers. A universal "Wah-wah" was soon developed, meaning "do you want to go for a smoke?" accompanyed by miming a cigarette.
At some point during this time I decided that I was going to be brave and sit with some of the francophone girls for a meal. Luckily, the PL from Willow Bunch was there to translate somewhat, but my communication consisted of "Je ne comprend pas" for the entire meal.
The first french phrase that I learned was simple. "Il fait fret, tabernac!" Roughly translated, "It's fucking cold out here". We braved the weather and played outside, we had workshops on any thing and everything that Katimavik is about. And when that was done we had more workshops. Most importantly, we made friends with everyone around us, and when it came time to leave with just our group, it was a sad time. It's amazing how close people can become in a matter of 3 days.
A Day in the life of a Katimavik
Participant - Coming Soon
The Very Beginning: Participant Orientation
in St. Denis Saskatchewan
1st Rotation: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
2nd Rotation: Clare, Nova
Scotia
3rd Rotation: Prince Rupert, British
Columbia
