Ashbury College - Ashburian Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

Page 27 text:

THE ASHBURIAN 29 COMMONWEALTH YOUTH MOVEMENT A deafening blast from the steam whistle resounded in my ears. Far below, in the bowels of the ship, the massive engines grumbled into motion. XVith a mounting sense of excitement I realized our de- parture was imminent. The passengers, trying vainly not to betray their excitement, crammed the dockside rail three deep, and waved frantically to friends on the quay. Out of nowhere streamers appeared, and soon a jungle-like tangle, red, blue, yellow, every colour of the rainbow, festooned the ship's side. Two squat, snub-nosed tugs churned and butted the huge ship into the swift-running channel. Friends on the quay grew smaller and smaller, and faded into an in- distinct line of waving hands. Our holiday had started. However, I was not sailing for a standard guide book tour of Europe. I was fortunate enough to be selected a member of the Can- adian contingent of the Commonwealth Youth Movement Quest of 1961. The C. Y. XI. is dedicated to the ideals of peace, brotherhood, and understanding. Through its annual Quest, students from the far- Hung lands of the Commonwealth are brought together for a summer, and by sharing the common experience of seeing Europe together, they forge a bond of brotherhood and understanding. Last summer I lived with boys and girls whose skin was not the same colour as mine, whose religions were unknown to me, whose homes were foreign to me. I came to know, understand, and respect the hopes and ideals of people so different from me. I returned home with many of my preconceived ideas and prejudices washed from my mind. Our group hailed from fourteen Commonwealth and two non- Commonwealth countries: Aden, Basutoland, Bechuanaland, Belgium, Canada, the Falkland Islands, Fiji, Germany, Gibralter, India, Klalaya, Mauritius, Northern Rhodesia. Swaziland, the United Kingdom. and Pakistan. The Canadian contingent had gathered in Ottawa on july -Ifth. VVe were entertained at a reception at Government House, and it was a real pleasure to have the opportunity of meeting so gracious a couple as Governor-General Vanier and his wife. XYe also spent a very con- vivial afternoon with Sir Saville and Lady Garner at the British High Commissioners residence, Earnseliffe. TYhile touring the Parliament Buildings, we were introduced to Prime Minister Diefenbaker, Canada certainly accorded us a tremendous send-off to a memorable summer! We sailed on july 6th from Montreal, aboard the Empress of Canada . I had no idea of the incredible vastness of the St. Lawrence River until we sailed down it for two days. On the third morning. I awoke at sea. Nhat an exhilarating sensation it is to stand at the stern of the ship on the gently rolling deck and breathe the salty ocean air?

Page 26 text:

2-I THE ASHBURIAN lishment at Chalk River. Cpon arriving at about ten-thirty, we were immediately rushed to the Lecture Room to meet Dr. David A. Keys, the Scientific Advisor to the President. Here we heard a fascinating lecture with slides and demonstrations. VVe emerged from the building an hour later thoroughly enlightened on the subjects of nuclear fission, radioactive substances, and atomic research with all its peace time uses. Our next stops were the models room, where we were shown cut- away scale models of both NRX and NRU reactors, and the testing centre, where radioactive materials are examined through lead boro- silicate glass thirty-six inches thick, and handled with mechanical arms. After lunch we visited the huge NRX reactor. This amazing structure was built in 1949, and at that time was the only one of its kind in the world. Although it has a potential of 40,000 kilowatts, it is used solely for research by supplying the neutron bombardment necessary to produce radioactive isotopes. It is powered by a large number of long uranium rods sheathed in aluminum and immersed in heavy water. Ordinary river water is passed through the rods to keep the temperature at a safe level. The newer and more powerful NRU reactor, built in 1958, and having a potential of 200,000 kilowatts, was our final stop. It differs from the NRX reactor in that a closed heavy water circuit is used to cool the fuel rods, thus eliminating the danger of polluting the river water with radioactivity. Also, the exhausted fuel rods can be re- placed without shutting down the reactor, saving both time and money. In closing, a special word of thanks should be extended to our guide, the unflinching target of our numerous queries throughout the day, Dr. Keys for his inspirational lecture, and to Mr. Sibley who made the enjoyable and instructive trip possible. Those taking the tour were: Iiwing, Parker I, Tyler I, Brown I, Bow, Millard, Chaplin, Mar- tin, XVhipps, and your reporter, Coristine I. IV. .lliscellalleous Beside the above trips, a group of students from Grades 12 and 13 attended the Chemical Institute of Canada Student night in November, where Dr. K. Laid.er gave a lecture on Molecules and Living Things . His talk was concerned with what may be called physical biochemistry. and was well illustrated by fine demonstrations. A number of students also attended the series of Science Lectures given at the University of Ottawa during the XVinter Term. XYe have just had word that two of our students, Brown I and Bow, have won Student Assistantships at Ottawa University this summer. XYe are pleased.

Page 28 text:

26 THE ASHBURIAN The frothing wake of the ship curled through the blue water like a writhing white snake, all the way to the horizon, hazy in the distance. I leaned over the rail and saw the water slipping swiftly by the ship's sides. like dark green marble mottled with flecks of white foam. Be- hind is Canada, ahead is England. We docked at Liverpool at 10.30 p.m. The next morning, after the excited confusion of identifying our luggage in the noisy custom's shed, we met the rest of our group. A bus was waiting for us and we set off to XYorcester via the lovely old town of Chester, with its gabled and half-timbered Tudor houses and its Roman wall. In Worcester, we stayed in private homes, and this unique feature of the C. Y. M. was followed in all the other cities we visited. Personally, I found this feature one of the most rewarding aspects of the trip, because it gave me the opportunity of meeting families which, as a tourist, I would never have met. King john is buried in Vllorcester Cathedral, and we visited his tomb. lYhen he died, he ordered that he be buried between the two saints whose bones lie beneath the floor of the Cathedral. In this way, he hoped to slip into heaven between the two saints when St. Peter wasn't looking. London was next on our itinerary. Our bus sped along the M. 1, and London was waiting for us that night with all its lights ablaze. During our week here, few of the famous and historic landmarks es- caped our scrutiny. The Tower of London, St. Paul's, the Houses of Parliament, and the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace were all carefully inspected. The day we took the boat train for Paris, the sun was shining, and the cliffs of Dover sparkled white as we crossed the Channel. The City of Light was, for me, the high point of the trip. Like all the tourists who come to Paris, I rode to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and stood spellbound before the breathtaking panorama of the most beauti- ful city in the world, spread out at my feet. The Seine glided white and blue under its bridges, and there, on an island of green, were the twin, square-topped towers of Notre Dame. To the left of the river the Arc de Triomphe, looking like the hub of a wheel which had as spokes, broad tree-lined boulevards. And off in the distance, on a hill behind Montmartre, stood Sacre Coeur, white like a jewel in the sun- light. Our four days in Paris were all to short. From Paris to Brussels, where I stayed at the home of the Belgian boy on our trip. The two things I remember best are the Grand Place de Brusselles, with its medieval Guild Halls, and the famous statue of the little boy. After four days in Brussels, we spent three days in Ypres, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the First lYorld VVar. llere, in St. Georges .Nlemorial Chapel, the Quest held its annual vigil. From Ypres, we drove through the picturesque Belgian country- side to Ostend. crossed the Channel, and headed for Scotland. Our