Winter College Weekend, or ‘Bon Temps’ as it is known at Champlain College, is the longest standing tradition of Trent’s Colleges - designed to engage students in outdoor winter activities.

This year, the tradition continued with the West Bank colleges, Lady Eaton and Champlain, holding a variety of virtual and in-person events to help students connect with their collegiate communities, and each other.

“The purpose of our Winter College Weekend, Bon Temps, is to offer students an opportunity to learn about winter outdoor activities – to learn how to have fun in the snow,” says Dr. Tina Fridgen, principal of Champlain College. “This year was definitely different but we are grateful to Cabinet, the Trent Outdoor Club and the Canadian Canoe Museum for offering online activities for the College."

Thanks to the introduction of many virtual events this year – everything from virtual trivia and a virtual lip-sync battle to virtual escape rooms – students also had the opportunity to work together and connect with students from outside their own college.

“I had an amazing weekend,” shares Samantha LeDuc, a first-year student in the Law & Arts / Law & Business Trent/Swansea Dual Degree living in Lady Eaton College. “The escape room was a great way to hang out with our friends from other colleges.”

In-person events like snowshoeing and hands-on pottery workshops also brought students together, safely, to take a break, de-stress and connect in the great outdoors.

“The College’s winter weekend was a great break from studying,” notes Melita Wyche, a first-year Kinesiology student. “Snowshoeing gave us a super fun opportunity to get outside and exercise and an amazing way to clear your mind from homework!”

Learn more about the collegiate experience at Trent.