Seventy 14-year-old Japanese girls now call Squamish their Canadian home after attending an English language camp at Quest University for eight days from July 12 to 20.
The Vancouver-based Muskoka Language International exchange co-ordinator organization chose Quest to host this camp for 70 girls from Kita Toshima Junior High School in Japan, according to representative Kyoko Yasul.
"My boss grew up in Squamish and she knew about Quest," said Yasul. "She brought us here and we all agreed it was gorgeous so we presented this program to the school in Japan and they loved it."
Most of the girls were on their first visit to the country.
"It was very, very, very fun," said Shiori Inose, adding she particularly liked the mountains.
Student Nano Nekane said Vancouver sightseeing was her favourite part of the camp.
Inose and Nekane were MCs at the farewell event on Monday (July 19), which involved their families and included innumerable pictures, and a song and dance performance the girls had been working on since they arrived.
While in traditional dress, all 70 girls danced to a traditional song about fishing with movements depicting the hauling in of weighted down nets.
Jenny Hughes, a local teacher, was the event co-ordinator and organized the activities for the entire week. The girls had English second language classes (ESL) in the morning and activities in the afternoons.
They went on nature walks, to the beach, learned about Canadian traditions and went sightseeing in Vancouver.
She said the English levels spoken by the group varied dramatically, but they all seemed to become more comfortable by the end of the camp.
"I think it went really well," she said. "The girls were nervous with their English on the first the day I don't think anyone even attempted to speak, but then the next day with their ESL teachers they became a lot more comfortable and warmed up towards us."
Three Squamish teachers and one Whistler teachers helped organize events and look after the girls during the camp. Several Howe Sound Secondary School students also helped out and talked to the visitors.
"As much as we try and be friends with the girls, they're not used to being friends with teachers so it's good to have some younger students along as well to make those connections," said Hughes.
She said the students revelled in learning about fun Canadian traditions and holidays.
"We did an Easter Egg hunt and the girls went crazy over the Halloween concept. Painting their faces is something they've never done, they were drawing moustaches and sunglasses."
Hughes said it was a very full, but delightful eight days.
"It was a lot of hard work but definitely worth it," she said.
Hughes said this trip has been such a success that Quest will be hosting another camp again next summer, with a different group of students.
However it's not the last Squamish has seen of these young girls. When asked whether they would be coming back to Squamish again, both Inose and Nekane yelled in unison "Yes!"
