Recognizing hard work of Béliveau students

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/06/2015 (3788 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One of my favourite things about being a member of the Manitoba legislature is that I often get the chance to highlight the work and accomplishments of those in our community. 

In addition to debating and voting for legislation that makes our province a better place, I get to stand up in the house to present Private Member’s Statements. These statements are a way for me to recognize community members who are doing great work.

Earlier in May, I presented a statement about Collège Béliveau history teacher Joël Tétrault and the 60 high school students he took to Europe earlier this spring to mark the 70th anniversary of the Second World War.

The students started off in London and visited the Netherlands, northern France and Paris. Stops along the way included a tour of Winston Churchill’s bunker, the British Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, Anne Frank’s home in Amsterdam and the battlefields of Vimy Ridge and Juno Beach.

A big part of their trip was their visit to the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, located in the Netherlands near the German border.  In the months leading up to their trip, each Collège Béliveau student researched a Canadian soldier who had been interred there. When the students visited the cemetery, they were able to visit the grave site of the soldier they had researched. 

This trip was a unique opportunity for the students to learn and understand more about the Second World War and what it would have been like for our Canadian soldiers. I was very glad to recognize the staff at Collège Béliveau who went the extra mile to make this trip possible for students.

Despite a busy school schedule, Mr. Tétrault and some of his students even made their way down to the legislature to hear me present the statement. It was great to meet these bright young students. 

Thanks again to the staff at Collège Béliveau and to Mr. Tétrault. If you know of a great individual or group in our community, please call my office at 204-222-0074 or visit my website at www.BidhuJha.ca 

I would love to hear about it!