AC students scour the Hill for scavenger hunt clues
Algonquin students got to explore Ottawa’s downtown with a free scavenger hunt on July 31.
The event was hosted by the AC Hub in collaboration with the company Ottawa Walking Tours. Students had to travel around Parliament Hill, Sparks Street and Confederation Park in search of information and photos.
“I really want students who maybe aren’t familiar with Downtown to experience it,” said Rebecca Lafontaine, an AC Hub employee who helped organize the event. “I was looking at the various tours, walking tours and bus tours, and I came across the scavenger hunt, which I thought was cool because it had a bit of a competition aspect as well.”
Organizers gave students a list of questions, ranging from fact-finding (Q: What’s the name of the pub on the corner of Elgin and Sparks Streets? A: D’Arcy McGee’s.) to tricky (Q: Find the hidden symbol on Sparks Street’s streetlights. A: The tulip bases.) Additionally, there were bonus points for taking pictures of non-landmark things such as “a dog being walked” and “a pair of chopsticks.”
The hunt took place on a muggy day with only light rain, despite threatening skies and forecast. Nine students participated, though about 15 had signed up. The event had been postponed a week after severe thunderstorm warnings on the initial date, July 24. The students travelled by bus, had about two hours to explore and were then treated to free Beaver Tail pastries.
“It was good, it was fun,” said level 1 financial management student Tushar Sharma, who was part of the second-place team. He said there isn’t anything he would change about the event.
The scavenger hunt was co-funded by the International Education Centre, which also promoted it on social media.
“Most of the students that come to our events are international,” said AC Hub employee Samantha Therrien, “so the International Education Centre often wants to partner with us.”
As for a sequel hunt, Lafontaine was optimistic. “I think in the fall maybe, when there’s more students on campus and it’s not so hot, we can do another one. If the demand is there, we’ll deliver.”
