Flin Flon’s uniqueness appeals to Belgian exchange student

Flin Flon is unlike any place Anne-Catherine Renard has ever seen.

And that’s what the Rotary Exchange student likes about it.

“It’s just completely different from Belgium – the culture, the people,” said Renard, referring to her home country some 6,600 km away. “So I’m just enjoying my time here.”

Renard, 18, arrived in Flin Flon from Belgium in September. She will make her home here until July, staying with billet families and attending Hapnot Collegiate.

She has also taken part in a few popular local activities, including hunting and, once winter arrived, snowshoeing and skating.

Renard said it’s common for people in Belgium to spend a year in a different country. In her case, she was familiar with the Rotary Exchange program since her father is a member of the Rotary Club.

When she listed her preferred destinations as an exchange student, Canada was her first choice.

“I chose it just to be in a place like Flin Flon, little town, and see how cool that could be,” Renard said.

Renard came to Canada with only basic English skills, but she has become more fluent as she meets new friends at school and in the community.

After returning to Belgium next summer, she plans to attend university. She is interested in science and the environment, and could see herself returning to Canada as a teacher, but she has made no final decisions on what to study.