Happy Lunar New Year! Students in Gillin celebrated the new year of the Tiger with some delicious food and good company in our residence kitchen this week. A special thanks goes out to Eva He and Ben Cheung for selecting the perfect array of treats during a trip to T&T Supermarket here in Ottawa on Monday.

Aside from marking the start of a new lunar year, the theme of this week in Gillin Residence was undoubtedly “challenge and growth.” As some restrictions in Ontario have started to lift, our boarders have been able to enjoy a few relaxations to COVID protocols. Still, the ongoing pandemic and all of the regulations that have come with it has certainly been wearying many. A number of boarders made an effort this week to embrace what there is to enjoy and got outside for some classic Canadian winter fun: for some it was skating on the on-campus outdoor rinks, while for others it was joining the Ashbury ski team or signing up for Friday Night Skiing.

Our wing meetings this week featured important conversations about staying safe and finding ways to look after ourselves and our community. Ms. Lane and the Boarding Council in Gillin facilitated meaningful discussions about our collective need to look out for one another, and when to step up and ask for help. Other points of discussion included staying safe while outside in the frigid winter weather – even though Ontario’s Wiarton Willie the Groundhog might have forecasted an early spring this year (during the annual celebration of Groundhog Day on February 2nd), we still have several weeks of cold weather to go!