As students moved in to their residences at the University of Alberta, one student’s trip was more arduous than most others. First-year student Aven McKay spent a week canoeing the 500km from her home in Banff to her UAlberta residence in Edmonton. McKay, who made half of the journey with her father, said that she used the time to mentally prepare for her time at UAlberta. “I was really, really scared of moving into my dorms and just meeting all of my roommates […], but I decided that if I paddled to Edmonton first and I spent a week by myself in the wilderness, it might seem a little less scary.” In her interview with CBC Radio, McKay reflected on the difficulties faced in the journey, as well as the wildlife seen along the way.
