Contributed by Kyson Metcalfe
Forty of St. Clair’s international students were treated to a traditional Canadian Christmas dinner with all the festive fixings – and had the chance to meet Santa – on December 13.
For the second year, students in college’s Public Relations Club teamed up with local restaurant, The Harvest Table, to host the free holiday feast.
“We want to share our traditions with people from other countries,” said Liana Giles, who owns The Harvest Table with her husband, Ron. “Since most students will be spending time with their families, this gives the international students a feeling of belonging to a sort of extended family.”
The event was filled with lots of merry fun to get everyone into the Christmas spirit, including photo ops with the special jolly fella from the North Pole.
“I’m alone here with no family, so this was a great evening for me,” said Rounak Ibne Akhtar, a 25-year-old student from Bangladesh who attended the event last year. “Now, St. Clair is my family, so this was a nice bonding experience. And it was nice to celebrate Christmas like Canadians do, because back home it’s very different, with only a small community that celebrates this holiday and in a much smaller way than they do here.”
The event was open to international students studying at St. Clair College’s downtown campuses.
The dinner featured turkey with traditional trimmings and sides, along with lots of sweet treats like pumpkin pie for dessert.
“We’re really excited The Harvest Table wanted to do this event with us again this year,” said PR Club President Chelsea Humphreys. “Some of the students might not get to go home for the holidays, so we wanted to give them a bit of Christmas cheer, and make them feel welcome and hopefully less homesick.”
The Harvest Table is located inside the Market Square at 2109 Ottawa Street. Owners Ron and Liana are always looking for ways to give back and support the community. They are known for successfully organizing the Dancing with the Local Stars events at Caesars Windsor for several years.
