Here at Champlain we offer a wide variety of free events throughout the year. These events present you with the opportunity to meet many different members of college from College Administration, to student living on residence, to upper year collegians. Among these Champlainers you will meet at various events one face will stay familiar throughout them all; this is the face of Pax our college mascot. Pax is a 6 foot fibreglass Gorilla that makes appearances at many of our College events. He is highly beloved by all Champlainers. Below you can find a list with descriptions of some of the many events happening at Champlain throughout the academic year. 

 

Ashley Fellowship

The Ashley Fellowship is funded by a bequest from the late Professor C.A. Ashley. Professor Ashley was enthusiastic about the role that College contacts can play in academic pursuits. This year’s Ashley Fellow was Dr. Don Markwell, Warden of Rhodes House Oxford. Dr. Markwell worked with students and faculty to demonstrate the vast benefits of the College System. 

Bon Temps Weekend

In one of the first 2 weeks of February Champlain College hosts their annul Bon Temps College weekend. During the weekend there is a college wide Broomball tournament on our very own personally made rinks behind residence, Air Bands competition and a FREE dinner for ALL Champlain students. This is a great social event that spans the Friday and Saturday of a February weekend. 

Champlain College Fellows’ Lecture Series

At these fun and informal lectures faculty members, staff and alumni are invited to give a short lecture on a predetermined topic. Students are invited to come and share in the interest while enjoying the varied company and provided snacks. This past year the lecture series included lectures on: Werewolves of the Middle Ages, The Social Significance of Food, Love and Reason in Camelot, Monstrosity and Romance in Urban Dark Fantasy Literature and The Ethics of Bigamy and Polyamory.

Film Festival

The annual Champlain College Film Festival showcases filmmakers of every kind from Champlain College and Trent University. Students are invited to create a film about anything under the sun and submit it to the festival. There is then a showing of all the films where they will be voted on for various prizes and awards! Half the fun is seeing all the different things everyone comes up with to film. 

Float Your Boat

This event is hosted by your Champlain College Cabinet. Float Your Boat is a fundraiser for the Peterborough Aids Research Network. Students put teams together to raise as much money as they can. Teams then gather at Millennium Park in beautiful downtown Peterborough. Here they make a ‘boat’ out of recyclable materials and proceed to race their boat down a portion of the Otonabee River. It is a fun event for a good cause!

Floor Hockey Tournament

Every year Champlain College Cabinet clears the tables out of the Great Hall and creates a hockey rink. Students of the College are then invited to submit a team and compete in a fun Floor Hockey tournament for the day. This is a great event to get out, have fun and get a little exercise!

Formal

Every year in April, Champlain College gets all dressed up in our finest for a catered dinner and dance downtown. People from every year gather to eat and dance their troubles away Champlain style!

Graduate Dinner

Every year all Champlain College graduates are invited to a free catered dinner to celebrate their time here at Champlain and Trent. Awards and prizes are given out throughout the dinner. Students speak of their time at Champlain and reminisce about their last four years. These students are moving on and will now become Champlain Alumni. Champlain for life!

Harvest Weekend

In one of the first weekends of November Champlain has their annual College Weekend, Harvest Weekend. Harvest weekend has a plethora of events. Over the Friday and Saturday of the weekend there is a touch football tournament called ‘The Pig Bowl’. Throughout the weekend there is also a Scavenger Hunt throughout downtown Peterborough, a Drag Show and Chilli and Karaoke night (Chillioke). In between all of these events there is a FREE dinner for ALL Champlain students. This weekend has something for everyone. 

Honours and Major Information Week Workshops

Choosing a major is a big decision for students. For one week in March Champlain College creates workshops that help students to explore the different aspects of choosing a major and to help clarify any questions they might have. The workshops also examine the connections between majors and career goals. Will you be able to find a job if you major in the subject you love? After students have completed their first five credits they are required to choose a major, so this is an important part of the first year experience. 

Margaret Laurence Lecture

This annual lecture, hosted by Champlain College, honours Trent’s fourth chancellor and acknowledges her contributions to literature, feminism, ecology, and the peace movement. Various internationally acclaimed novelists are invited each year to lecture at Champlain College for this event. 

Off Residence Dinner

The Off Residence Dinner is a FREE dinner hosted by Champlain College Cabinet for ALL off residence students. Being a member of Champlain College is not reserved to members of residence. Many first years and the majority of upper year Champlain members live off residence. This dinner is a celebration of the participation and love for the college that is found off residence. 

Peterborough Haunted History Tour

This event, organized by the Champlain College Senior Tutor in conjunction with the Trent Valley Archives provides Champlain Students an opportunity to learn about the history of Peterborough. Students take a tour of all the ‘haunted’ areas of Peterborough including the jail and old hanging grounds. 

Scholars Reception

All Champlain College students with an average above 80% are invited to join together to celebrate their academic achievements. This is a simple congratulations from the College to their highest achieving members. Scholars are presented with a certificate and College pin for their hard work. 

Stress Busters

Every October, December and March Champlain College Cabinet puts together quick and crafty events to help ease the stress of ‘crunch time’. Things such as pumpkin carving, making Christmas decorations and making stress balls have been known to take place in the past. Stress gets to us all, but getting together with friends in a great environment will surely help everyone. 

The Trent Evening Quilters

Once a year Champlain College hosts the Trent Evening Quilters Annual Celebration of Quilting and the Textile Arts. The event brings together some of the Kawartha’s leading textile artists and quilters to demonstrate their craft. 

 

Writer In Residence

Over the years we have had several writers stay in Champlain College to meet with students and give lectures about their work and like as a professional writer. This past year Champlain College hosted renowned Canadian Author, Kelley Armstrong. Armstrong gave workshops on writing as well as having one on one meetings with aspiring authors and giving critiques on student work.