Former Cadet Warrant Officer Bethan Williams shares her incredible experience during the International Air Cadet Exchange to Canada

Arrival and First Impressions

This summer, I was fortunate enough to be selected to go on International Air Cadet Exchange (IACE) to Canada for two amazing weeks. We were joined by a contingent of US Civil Air Patrol cadets and two Canadian cadet hosts. We quickly became friends and enjoyed talking about the different ways each of our respective cadet programmes work.

This was also a hot topic of conversation when we visited several Canadian cadet summer camps, which were really interesting. One of the key differences was drill, and while in Ottawa, we had the chance to learn each other’s drill—which was actually really difficult!

Military and Aviation Visits

We had jam-packed days, with several military and aviation visits in each city. These included Pratt and Whitney, the Air Canada Maintenance Centre, the Citadel in Quebec City, the Canadian War Museum, the National War Memorial, and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). At ICAO, we took part in a mock commissioners meeting where they help to decide and set regulations governing flight.

A definite highlight of the trip was a flight in a Griffon Helicopter. We were treated to incredible views of the area, and flying with the doors open was so exciting—I don’t think any of us could believe it was happening.

Cultural and City Tours

We were also treated to several cultural and city tours, learning about the history of Canada and how it has influenced its policies. This included walking to the cross at the top of Mount Royal (by law the highest point in Montreal), a tour of the underground city in Montreal, visiting a huge waterpark en route to Quebec City, and a ghost tour of Quebec.

We were taught about the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, where the English forced the French out of the city. Despite this, the province is still proudly in touch with its French heritage, with most people speaking only French!

In Montreal, we visited the Bell Centre, home of the Montreal Canadiens, and we had a bilingual river tour of Ottawa, seeing many of the embassies in the capital region. Afterward, we had a guided tour of the House of Parliament and the Senate (the Canadian House of Lords).

Meeting Leaders and Learning History

We were fortunate enough to visit the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (the King’s representative in the region). It was really interesting learning about her role and aims for her first year in post, as she is the first First Nations woman to be appointed.

Another fascinating part of the exchange was visiting the Canadian Natural History Museum, which had artwork and houses representing the various different First Nation groups across the western coast. It was amazing learning about the traditional methods used to build these houses and boats. The museum also covered the horrific treatment of First Nations people as their culture was suppressed under forced assimilation.

Reflecting on the Exchange

I think that I have definitely learned so much about Canada and its people from the exchange and have made friends for life. Upon landing back in Heathrow, we all wanted to go right back to Canada!