They’re essentially the oldest and youngest members of the Canada World Youth contingent that’s currently in Slave Lake. Their reasons for being here are as different as day and night.
But that doesn’t prevent Marek Klara and Tyler Bolin from getting along famously – and coming up with some very scary ideas as they created a Haunted House at the Legion last week.
Originally from Rogi, a village in southeast Poland, Marek has just completed five years of university getting a masters’ degree in the History of Law. But he’s not done, just yet. In fact, the 24-year-old is just taking a short break before he heads back for another three years in the same department to earn a PhD in the same field.
Quite simply, “I want to be a professor,” he says.
But first, “I wanted to see Canada and to increase my ability in English,” he says. That’s because his primary school years he studied in Russian. As he advanced to high school, his instruction language changed to German and English.
As someone who’s grown accustomed to the bustling lifestyle at university in Krakow, one of the first things he noticed about this community is “Slave Lake is quiet – maybe too quiet.
“But it’s okay,” he’s quick to add. He doesn’t think this country has buildings that are all that much more modern than those in his homeland. But he has noticed Alberta does have some very recognizable features he’s never seen before.
“You have very straight roads,” he said. “In Poland, we have roads that wind their way through the villages.”
And while an estimated 20 per cent of Poland is also covered with forests, Marek said he was ‘amazed’ to find this tiny community nestled in the midst of a heavily treed area.
The good news is that he feels his English vocabulary is expanding – “but I still make lots of mistakes.”
His Canadian partner, however, thinks his partner’s English is becoming more clear daily. He secretly wishes that Polish would come as effortlessly to him, but Tyler Bolin says he knows it’ll be a challenge.
His partner has assured him he’ll “never starve or be lost,” but just to be safe, Tyler knows he’s got some learning to do.
But learning was his plan when he applied to take part in the exchange right out of high school, says the Quesnel, B.C native.
“It’s a way for me to figure out what I’m going to do with the rest of my life,” admits the 18-year-old.
Tyler says he was ‘surfing the internet’, looking for different ideas when he stumbled across the CWY website. The chance to travel while he was learning piqued his interest, he says, partly because of a wanderlust seed that was planted when he travelled to Australia in 1998.
His mother’s a teacher, Tyler explains, and the move to the other side of the equator was the result of another exchange – this one for teachers.
“It was a really incredible learning experience,” he admits. When he was younger it was just a trip, a minor inconvenience, he adds. “But now I can look at it a good experience.”
The participants have been busy creating a haunted house for youngsters’ Halloween enjoyment, working with youth co-ordinator Marcia Walker.

Copyright © 2000 The Lakeside Leader. All Rights Reserved.
No part may be reproduced without written permission.

View our Privacy Statement.
Send website suggestions to the Webmaster