Exploring distant places without leaving Whitecourt is made possible thanks to the Armchair Travels program

The Armchair Travels Program is a fun way to travel the world without leaving Whitecourt. What originally started last October by Fay Arcand, FCSS Program Coordinator for the Town of Whitecourt, as a way to get people back together has evolved into a well-attended partnership between FCSS/AJMC and the Whitecourt & District Public Library.

Each month, attendees learn about a new country. “We started with Australia. I did a lot of research about the country and their culture and their history. After going through a PowerPoint presentation, we had a conversation where people could ask questions and discuss it. If anyone from our group had travelled there, we talked about that too. We had a really nice visit together and learned about different places,” explained Arcand.

Feedback from the beginning was excellent. “We had eight people registered for the first event. It went wonderfully. Some people had planned a trip there before COVID but didn’t go, and others had previously travelled there. We talked about their trip, where they went and how it was when they were there. It was a way to have a visit when people were feeling more isolated. It was a way to incorporate some safe visiting.”

Staff also brought the program on the road, bringing the presentation to Spruceview Lodge. “I made arrangements with the recreation coordinator at the Spruceview Lodge to see if there would be interest in the program, and there was. We took the PowerPoint and had the same kind of conversation there, in their space. It was very well received,” said Arcand.

From that first month, Arcand introduced more countries to the group, including Whales. “I had a guest speaker come in that had married a fellow from Whales, and she shared her insight and information on the country. We talked about their culture and other things. The next country after that was Portugal. It was very good. At the end of the Portugal event, the thought crossed my mind to include the library and see if they wanted to partner with the town.”

After a conversation with Library Director Joseph Kubelka in the spring, Arcand said they decided to work together. “That’s when the library took over the research and PowerPoint presentations. I sat with them the first go around and helped facilitate the first one so they would get the flow. It’s very non-structured. We discuss a few points per slide and have conversations,” said Arcand.

Watching the library staff present the program let Arcand know that the partnership was a great choice. “The library does an amazing job. They also continue taking it to the Lodge as we did. They also take books about the topic with them so that if people at the AJMC event or the Lodge want to borrow the books, they can. It’s a great partnership, and something that I hope continues.”

Arcand said that as much as she enjoyed putting the program on, the workload of putting together the PowerPoint was too consuming. “You want to make it good and find interesting points to share, but that takes time. With the library having that information at their fingertips, it was a better fit for them. It’s a great partnership. We provide the space and the advertising, and they provide the manpower to do it.”

For Kubelka, the program fell right in line with programs from the past and their mission of collaborating with various community groups. “The library has run programs about travel in the past. We’ve worked with travel agencies and partnered with people who have travelled worldwide, so this was a natural progression. When we saw that the town had a program about travel talks, we offered to provide some books, documentaries, and travel videos, which was a great fit. The library can dip into its resource arsenal, create a fun PowerPoint, and bring materials people can check out. I think it’s crucial that the library be part of the overall ecosystem of programs here in Whitecourt.”

Attendees stand to only benefit from the change. “There’s a dedicated group of people that enjoy coming to this program and who enjoy interacting with each other. It’s a favourite for a lot of people, and they come every time. It’s open to anyone that wants to stop by. We would love to see new faces join us.”

Kubelka said the program also helps show what a library can do. “Not everybody would automatically think travel talk and library together, but really, there’s so much information here about travelling. We have a whole travel book collection that works great with this program. Many communities have travel talk programs, and I think they are so popular because you get to go beyond the travel brochure. It’s very easy to watch a documentary or a program about a place but talking to community members who have actually been there and have experience travelling is invaluable.”

Countries coming up this fall include Zimbabwe on September 15, Norway on October 20, and Cuba on November 17. After a pause for Christmas, the program will kick back up on January 19 with an armchair trip to Easter Island before dipping into Canada on February 16 for a close-up look at Newfoundland and Labrador. The program runs from 2 pm until 3 pm in the AJMC boardroom.

“If you would like to help people find out more about cool locations and you happen to have pictures of the countries we are reviewing, we would be happy to include them in our presentation or have you come and share with the group,” said Kubelka. Anyone with stories or first-hand accounts to share is encouraged to call the Whitecourt Library at 780-778-2900.