Group Leader Spotlight: Phil Cassidy

Meet Phil Cassidy, a history and band teacher for grades 9–12. He has 22 years of teaching experience and has led seven tours with Explorica, with two more in the works. Phil served in the Canadian infantry for eight years—one of the many reasons he believes in the importance of connecting students with Canada’s military history. Has your military experience shaped how you teach Canadian history to your students? Absolutely. I Read More …

Discover the cornerstones of Canadian history

With Explorica, you can create your own perfect tour at the click of a button. Just add one of these exclusive new activities to your tour to experience Canadian history first-hand. Stay in a château  Trade in your hotel for a more authentic experience, and stay in an authentic French-style château during your tour. Spend your Read More …

Remembrance Day in Ottawa

The Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa is the perfect time and place to show students the value of Remembrance Day and why it’s important to reflect on Canada’s involvement in war and peace efforts and pay tribute to those that served, and continue to serve our country. Students have the opportunity to stand with members of Read More …

2018 Commemorative Italian Campaign tours

Explorica introduced the industry’s first commemorative history tours in 2005, pioneering a new opportunity to connect students with their studies in an engaging, life-changing way. In that spirit, we are proud to provide 2018 Italian Campaign tours to commemorate the 75th anniversary of this moment in WWII history. More than 93,000 Canadians, along with allies from Great Britain, France and the United States, played a Read More …

France tour collection

Feast on an unforgettable meal in a brasserie tucked away in the Latin Quarter of Paris. Walk the beaches of Normandy and stand on the hallowed ground where Allied soldiers fought and fell for freedom. Visit the warm Mediterranean cities of the French Riviera, speckled with old palaces and mansions—the relics of the formidable Grimaldi Read More …

Commemorate D-Day

2019 will mark the 75th anniversary of one of the most infamous conflicts in our history. The bravery that so many young Canadians exhibited during that fateful summer still touches our lives, and Explorica will be commemorating their sacrifice throughout the 2019 school year with a collection of tours specifically focused on D-Day and Canadian history. Read More …

Remembering the Brave: 5 Tips for Creating a Soldier Project

Canadian history teachers from the Ottawa Catholic School Board, Vanessa Kirtz and Erin Stokes took a particularly creative approach to this challenge. Since 2013 and 2007 respectively, they’ve worked on an ambitious project in which students research the lives of Canadian soldiers who died while serving in the First and Second World War. Calling it a “Soldier Project,” the Read More …

D-Day 2014 Explorica group featured in SYTA magazine

This summer, we sent a group of students dubbed “Canada’s Youth Ambassadors” to the 70th D-Day anniversary celebrations in Normandy. The group was accompanied by Tony Balch, a Second World War veteran who shared his story with the students attending the event on Juno Beach. We’re proud to announce that our students have been featured Read More …

“V” is for Victory: 75 years since entering WWII

The first time Canada entered WWII was on September 10, 1939. By the end of 1940, more than 200,000 Canadians volunteered to join Great Britain and France in the fight against Germany. It wasn’t Prime Minister Mackenzie King’s intention to have this many Canadians enlist. However, within a year, the country geared up for full Read More …

D-Day 2014 with Canada’s youth ambassadors

Blog post written by Explorica Marketing and Retention Manager, Sonia Reid. On June 6, 2014, thousands of Canadians made the journey to Juno Beach to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day, honouring our veterans and the many brave Canadian soldiers that lost their lives during the battle. Juno Beach was one of five beaches used Read More …