Canadian students sailing on tall ship set to vote in Switzerland

Alexis Caffin from Chelsea, Que., turned 18 just a few weeks ago — perfect timing for his first vote.

But rather than head to a nearby polling station to cast his ballot in the Canadian federal election, Caffin will vote at the Canadian Embassy in Bern, Switzerland.

That's because he's been travelling the North Atlantic on a tall ship.

"I'm excited to be able to have the ability to vote and have an impact on the future of Canada," says Caffin.

Joining him in excitement is fellow first-time voter Linnaea O'Brien of Halifax.

"I'm happy to be able to finally have a voice," says O'Brien. 

Caffin and O'Brien just finished a six-month educational sailing expedition. 

Class Afloat-West Island College International is an academic program based in Lunenburg, N.S., for students ages 16-19 from across the world. The program is accredited through the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. 

School started in September with a portion of land-based travel in Germany and the Netherlands. The Alexander von Humboldt II set sail from Germany in October. It returned to Germany after six months and the students are finishing the last couple of months of the program back on land.

The vessel was in Portugal when the Canadian election was called.

It was then that Brychan Williams, the ship's social studies teacher, stepped in to guide Canadian students through the voter registration process. 

Civic duty

He said it is the students' civic duty to vote. "You've got to do what you can do in any situation, even if you're on the other side of the ocean." 

However, with no internet access at sea, staying alert on politics can be challenging, says Williams.

"We are so disconnected for the majority of the year we've been living on this ship. Things like the tariffs and really day-to-day life back in Canada is kind of on the back burner for us."

For Ottawa's Emma Visser, being away from home — and without internet access — can actually be an advantage. She says it's given her space to develop her views more independently.

"I feel like when it comes to social media, it tends to show you what you want," says the 18-year-old Visser. "Being able to form my own opinion on everything has been very useful, but it's been a little scary. But I'm excited. I'm excited to vote."

Visser and Caffin have also been diving into their own research by catching up on the news or checking in with their families back home and talking politics. Caffin is making sure he sets time aside to watch last week's debates before voting. 

"I want to make sure that I'm 100 per cent confident," says Caffin.

A dozen students and four faculty will cast their ballots Tuesday.