The Unexpected Canadian Touch in Old Harlow: A Tale of How a Small Piece of Canada Found its Way to the Town

In the quaint town of Old Harlow in Essex, there is a somewhat surprising sight among the businesses, church, and community center—a Canadian university campus. The campus belongs to Memorial University of Newfoundland, which is headquartered thousands of miles away in Canada. Alyssa Griffiths, a student from Newfoundland, describes Harlow as similar to her hometown and feels at home there. The idea for the campus came from Lord Taylor of Harlow, who was involved in the creation of Harlow after World War Two and later became the president of Memorial University. The campus has grown over the years, now occupying several buildings in the town. In addition to Memorial University, Queen's University from Ontario also has a UK campus. Students from Memorial come to Harlow to continue their studies in various fields. The experience is said to be life-changing, and students like Ms. Griffiths plan to spread the word about their time in Harlow. Local residents have also had connections to the campus, such as Michelle Sortwell, who had a Canadian teacher at her primary school. She later discovered that the teacher must have been a student at Memorial University's Harlow campus. The campus's finance manager, Ms. Sortwell, enjoys her work but had to adjust to some differences in language. She mentions that students also experience confusion from certain UK phrases. However, cultural exchanges go both ways, with Essex sayings being taught to the Canadian students. Despite being away from home, students have made the most of their time in Harlow, exploring various countries during weekends. The community in Harlow has also welcomed the Canadian students, with local establishments like The Crown pub appreciating their presence. Cristin Casey, the campus manager, has a deep connection to Harlow and considers it her second home after meeting a local resident over 18 years ago. She believes in creating a welcoming environment for students, maintaining a connection to their Canadian roots. In the future, she hopes to promote the campus further by displaying flags outside the buildings.