Five local students were among 58 from across the province who participated in the Provincial Heritage Fair in Victoria from July 4 to 8.
The event was held at the Royal B.C. Museum.
The selected participants – students in Grades 4 to 10 – took part in regional heritage fairs in May in 12 communities in B.C., including Abbotsford.
The students and their projects were selected based on their excellence in research, insight and presentation. They are invited to represent their region at the Provincial Heritage Fair held each year in July.
Projects can be related to any aspect of Canadian history that interests the student.
The 58 participants were welcomed by First Nations dancers and singers at the First Peoples House on the University of Victoria campus and were also able to visit historic sites including Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse, Ross Bay Cemetery, Chinatown and the Legislative Buildings.
Local participants and their projects were:
• Andrew Williams-Turner – Grade 5, Dormick Park Elementary, with his project My Mom and the Samahquam First Nation;
• Taylor Kyte – Grade 5, Prince Charles Elementary, for Diane Foster: Bronze Metal Olympian;
• Hailey Keating, Grade 6, Kent Elementary (Agassiz), for The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald;
• Lucas Wacker – Grade 7, St. James and St. Ann's School, for Jacques Plante: The Story Behind The Mask; and
• Isaac Douglas – Grade 5, St. James and St. Ann's School, for Charlie's Tree.
The Heritage Fairs Program is designed to increase awareness and interest in Canadian history.
The provincial government has been a supporter of the program for over 16 years and is providing $15,000 this year to help with the continued engagement of youth in Canada’s past and to provide an opportunity to everyone to learn more about different aspects of Canadian history and culture.