For one day at École McIsaac School, students switched roles and taught the lessons themselves.
It was all part of the school’s fifth annual Heritage Fair, an event meant to allow kids to learn more about the history of their country. A total of 115 students and 85 projects made up this year’s fair, with entrants coming from McIsaac and Ruth Betts Community School. Students from grades 5 to 8 were eligible to take part.
“Our Heritage Fair is set up so that kids can pick something they’re interested in and do a project of their choice, having to do with Canada’s heritage,” said Susanne Westhaver, a teacher at École McIsaac School and an organizer of the event.
During the heritage fair, students split their day between having their projects judged and taking part in a series of sessions dedicated to teach them hands-on knowledge. Some students took part in a music history clinic, while others partook in classes that taught indigenous culture, radio broadcasting, wildlife conservation and more.
The projects often feature thorough research, with students choosing a wide variety of Canadiana, from athletes, musicians, scientific achievements and even serial killers.
At the end of the fair, 14 students are rewarded with the chance to represent their school at the Red River Heritage Fair, scheduled for May 3 in Winnipeg.
“The projects we take to Winnipeg are definitely on par or higher, compared to projects from elsewhere in Manitoba,” said Westhaver.
Here are three of the projects from this year's fair:
Addie Neill
Grade 6
Neill’s project started with two basic questions about Canadian money. “I always wondered who was on bank notes and why,” she said.
In order to answer those questions, Neill researched every person currently on Canada’s currency – including Viola Desmond, a Nova Scotia businesswoman and civil rights crusader who was recently named the first Canadian woman to appear on Canadian money.
Neill also included a selection of decades-old bank notes, some she received from a family member, to further detail her project. “It takes a lot of research,” she said. Neill will be heading to the Red River Heritage Fair.
Ethan Patterson
Grade 8
Patterson’s project on his great-grandfather, done exclusively in French, features several war-time relics. In addition to photos of his great-grandfather and his regiment, Patterson included his great-grandfather’s dog tags, birth certificate, discharge papers, equipment ledger and even battlefield souvenirs from fallen German soldiers, like Nazi armbands and medals.
“He took them during the Battle of Normandy. After he got back, he very soon regretted it and had remorse. He never brought it out of his room for anyone. He regretted it a lot.”
Patterson’s great-grandfather, Edwin Lloyd Quickfall, moved to Flin Flon after the war. Quickfall passed away before Patterson was born, but Patterson spoke with members of his family to find out what he was like.
“He kept everything inside, he never really liked talking about it. When he was done, it was all suppressed inside of him – he never released it,” said Patterson.
“Right now, I’m at an age where I don’t really understand it. As I get older I think I’ll understand better what he meant when he talked about this stuff.”
Cassidy Alexander & Niki Keramydas
Grade 5
Last year, Alexander and Keramydas built up an award-winning project on Métis culture, based on Alexander’s own ancestry. This year, they flipped the script, focusing on Keramydas’ Greek roots.
“We interviewed five Greek people who immigrated to Manitoba and we figured out they moved for the same reason – a better life and job opportunities,” said Alexander.
The duo included a number of extra exhibits with their project, including photos, Greek food, a set of Greek pillars to decorate their project, even a DVD of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, as well as authentic Greek dresses.
It’s not the first time the two got into costume for a project – both wore Métis sashes to go with their project last year.
“I found out more about my culture in general, the history, food, a pretty wide variety,” said Keramydas
“I figured out the Turks weren’t very nice to the Greeks. I learned a few things they did.”
