The Teacher - June 2001

ISSN 1480-2611

Heritage fairs highlight Canadian history

The Honourable Myra A. Freeman, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia officially closed the second annual heritage fair at Cavalier Drive School in Lower Sackville on April 27. Heritage Fair displays covered topics including individual students' family trees, the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Maud Lewis, the Angus L. MacDonald bridge, wild horses of Sable Island, rum runners, Helen Creighton, the Swiss Air disaster, Mill Brook Reserve, The Chickenburger, Port Royal, Citadel Hill, and Natalie McMaster.

Catherine Theriault and Jessica McNeil provided traditional Nova Scotia fare for their Yum Yums from Nova Scotia exhibit. Visitors to their table sampled homemade apple crisp, oatcakes and apple cider.

During the event judges chose the student who will represent the Halifax Regional School Board at the National Heritage Fair in Kamloops B.C. in July. Matt Francis, a Grade 9 student was honoured for his recreation of the Battle of Dieppe's Operation Jubilee. He reconstructed the South Saskatchewan regiment and Royal Highlanders of Canada.

"I am pleased to recognize the effort you put into this heritage fair," says Freeman. "It's extremely important for young people to know their history and heritage and have a better appreciation of their roots." Freeman along with other interested parties including the NSTU, Nova Scotia Department of Education, Nova Scotia School Boards Association, Black Educators Association and Federation of Nova Scotian Heritage have been developing a Heritage Fair program for Nova Scotia schools for all students from Grades 4 to 9. "Students across Nova Scotia should all have an opportunity to participate in a heritage fair," continues Freeman.

Heritage Fairs were planned and executed in all eight school boards in the province this year, and on May 11, over 100 schools and 1,800 students in the province participated in regional heritage fairs. Over 135,000 students in more than 400 communities across Canada participated.

The South Shore District School Board presented their first annual heritage fair at the Nova Scotia Community College, Lunenburg Campus in Bridgewater as part of Heritage Fair Day on May 11.

Students presented projects about Canadian heroes and legends, family history and achievements, and local historical sites. Through the efforts of many volunteers, the fair brought teachers, children, parents and community groups together to celebrate Canadian heritage. An organizing committee of teachers and school board members worked diligently to bring this first heritage together with the help of sponsors including the Lunenburg County and Queens District Locals and the Nova Scotia Teachers Credit Union.

Students from Grades 4 to 9 also participated in workshops covering topics such as genealogy, Mi'kmaq culture and lifestyles, African Canadian heritage and folk dancing.

Students like Kirsten Steeves-Greene researched an area of history that interested them and presented their discoveries using a medium of their choice. Steeves-Greene, a Grade 9 student from North Queens Rural High, rented a costume in Bear River and sported her Nellie McClung look to highlight her Women Who Shaped Canada project. She also incorporated props into her display, like an antique Dr. bag, and old typewriter to illustrate tools the women used in their work.

After researching a project on Emily Carr in Grade 8, she became very interested in the topic of women who influenced Canada. She expanded on the idea for her project researching the biographies of 30 influential Canadian women, and choosing 10 to focus on for her project. Her list of women included Lucy Maud Montgomery, Nellie McClung and Canada's first women MD, Dr. Emily Jennings Stowe.

"After learning about what these women did, I don't take anything for granted," she says. "If it wasn't for Nellie McClung who knows whether women in Canada could vote today."

Steeves-Greene and her project were chosen to represent students in the South Shore District Board at the annual fair in Kamloops.

Gail Smith, a retired teacher who taught social studies for 30 years, was one of the judges for the Bridgewater fair. "What I look for when reviewing the exhibits are how well students present their projects and evidence of their hands-on work and the passion they express for their subject."

This program also gives every child an opportunity to develop a topic they're interested in and helps develop the whole child," she concludes.