Kids share passion for history at fair

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/05/2015 (4019 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Who said history can’t be fun?

Certainly not the folks behind the annual Red River Heritage Fair, that’s for sure. The event, which celebrated its 12th anniversary this year, had the Duckworth Centre at the University of Winnipeg teeming with excitement.

“I was a bit nervous at first, but after my first judge I wasn’t nervous anymore,” said Hannah Vonck, a Grade 5 student at Immanuel Christian School. 

Students from across Winnipeg attended the all-day event.

“The fair is about Canadian heritage,” explained James Dykstra, co-chair of the Red River Heritage Fair, in an email. “What we want is to see Canadian kids taking a part of our history and making it their story. A lot of people will tell you that Canadian history is boring, but I’ve got 220 kids (here) who will tell you otherwise.”

Students from John Pritchard School, Elmwood High School, and Immanuel Christian School represented the northeast. Research projects on subjects as varied as hockey history, residential schools in Canada, and the occult investigations of Elmwood’s own Thomas Glendenning Hamilton were set up throughout the gym. Each display was adjudicated by historians, teachers, museum workers, and others who know about kids and Canada, and feedback provided to students.

Vonck’s presentation was on the history of Birds Hill Provincial Park. She said that she became interested in the history of the park after visiting the park.

“My sisters and I participated in the Junior Naturalists program,” she explained. “It was really interesting.”

While it was Vonck’s first time at the Red River Heritage Fair, she said it was something she enjoyed and that she would like to attend again in the future.

“It’s a great way to escape school,” she said. “I like sharing what I’ve learned and doing the backboard poster.”

After students had their work judged, Dykstra said they spent the rest of the day “in workshops that explain how our money developed, some of the untold stories of Winnipeg, or perhaps how to do Aboriginal beading”

In the evening, awards were presented to outstanding projects, 14 of which were selected to participate in the Young Citizens project sponsored by Canada’s History Society.

“Those 14 kids will make videos based on their projects,” Dykstra said. “Online voting will help decide which two of those 14 will represent Manitoba among the Young Citizens from across Canada who go to Ottawa next October.”

Informative and engaging displays from the North East Historical Society and the University of Winnipeg, among others, were also in place for students and community members to peruse throughout the day.

“The stories that make up Canada are exciting, and we want to create an environment where the cool stories of Canada are celebrated,” Dykstra said.

Facebook.com/TheHeraldWPG
Twitter: @heraldWPG