From “Blackberry’s Crumble” to a LEGO version of the Fortress of Louisbourg, history and culture were on display as Saint Mary’s University hosted the 2024 Nova Scotia Provincial Heritage Fair.
The June 6 and 7 event featured projects by 59 students who were selected at school and regional fairs across the province. The learning opportunity is designed for students in Grades 4 through 9, encouraging them to explore Canadian culture, history and heritage while gaining research and public presentation skills.
This year’s participants – some in costume – shared their knowledge on everything from Viola Desmond to “Canada’s greatest hockey dad,” Walter Gretzky. One student shared beautiful sketches of African Nova Scotian settlements, while others recreated historic church steeples and even a stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway.
“The Heritage Fair puts the spotlight on budding young researchers from across the province,” said the event’s organizer, Dr. Kirrily Freeman, Director of Outreach and Experiential Learning for the Faculty of Arts. “It’s an annual highlight here at Saint Mary’s, where the students have a chance to hone their presentation skills while connecting with the expertise of our Arts faculty and heritage partners.”
Coinciding with the 80th anniversary commemorations of D-Day operations in the Second World War, the event had half a dozen projects on military history topics. Pride in family heritage was also front and centre, with several students tracing their family roots.
The History of the North Bay Fisherman’s Co-op
Decorated with fishing nets, photos and lobster dip, a project from Antigonish indicated that history is still being made, with a placard noting, “There is a first for everything: My mom is the first female member of the North Bay Fisherman’s Co-op. She is also the first female captain of a boat where she fishes out of.”
The student delegates and their parent chaperones arrived June 6 to set up their displays, get acquainted at a banquet, and settle into their residence rooms. On both days, the students attended podcasting and geocaching workshops, plus astronomy sessions in the Burke-Gaffney Observatory.
The Heritage Fair projects were open for public viewing on June 7, followed by an awards ceremony, both in the in the McNally Theatre Auditorium. The awards recognized student research in such areas as Indigenous and African-Canadian heritage, environmental history, equity and justice, immigration studies, sport history, and the history of science and technology. The judging panel included professionals who are active in the fields of culture, history and heritage: professors, archivists, librarians, museum curators, museum interpreters and more.