More than 130 students congregated at Echo Centre in Port Alberni on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6 for the 15th annual Alberni Valley Museum’s Regional Heritage Fair.
Students participated in some workshops in the morning, then were bused to McLean Mill for the afternoon.
Students earned the right to attend the fair with their Canadian history exhibits through a regional process. Three winners from the Alberni Valley fair will be chosen to attend the provincial fair in Victoria in July. Students’ exhibits were assessed by a panel of 56 local judges on Friday, and open to the public on Saturday, prior to an awards ceremony.
Major awards were:
Lieutenant Governor’s Award — Rowan Rice, Gr. 5, Maquinn Elem. ‘Canada’s New Iceland’.
BC Hydro Power Pioneers — Breanne Gulstene, Gr. 5, Maquinna, Martin Mars Waterbombers.
Genealogy Award — Kamiko Kimoto, Gr. 5, Wood Elem., Japanese Internment Camps.
Historical Society Awards — Emma Nelson, Gr. 4, Maquinna, Franklin River; Ella Freethy, Gr. 4, Maquinna, My Great Grampa Over the Road.
Maritime Heritage Society Award — Alex McIver and Emerson Duarte, both Gr. 4, Heritage Christian Online School.
Industrial Heritage Society Award — Arwen Rauguth-Treleaven, Gr. 5, Heritage Christian Online School, Dredge No. 4
Education History Award — Ava Girard, Gr. 5, Maquinna, Residential School.
Chinese Canadian Historical Society Award — Megan Ma, Gr. 4, Maquinna, Chinese Coming to Canada.
Alberni Valley News Award — Payton Evans, Gr. 4, Maquinna, Our Canadian Flag.
Ken Hughes Memorial Award — Piper James, Gr. 5, Maquinna, Alexander Graham Bell.
Pam Craig Aesthetic Presentation Award — Laila Allat-Miles, Gr. 4, Maquinna, Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Port Alberni Fire Chief Award — Clare Legare, Gr. 5, Maquinna, Port Alberni Tsunami.
People’s Choice Award — Breanne Gulstene, Gr. 5, Maquinna, Martin Mars Waterbombers.
Students’ Choice Award – Laila Allat-Miles, Gr. 4, Maquinna, Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Honour medals (Grades 4–5) – Crystal Dorward (First Nations), Jaidyn Veresh (Art of the Northwest Coast), Norelle Ritchie (Ireland), Joshua Robertson (Underground Railroad), Brock Girard (William Avery Bishop), Anthony Cartlidge (Cathedral Grove), Fife Martyn (Building the CPR in BC), Jacob Markin (Royal Canadian Air Force), Ella McDougall (The McDougalls), Abby Cochrane (Robert Munsch), Matana Schulz (RCMP), Spencer Meikle (Louis Riel).
Honour medals (Grades 6–7) – Sofia Sutherland (Italy), Gideon Kleyn (Ukraine), Ali Michaud (History of the RCMP), Chantal Patton (Heritage Country – France), Madeline Joseph (My Trinidad Project), Dominic Wynans (Canada’s Liberation of the Netherlands WWII).
Honour medals (Grades 8–9) – Lucas Bell (Human Genome Project: Canada’s contribution).
Heritage Fair organizers will announce the three provincial fair participants at a later date.