Image Credit: CFJC Today
SCHOOL DISTRICT #73

Kamloops-Thompson Regional Heritage Fair gets students in touch with the past

May 10, 2019 | 5:28 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops-Thompson Regional Heritage Fair took place over the past two days at the Henry Grube Centre. The event is much like a science fair, but instead of chemistry or biology, the students research a Canadian historical topic that interests them. Heritage Fair Chair Catherine Gorman says the event is an excellent way for kids to get engaged with a subject with which they’re passionate.

“A lot of our curriculum these days is based on project-based inquiry,” Gorman explained. “When we have a student who gets to pick what their project is going to be, and they get to elaborate on that and do all the research on their own, they become very invested in the project. This is a great example of that.”

A trio of winners from the regional fair will be selected to represent the district at the Provincial Heritage that takes place at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria from July 4th to 8th. Two of this year’s front runners to represent SD73 picked wildly different topics but worked incredibly hard to understand their chosen subject matter.

Anglin MacIntosh chose Samuel De Champlain as the subject of his project, and the young man went quite in depth into the legacy of one of the founders of the first French colony in North America.

“In 1608 he founded Quebec City, which… would go on to become the second largest city in Quebec,” MacIntosh explained. “He did develop quite good relationships with First Nations… [and] fought in several wars against and alongside them.”

While Devon Worthington picked the Battle of Vimy Ridge as the topic of his research and even decided to dress like a Canadian Soldier from World War One to show his commitment to the subject matter. Devon says he’s enjoyed his Heritage Fair experience.

“If you go to regionals, you get to learn a lot about Kamloops,” Worthington told CFJC Today. “We went down to Riverside Park for almost like a little field trip… and got to learn about Kamloops history, and a couple of other really cool things.”