Students from across the province will be participating in the fifth annual Provincial Heritage Fair on Friday, May 12, at the Confederation Centre of the Arts from 9:00 am through 4:00 pm. The fair is open to the public between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. More than 2,000 students, teachers and volunteers have participated in community-based fairs which encouraged children in Grades 5 to 9 to explore their heritage, whether it be their own or that of our great nation. This year's provincial fair will feature approximately 200 outstanding exhibits in both English and French.
The primary focus of the Fair is to encourage students to tell stories and share information about Canadian heroes, events and lifestyles of the past and to provide a venue for students to present the results of their efforts to the community.
The Fair will conclude with an official ceremony at 3:30 pm. Honoured guests include the Honourable Gilbert Clements, Lieutenant Governor, Mr. George Proud, Member of Parliament for Hillsborough and His Worship George MacDonald, Mayor of the City of Charlottetown. At this time the finalists who will be considered for the Charles R. Bronfman Foundation National Heritage Fair will be announced. This year's National Heritage Fair will be held in Ottawa-Hull from July 10-17.
The Provincial Heritage Fair is sponsored by the PEI Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, Department of Education and Attorney General, the CRB Foundation, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Confederation Centre of the Arts and the Federal Millennium Bureau.
Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs, the Honourable Gail Shea, said that she is very excited by the success of Heritage Fairs on Prince Edward Island. "The participation at the school level gives all of our students the chance to highlight what is important to them and to their communities about the past. The Provincial Fair brings together the best that the province has to offer and I urge the public to see the results."
"By encouraging young Canadians to explore their past and to develop innovative ways to share what they've learned, Heritage Fairs truly do make history come alive," said Mr. George Proud, MP for Hillsborough on behalf of the Honourable Herb Gray, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister responsible for the Government of Canada's millennium initiative. "The Government of Canada is proud to support the Heritage Fairs Program with a contribution of $1.4 million through the Canada Millennium Partnership Program."
The program funds up to one third of eligible project costs, while other organizations and the private sector provide the remaining two-thirds. CMPP-supported projects promote our history, our youth, our arts and culture, our environment and the development of our communities.