The second annual Provincial Heritage Fair will take place May 22 and 23 at the UPEI Fieldhouse. Over two thousand students, teachers and volunteers will be involved in the Fair which encourages children in grades four to nine to explore their heritage.
"The provincial Heritage Fair plays an important role in the culture and heritage of our province," says Chester Gillan, Minister of Education and minister responsible for culture and heritage.
"The Heritage Fair provides our children with a venue to share their stories of heritage. It also gives them the opportunity to better appreciate their culture, gain a greater interest in the history of our country and increase their pride and identity. As a community we benefit from events such as the Heritage Fair through a province rich in the culture and heritage of its people."
Twenty-five schools have confirmed entries in the fair and twenty-four schools plan on sending grade six classes to view the heritage displays which will be exhibited in a trade-show fashion. Workshops will be presented by various associations and organizations including the Museums and Heritage Foundation, the Association of Community Museums, Island Nature Trust, Institute of Island Studies, the P.E.I. Multicultural Council, the P.E.I. Native Council as well as organizations from the Acadian community.
Students are encouraged to present their heritage projects through any medium of their choice. An E-Fair, or Electronic Fair, is a component of this year's Heritage Fair which is predicted to draw a lot of interest. The E-Fair will provide students with access to other Heritage Fairs being held across Canada at the same time and includes on-line contests, chats with historical figures and a virtual magazine where students can post articles and view contributions from other students from across the country.
Provincial winners of the Heritage Fair will travel to Kingston, Ontario in July to take part in a national exhibition of their projects.
The PEI Heritage Fair is sponsored by the P.E.I. Department of Education, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the CRB Foundation's Heritage Project which produces the Heritage Minutes seen on major Canadian television networks and in movie theatres across the country.
For more information, contact Don LeClair, Department of Education, (902) 368-4784.