Students gearing up for heritage fair

Emily Carr and Alex Colville, Amazing Statues in Massey, the Anderson Farm, Sudbury Shriners, Banton – Discovery of Insulin.

These are some of the many projects that will be on display at the 16th Annual Sudbury Regional Heritage Fair May 4 at Laurentian University.

The community is invited to view the projects in the Great Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is free.

Close to 1,000 elementary and secondary school students from Sudbury, Espanola and Manitoulin will attend the exhibition and cultural celebration. In addition to student projects, the event will feature local displays, workshops and live performances by the Confederation Secondary School Evolutionary Band.

The Sudbury Regional Heritage Fair is a community event organized and sponsored in partnership with a number of local organizations, including the Rainbow District School Board, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, Laurentian University and the City of Greater Sudbury.

Over the past 16 years, student presentations have been as varied as the number of participants, drawing on a wide range of creative project formats, including dramatic and musical presentations, videos, posters, maps, essays, and 3-D displays, often with props and costumes.

The Heritage Fair awards ceremony will take place at Laurentian University’s Fraser Auditorium May 10 at 7 p.m. The public is welcome to attend. Admission is free.

The awards ceremony will feature Outbound Sudbury, an entertaining and educational family oriented show with a unique repertoire of songs that reflect northern heritage and culture.

Outbound Sudbury is made up of Andy Lowe (guitar/vocals) and Roger Finlay (Upright Bass/vocals), polished professionals who infuse every performance with energy and humour.

A number of special awards will be presented at the awards ceremony, including Canada’s National History Society Award, the Ontario Heritage Fairs Association Founders’ Award in recognition of exceptional enthusiasm and dedication to history and heritage; the Ontario Heritage Fairs Association Multicultural Award in recognition of excellent student achievement in research that exemplifies the diverse culture of Ontario; the Archives of Ontario Award; the Ontario Genealogical Society Award; the Ontario Historical Society Award and the Ontario History and Social Science Teachers Award.

Judges will select two projects from the local fair to be showcased at the Provincial Heritage Fair in Toronto June 10-11.

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is a new community partner at the Heritage Fair this year.

“We commend OPG for recognizing the importance of preserving history at the local level and thank them for their support,” Chantal Lacroix, chair of the Sudbury Regional Heritage Fair Organizing Committee, said in a press release.

“The Heritage Fair gives our youth an opportunity to research, discover and creatively capture history. Students will share stories of their family and community, which will result in a spectacular showcase of our local culture and Canadian heritage."

“Hydroelectric generation has been powering the city of Sudbury for over 100 years and has played an important role in the local economy and the everyday lives of Sudburians,” Jeff Fournier, who works in public relations with Ontario Power Generation - Central Hydro Plant Group, said.

“OPG is proud to be celebrating an important anniversary this year, that being the centennial of our Mcvittie generating station on the Wahnapitae River. We’re proud of our heritage in the Sudbury area and we are equally proud to support everyone who will be displaying their pride in Canada’s heritage at the 2012 Sudbury Regional Heritage Fair.”

Posted by Heidi Ulrichsen