Heritage Fair 2012

As many of you may know, the Galt Museum & Archives has worked the past 17 years on the Regional Heritage Fair -- where students in grades 4 to 9 create projects on Canadian history (local, provincial or national) and present them to the public. This is an incredible opportunity for students to develop their historical and critical thinking skills, to research and to explore a topic that they are interested in.

Over the last year, the Alberta Provincial Heritage Fair Council has been working with the Alberta Labour Institute as the Institute and Alberta Federation of Labour are planning the "100 Years of Work: Celebrating the people who built your community" in 2012.

The Alberta Federation of Labour was created in June 1912 here in Lethbridge. "Miners, Farmers and City Toilers Decide to Form Federation"read the headline of the 15 June 1912 Lethbridge Daily Herald.

As part of the Centennial Celebrations, a Celebration of Labour will take place on June 16 at Fort Edmonton Park. One student from each of the Regional Heritage Fairs will be invited to take part in the festivities. This will be in addition to the one student each year who gets to attend and present at the Historical Society of Alberta Conference.

As always, students are welcome to create a project on ANY topic of Canadian history they wish. However, it is hoped that this year students may be interested in creating a project on labour. By labour we are encouraging students to think broadly of this topic. A few ideas that come to mind are: to think of the various industries that helped to build their community and our nation; to consider how industry has changed over the past 100 years; to investigate how women's work is different today than in the past (perhaps within their own family and community or on a larger scale); to look at events such as the Great Depression and building of the railroads; or to see how farming has changed.

As always I am interested to see what students come up with for their projects. Every year they amaze me.

Students may be able to find some resources at: http://www.labourhistory.ca/ or http://www.afle.ca/

The Southern Alberta Regional Heritage Fair booklet may be downloaded at: http://www.galtmuseum.com/programs-school.htm

I look to see you all at the Regional Fair May 5 at the Galt Museum & Archives.