Lethbridge - The 17th Southern Alberta Regional Heritage Fair took place Saturday, May 5 at the Galt Museum & Archives. Ingenious Canadian history projects by Grade 4-9 students from across Southern Alberta were on public display from 9:30 am–2:00 pm, and the impressed judges chose the following prize and award winners:

 Kara Morphet | Grade 8, Wilson Middle School, Lethbridge

Project: Don Remington

Will represent Southern Alberta at the Historical Society of Alberta Conference in Calgary May 26-27. Kara will have the opportunity to share her project with historians from across the province and to meet heritage fair presenters from across Alberta.

 Tessa Brooks | Grade 8, CAPE School, Medicine Hat

Project: Pierre Trudeau

Will receive Canada’s History Medal, awarded to the Best Heritage Fair Project that integrates the use of written research and visual materials as inseparable elements to successfully present their topic.

 The Young Citizens is a bilingual initiative to identify youth leaders at each of these regions, recognized for their exceptional creativity, knowledge and passion for history, and their capacity to advocate for their local heritage community. The four Young Citizens chosen from southern Alberta are:

·         Jeremy Collier, Nicholas Sheran School | Project: Russian Mennonite Immigration to Canada

·         Alex Hansen, Milk River Elementary | Project: Frank Slide

·         Dylan Taylor, Ecole Agnes Davidson School | Project: We Stand on Guard for Thee: Canadian Superheroes and National Identity

·         Connor Deptuck, CAPE School | Project: Parks Canada

 These four students, along with 196 other students from across Canada, will create short documentaries or news pieces capturing the essence of their research project and how this connects them with their community and country. All of the videos will be uploaded to the internet. The public will be asked to vote for their favourite video - the website will be publicized soon. A team of experts will then help choose 6 of the 200 students to go to Ottawa next December to participate in the National History Forum. Once the video is completed, each of these four students will be permitted to keep the camera used to create the video. Cameras provided by Canada’s History and the Young Citizens program.

 The 2013 Southern Alberta Regional Heritage Fair is scheduled for May 4. For more information on how to participate, please contact Belinda Crowson, Chair of the Southern Alberta Regional Heritage Fair at 403.320-4248 or belinda.crowson@galtmuseum.com.