Lethbridge – Alex Hansen and Dylan Taylor, two southern Alberta students who participated in the 17th Southern Alberta Regional Heritage Fair at the Galt Museum & Archives earlier this year with research projects focusing on the 1903 Frank Slide and Canadian Superheroes respectively, will be representing Alberta in Canada’s History Young Citizens Top 30 round following a public vote this summer.

 Young Citizens is a bilingual initiative which identifies youth leaders in each province and territory recognized for their exceptional creativity, knowledge and passion for history, and their capacity to advocate for their local heritage community. This year, 200 students from across Canada were identified at regional heritage fairs, given a camera and tasked with creating short documentaries capturing the essence of their research projects. The resulting videos were then published online and opened up to pub

It is now up to a national panel to identify the final six recipients who will travel to Ottawa to premiere their video at the National History Forum, held in conjunction with the Governor General’s History Awards at Rideau Hall.

 “It is entirely fitting that we get this news this week that the two Alberta finalists in the Young Citizens program are both from the Southern Alberta Regional Heritage Fair,” says Belinda Crowson, Museum Educator at the Galt and Chair of the Southern Alberta Regional Heritage Fair. “Schools and teachers from across southern Alberta should be receiving information on the Heritage Fair this week, and encouragement to enroll their students in the program. Hopefully we will have southern Alberta students as finalists again next year. And we all have our fingers crossed to have one or both of our students picked to go to Ottawa.”

 For more iformation, please contact Belinda Crowson, at belinda.crowson@galtmuseum.com or 403.320-4248.

·         Alex Hansen, Milk River Elementary, Milk River

Frank Slide The Frank Slide was one of the most dangerous rock slides in Canada. It happened April 29, 1903 at 4:10am. It covered half the town of Frank, Alberta with huge boulders.

·         Dylan Taylor, Ecole Agnes Davidson School, Lethbridge

We Stand on Guard for Thee: Canadian Superheroes and National Identity This project is about Canadian superheroes and how they are important to our heritage. I will show how they represent our national identity as a diplomatic, outdoor-loving, and polite country.