Students take heritage to heart, look the part
Regional heritage fair projects shine light on interesting range of historical subjects
With a big smile, straw hat and red braids, nine- year- old Charlene Burnett certainly looked the part.
Charlene, a student at Chiganois Elementary, choose to do her project on Lucy Maud Montgomery for the Chignecto Central Regional Heritage Fair, in Truro. To add to the experience, she was dressed like Anne of Green Gables.
“I chose her because she wrote Anne of Green Gables, and because she inspired more Canadian women to be taken seriously and have their writing published,” Charlene said of Montgomery. “We have her books in the library at school, and I want to read them all now.”
Charlene learned about Montgomery’s personal life while working on the project.
“I think I would like her if I met her in real life,” she said. “She had depression, and I would try to cheer her up.”
Josh Shannon, another nineyear-old from Chiganois Elementary, did his project on Willard Kitchener, the Hermit of Gully Lake. He chose him because, even though he seemed kind of scary, he thinks he would have been a cool person to meet.
Kennedy Cook wore her grandmother’s nursing cap and lab coat to present her project on the history of the Lillian Fraser Memorial Hospital.
“My mom’s the manager there, and my grandmother used to be the manager, so I knew some things about it,” said the Grade 8 student from North Colchester High. “I learned new things while doing the project. I found out the rst hospital used to be Lillian Fraser’s summer home. She donated the house to Tatamagouche and it was a Red Cross outpost.”
Kennedy isn’t sure what she wants to do for a career, but thinks working in a neonatal unit could be interesting.
Four boys from Oxford Regional Education Centre worked together to create a project on the Second World War.
“I’m fascinated with World War ll, and I wanted to learn more about it,” said Robbie Dean, who dressed as Winston Churchill for the day. “I had a relative who was in a unit captured by the Germans. He and some other prisoners escaped just a little while before the other prisoners were executed.”
Connor Rideout, dressed as a ghter pilot, added photos of his great-grandfathers, Malcolm Crowell and Calvin Foster, to the project. Both were involved in the war e orts, one overseas and one in Canada.
Connor Kontuk, dressed as Franklin Roosevelt, said hearing about ancestors who fought in the war also got him interested.
Nate Adams, the fourth member of their crew, wasn’t wearing period costume but was well prepared with information.
e boys said they’ve played war games and found them both good and bad. Although they piqued their interest in learning about the war, they sometimes gave false impressions.
“I thought Winston Churchill was one of the bad guys rst,” said Robbie. “I’m glad I learned more about him.”
Students from Grades 4 to 9 took part in the heritage fair, held at the Nova Scotia Community College campus Friday.
After projects were judged, the students visited the Little White School House Museum, the Antique Farm Equipment Museum and the Colchester Historeum.