Prince George Regional Heritage Fair

2013 Location: Prince George Civic Centre
Date: Friday May 10th 2013

The Prince George Regional Heritage Fair is part of a provincial program sponsored by the BC Heritage Fairs Society. The program is intended to encourage school children understand and appreciate their heritage. Students select a topic to research and complete a project on Canadian Heritage.

Who can participate in Heritage Fair?

The fair is free and designed for students in grades 4 - 10.

What do Students do before the fair?

Students can get involved by completing a classroom assignment or as part of a history club. Students select and research an aspect of local, regional, provincial, or national history and then communicate their findings in a poster, panel, model, painting, etc.

How does participating in the fair meet your curriculum?

There are a variety of ways that student participation in Heritage Fair meets the curriculum of different grades.  The BC Heritage Fairs Society has compiled three document that describe how Heritage Fair meets primary, intermediate and secondary school Prescribed Learning Outcomes.  These documents can be dowloaded below:

Heritage Fairs and the Primary BC Curriculum (K-3)

Heritage Fairs and the Intermediate BC Curriculum (4-7)

Heritage Fairs and the Secondary BC Curriculum (8-12)

What happens at the fair?

The fair is a celebration of Canadian Heritage! Students participate in a one-day fair featuring judging, heritage activities, and a field trip. The fair showcases outstanding projects for our community; friends and family are invited to an evening awards and recognition event.

How does Heritage Fair benefit the participant?

Heritage Fair provides students with a deeper understanding of their history, culture and identity. This annual event features the development of communication skills, the discovery of our rich heritage, and exploration of issues of personal relevance.

When is the deadline?

Teacher and students must have expressed interest by March 30, 2013. School-based fairs happen between February and May each year with the best projects being selected to go on to a provincial fair at the end of June.Completed and signed registration forms must be submitted to The Exploration Place no later than Friday April 26, 2013 in order to confirm a student's registration. Registration can be completed online, the page for registration will be added here later in 2013.

Prince George Regional Heritage Fair
c/o The Exploration Place
PO Box 1779
Prince George, BC V2L 4V7
fax: (250)562-6395
email: amanda@theexplorationplace.com

For a copy of our Teacher's Manual, please click here.

For a copy of a heritage fair lesson plan developed by Rob Larson, SD57 Principal, please click here.

Information on Provincial Fair

Each year between 3 and 5 regional participants have the opportunity to participate in a Provincial Fair with other students from across the province.  Fair locations have varied; previous Provincial Fair locations include Victoria and Barkerville!  In 2013, the Provincial Fair will be held in Victoria from Thursday July 4th through Tuesday July 8th.  Seventy student participants will be attending, representing twelve regions of British Columbia.  Would you like to know what it is like to participate in the Provincial Fair?  Click here for "In Our Own Words", a wonderful compilation of thoughts and feedback from 2011's Provincial Fair participants!

2013 National and Provincial Heritage Fair Awards

(awards subject to change without notice)

Canada’s History Award
Sponsor: Canada’s National History Society

Criteria:  Projects that best integrate the use of written research and visual materials as inseparable elements to successfully present the topic. The award is intended to remind students that there are many ways to tell a story, as well as to recognize the combination of language and graphics skills, organization and planning that it takes to effectively communicate a story to a broad audience.

Prize: Certificate and medal to students

BC Heritage Fairs Stellar Achievement
Sponsor: BC Heritage Fairs Society

Criteria:  Students at any grade from 4 to 10 whose project and presentation make them exemplary ambassadors of British Columbia’s heritage. These awards may be given to a group of students from which Provincial Fair delegates may later be selected.

Prize: Certificate

BC Hydro Power Pioneer Award
Sponsor: BC Hydro

Criteria: Project may be presented in English, French, or an Aboriginal language, at any grade level from 4 to 10.  Ideally, the selected project will be focussed on a story involving BC Hydro or its corporate predecessors. Where there is no project meeting this criterion, the award may be presented to a project on a BC pioneer.

Prize: Certificate and copy of  Gaslights to Gigawatts to student; $100 donation made to student’s school library

Historic Places Initiative Award
Sponsor: BC Heritage Branch

Criteria: Project may be presented in English, French, or an Aboriginal language, at any grade level from 4 to 10. Project must have as its theme a historic place in British Columbia, and highlight an aspect of history or heritage related to buildings or the built environment.

Prize: Letter and Historic Places pass to student; book to student’s school

Lieutenant-Governor’s Literacy Award
Sponsor: The Honourable Stephen L. Point, Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia

Criteria: Central component of project is a written story demonstrating imagination and historical inquiry. It should be an original work, based on a real person, place, time or event and include references to primary sources. For projects in English, French, or an Aboriginal language at any grade level. (final criteria approval pending)

Prize: Certificate and book to student

Provincial Capital Commission Award
Sponsor: Provincial Capital Commission

Criteria: Project may be presented in English, French, or an Aboriginal language, at any grade level from 4 to 10. Project must highlight an aspect of history or heritage connected to British Columbia’s provincial capital (including the Victoria Regional District).

Prize: Certificate to student; book to student’s school

UELAC Award
Sponsor: The United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada

Criteria: Project may be presented in English, French, or an Aboriginal language, at any grade level from 4 to 10. Ideally, the selected project will be concerned with the Loyalists or their descendants. Where there is no project meeting this criterion, the award may be presented to a project related to the settlement and growth of Canada prior to Confederation.

Prize: Certificate and pin to student

Locally Sponsored Heritage Fair Awards

The Monica Becott Regional Heritage Award
Sponsor: The Exploration Place
An exemplary project with a focus on regional history.

Kent Sedgewick Memorial Research Award
Sponsor: Prince George Public Library
An exemplary project that demonstrates outstanding research collection.

The Prince George Community Builders Award
Sponsor: Huble Homestead Historic Site
An exemplary project with a focus on contributors to the development of Prince George or other comunity in the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George.

Golden Raven Enthusiasm Award
Sponsor: Regional District of Fraser-Fort George
In recognition of enthusiasm for learning about history, heritage and culture, determination and dedication to a research topic and a passion for the topic.

Click here for a downloadable PDF version of the 2012 National and Provincial Awards Criteria.

For more information, or to register your students in the 2010 Prince George Regional Heritage Fair, please contact Amanda Tisseur at: (250)562-1612 or 1-866-562-1612.