B.C. STUDENTS MAKE CANADIAN HISTORY ONLINE
Students, educators and history enthusiasts to meet virtually and share stories of Canada’s past in first-ever Virtual Provincial Heritage Fair
[June 21, 2020] This year, more than 50 students from across B.C. were to gather in Kelowna for the Provincial Heritage Fair. Now, due to Covid-19, the Fair has moved online, making it available to students and community members across the province for the first time.
The Provincial Heritage Fair, organized by the B.C. Heritage Fairs Society (BCHFS), is an annual event for which students gather in a different city each year to learn more about the region’s history and to share their research on a Canadian history topic. Students present their projects at the local and regional level before being invited to the Provincial Fair.
As with many events this summer, the 2020 Provincial Fair was postponed due to Covid-19. But, due to some quick thinking and smart planning, the B.C. Heritage Fairs Alumni Council organized the first-ever Virtual Provincial Fair to ensure that students’ hard work didn’t go unrewarded.
The Council, past Fair participants themselves, saw the value in keeping the program going, even at a distance.
“These students have worked so hard on their projects, so it just made sense to move it online rather than cancelling,” says Rachel Meloche, BCHFS Alumni Program Manager.
“Holding the Fair virtually allows the students to still gather, share their projects, and be interviewed about their work, with the advantage of sharing their projects with even more people around the province who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend.”
The Fair will take place via videoconference on the weekend of June 27 and 28, and will include a mix of student project interviews and workshops from local heritage sites. Workshops include presentations from Native-land.ca, the Port Moody Station Museum, On This Spot, the Bateman Foundation and the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site, making the Virtual Fair a truly pan-provincial event.
Another advantage to meeting virtually is the opportunity to open up who can join the Fair. For the first time ever, the Virtual Fair has no cap on student participants and is welcoming community members to register for the workshops as well.
“Regional Fairs provide an opportunity for students to engage with community members as judges, sponsors, and guests. Using the Virtual Fair format, we can continue to build those relationships and contribute to an awareness of and appreciation for Canadian heritage,” says BCHFS President Kris Foulds.
Students and the public have until Thursday, June 25 to register for the Fair. The event is free to register, though buying a $15 membership to the Society is encouraged and appreciated.
More information and event registration is available at: https://bcheritagefairsalumni.wordpress.com/2020-virtual-fair/
The B.C. Heritage Fairs Society (BCHFS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the history education of Canada’s young people, run entirely by volunteers. Since 2003, the Society has successfully brought people and history together: each year some 4,000 students participate and 700 volunteers work with them, their teachers, and community museum staff in Heritage Fair Programs across the province. For more information, visit bcheritagefairs.ca.
