What are the Heritage Fairs?

The Heritage Fairs are an exciting celebration of Canada’s heritage seen through the eyes of student history projects. Students from grades four to nine use the medium of their choice to create a project on a heritage topic, using information and imagination to bring history to life.  Public exhibitions of these projects happen annually at Community and Regional Heritage Fairs, in every province and territory. Some schools hold school-based fairs then chooose projects to represent them at the regional fair. The Heritage Fair program brings history and heritage to the classroom and provides an opportunity for the whole school to be involved in an educational and exciting event. By participating, teachers can bring out the best in their students. When students create a Heritage Fair project, they are not just telling us what happened in the past, they are explaining why and when it happened and why it is important to us today.  The focus is not just learning history but on understanding it.  The positive benefit of cross-curricular activities and the sense of accomplishment students experience will make each Fair positive and unique.

When Are They Held?

Regional Heritage Fairs take place in every province and territory in Canada in May. These Fairs feature public exhibitions of Canadian history projects, displays, and workshops. Students displaying exemplary effort and genuine enthusiasm are selected to represent their region at a provincial heritage fair.

The goal of the fairs is:

to heighten awareness of our heritage

to celebrate our cultural diversity

to promote and publicize the variety and uniqueness of our heritage

to create an exciting learning environment for students of history to encourage individuals and communities to celebrate Canada's history

Each project can involve a variety of ideas based on history and heritage.  The students' imagination can lead them to explore the use of: Drama, Music, Dance, Storytelling, Role Playing, Game, Monologue, Poster, Diorama, Collage, Videos, Costumes. For more information, click   here .