May 5 and 6: Sudbury Regional Heritage Fair brings the past to life

What do the Capreol Railway, Sudbury Theatre Centre, Killarney: A Home of the Métis and Tessa Bonhomme have in common? These are just a handful of the many projects visitors will have an opportunity to see on Thursday, May 5th and Friday, May 6th, 2011 at the 15th Annual Sudbury Regional Heritage Fair, which takes place at Laurentian University. This year, close to 1,300 elementary and secondary school students from Sudbury, Espanola and Manitoulin will attend the exhibition and cultural celebration, making the Sudbury Regional Heritage Fair one of the largest in Canada.

The event will feature student projects, local displays, workshops and live performances, including groups from the Sudbury Multicultural Folk Arts Association and the Sudbury Symphony Quartet. "The Heritage Fair, a showcase of our community and country’s rich heritage, gives the youth of today an opportunity to research, discover and creatively capture history and bring the past to life," says Lona Dabous, Chair of the Sudbury Regional Heritage Fair Organizing Committee. "Once again this year, students will enthusiastically engage in telling the stories of their family and community. The result is a spectacular showcase of our local culture and heritage."

The public is invited to attend the Heritage Fair opening event on Thursday, May 5th at Laurentian University’s Fraser Auditorium. Cultural performances will take place from 6 pm to 8 pm. The public will be able to view the student projects after these performances, from 8 pm to 9 pm in the Great Hall. The community is also invited to view the projects on Friday, May 6th in the Great Hall from 11 am to 1 pm. Admission is free for both days.

The local fair offers students the opportunity to explore the many aspects of their Canadian heritage in a dynamic learning environment and to present the results of their efforts in a public exhibition. Over the past 15 years, student presentations have been as varied as the number of participants, drawing on a variety of creative project formats, including dramatic and musical presentations, videos, posters, maps, essays, and 3-D displays, often with props and costumes.

Awards will be presented and all participants will be recognized at an awards ceremony at Laurentian University’s Fraser Auditorium on Thursday, May 12th, 2011 at 6 pm. The public is welcome to attend. A number of special awards will be presented, including Canada’s National History Society Award, the Ontario Heritage Fairs Association Founders’ Award in recognition of exceptional enthusiasm and dedication to history and heritage; the Ontario Heritage Fairs Association Multicultural Award in recognition of excellent student achievement in research that exemplifies the diverse culture of Ontario; the Archives of Ontario Award; the Ontario Genealogical Society Award; the Ontario Historical Society Award and the Ontario History and Social Science Teachers Award.

The Sudbury Regional Heritage Fair is a community event organized and sponsored in partnership with a number of local organizations, including the Rainbow District School Board, the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, Laurentian University, the City of Greater Sudbury, The Sudbury Star and the Sudbury Multicultural Folk Arts Association.

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Media Contact:

Lona Dabous, Chair,
Sudbury Regional Heritage Fair, 705- 670-7902.