Congratulations to all Students, Award Recipients and Provincial Winners of the 21st Annual Strait Regional Heritage Fair 2025
Congratulations to all students and award recipients who took part in the 21st anniversary of the Strait Regional Heritage Fair held on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at the Nova Scotia Community College, Strait Area Campus.
The Heritage Fair was held in a hybrid format with 13 students participating virtually and 94 students participating in-person, an impressive showcase and celebration of Canadian culture and heritage projects.
The Heritage Fair Awards Ceremony was held on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at the SAERC Auditorium.
All students received participation certificates and ribbons as well as first and second place cash prizes at each grade level were awarded. In addition, awards were presented in the project categories of Acadian Heritage, African Canadian Heritage, Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture, First Nations Heritage, Gaelic Heritage, Immigration Studies, Veterans and Heritage Pride.
Congratulations to the following eight (8) award winners who will go on to the Provincial Heritage Fair scheduled for June 13, 2025, at St. Mary’s University in Halifax.
Showcase #1:
Christena MacCalder, Grade 7, Whycocomagh Education Centre;
Project – Weaving the Past and Present: Exploring a Gaelic Tradition
Showcase #2:
Cora Lukeman, Grade 4, Antigonish Education Centre;
Project – Women in Farming: Rooted in Tradition, Growing the Future
Showcase #3 and #4:
Hailey MacEachern and Sophia MacRae, Grade 7 students, Bayview Education Centre;
Project – Our Grandfather – John Jamieson MacIsaac
Showcase #5:
Sean McKenna, Grade 5, Bayview Education Centre;
Project – Stand the Gaff
Showcase # 6:
Irelyn MacLennan, Grade 8, St. Andrew Junior School;
Project-The Antigonish Highland Games and The Canso Causeway
Showcase # 7:
Clara Schenke, Grade 6, St. Andrew Junior School;
Project – Footprints & Hoofprints (The Journey of Miners and Pit Ponies of Glace Bay, NS)
Showcase # 8:
Layton Gill, Grade 5, Tamarac Education Centre;
Project – Port Hawkesbury Paper
In addition, Christena MacCalder and Cora Lukeman will advance to the Heritage Fair National Showcase. This year, the National Showcase will be held virtually. All National Showcase projects will be featured on Canada’s History website June 9, 2025.
1st and 2nd Place Winners by Grade
| |
Grade 4 |
Grade 5 |
Grade 6 |
Grade 7 |
Grade 8 |
Grade 9 |
| 1st Place |
Cora Lukeman, Antigonish Education Centre
Project: Women in Farming: Rooted in Tradition, Growing the Future
|
Sean McKenna, Bayview Education Centre
Project: Stand the Gaff |
Clara Schenke, St. Andrew
Junior School
Project: Footprints & Hoofprints (The Journey of Miners and
Pit Ponies of Glace Bay, NS) |
Christena MacCalder, Whycocomagh
Education Centre
Project: Weaving the Past and Present: Exploring a Gaelic
Tradition |
Irelyn MacLennan, St. Andrew Junior School
Project: The Antigonish Highland Games and the Canso Causeway |
Lia Wasserman, Dr. J.H. Gillis Regional High School
Project: Doctors Without Borders
|
| 2nd Place |
Amira Beaton, Antigonish Education Centre
Project: Deanie the Piper
|
Layton Gill, Tamarac Education Centre
Project: Port Hawkesbury Paper |
Liluye Nevin, Whycocomagh Education Centre
Project: Connecting Through Beads
|
Hailey MacEachern and
Sophia MacRae, Bayview Education Centre
Project: Our Grandfather - John
Jamieson MacIsaac |
Halle Walkins, Whycocomagh Education Centre
Project: Farm to Table: The Legacy of Farmers Markets in Nova Scotia
|
Misaki MacHiya, Dr. J.H. Gillis Regional High School
Project: Comparing Japanese and Canadian Schools |
Award Winners by Category
| Agriculture |
Freya Bennett and Leni Peebles, Bayview Education Centre
Project: Foraging in Nova Scotia
|
| Fisheries and Aquaculture |
Daryl-Lynn Kean, Tamarac Education Centre
Project: Death on the Ice
|
| Heritage Pride |
Cole Twast, Tamarac Education Centre
Project: L’argent
|
| Heritage Pride |
Havelock Tate, St. Andrew Junior School
Project: The Fixed Link
|
| Heritage Pride |
Elsa Meagher and London DeCoste, East Antigonish Education Centre/Academy
Project: Lobster Fishing
|
| Immigration Studies |
Ainslea Hart, Cape Breton Highlands Education Centre/Academy
Project: Following the Footsteps of the Hearts
|
| African Canadian/ Descent |
Julia Desmond, St. Andrew Junior School
Project: No. 2 Construction Battalion
|
| Acadian Heritage |
Paige Miller, Cape Breton Highlands Education
Centre/Academy
Project: The Story of Granny Ros
|
| First Nations Heritage |
Jack Cote, Antigonish Education Centre
Project: The History of The Mi'kmaw Language
|
| Veterans |
Sophie McCarthy, St. Andrew Junior School
Project: Michael Patrick Coyle
|
| Gaelic |
Kallie Hicks and Gladys Lombard, H.M. MacDonald Elementary School;
Project: Antigonish Highland Games
|
The Strait Regional Centre for Education extends sincere thanks to all members of the 2025 Heritage Fair Planning Committee for their ongoing dedication to providing students with an excellent educational opportunity: Tera Dorrington, Tracy MacIsaac, Lisa DeCoste, Scott Goyetche, Jennifer Desmond, Brian van den Heuvel and Laurie Baccardax.
In addition, thank you to parents and guardians, school and regional staff and sponsors for their ongoing support of the event. Sincere thanks to the many judges who volunteer their time to review the outstanding student projects. This year's judges included Sharon Ryan, Janice DeCoste, Dan MacDonell, Tamara Borden, Michael Landry, Scott Goyetche, Laurie Baccardax, Maeve Bennett, Marcellin Chiasson, Simon Maltby, Annie Maltby, Patsy Borden, Catherine Hartling, Mary Desmond, Tara Reddick, Jill Burton, Miranda Gould, Nan Corrington, Berkley Guthro, Heather Graham, Jennifer Desmond, Tera Dorrington, Louise DesRochers, Jesslyn Steele. Juanita Byard, Kim Warcop, and Lisa DeCoste. Finally, a huge thank you to Grade 11 SAERC student, Allie MacIntyre, for taking photos throughout the fair.
Note to Editors: Photo Caption
Standing Left to Right:
Kevin Walker, Acting Director of Programs and Student Services; Provincial Showcase Winners Layton Gill, Sean McKenna, Hailey MacEachern, Sophia MacRae, Chistena MacCalder, Cora Lukeman, Irelyn MacLennan, Clara Schenke; and Paul Landry, Regional Executive Director.