History meets heritage

There is a rich history in Newfoundland and Labrador and enough sharp students to keep it alive.

Among them is Montgomery Dredge, a Grade 6 student from Viking Trail Academy in Plum Point. As one of the presenters at the regional heritage fair, held May 2 at Mountain Feild Academy in Forteau, he not only knew his project, he played the part.

Wearing an old three-point hat and displaying a telescope more than 100 years old, his project was entitled 'John Cabot: Exploring and Discovering',

"I learned his name in Italian was Giovanni Caboto, and I learned pretty much his whole life story," he said.

"He went on a second voyage, after he discovered Newfoundland, and he was never heard from again. He just tried to go farther, and he disappeared."

He added that Mr. Cabot's life, travelling from Bristol, England, to Bonavista, Newfoundland, was "amazing," though, in conducting research, the life of the Italian explorer was a challenge to pin down.

"The information is really hard to find, because there's not very many written records from his time, so you don't know what's really accurate."

Students in Grades 4-9 - presenting a total of 54 projects - were represented from the following 12 schools: Mountain Feild Academy; Truman Eddison Memorial, Gunner's Cove; Viking Trail Academy, Plum Point; Sacred Heart School, Conche; James Cook Memorial, Cook's Harbour; Cloud River Academy, Roddickton; St. Joseph's All-Grade School, Croque; St. Paul's Elementary, L'Anse au Loup; St. Lewis Academy, St. Lewis; Our Lady Of Labrador, West St. Modeste; D.C. Young, Port Hope Simpson; and St. Theresa's Elementary, Port au Choix.

Maria Normore, a Grade 5 student from St. Paul's Elementary in L'Anse au Loup, dug up a different past.

Her project was entitled 'Traditional Music: The Spirit of the Old and New, Keeping it Alive'.

Ms. Normore said she got the idea after musicians Jim Payne and Fergus O'Byrne visited her school last month for the ArtSmarts Program.

"They really taught me the importance of traditional music, and the way they made it sound, it was so good. It's very important to keep alive," she said.

She had traditional instruments such as the spoons, an ugly stick and a fiddle, to name a few, as well as old records and eight-tracks.

"(I learned about) the sound, the rhythm and how much stuff you can do with traditional music, and how it's changed over the years," she said, adding she's since gotten into listening to traditional music.

"I love it."

Kristen Pike, a Grade 4 student from Our Lady Of Labrador in West St. Modeste, shared a similar passion for her own project, 'Bob Bartlett'.

"I wanted to learn about it because he was the closest to the North Pole than anyone who's ever gone before," Ms. Pike said.

"The first time he tried to go to the North Pole, he came back and said his boat and him were ready for the dump heap," she giggled.

She became interested in Mr. Bartlett because his boat is visiting 12 ports in Newfoundland and Labrador this summer, adding that it's coming to L'Anse au Loup in August.

Crystal House, a Grade 4 student from St. Theresa's Elementary in Port au Choix, became interested in her project through her father.

Her display, 'How Wood is Transformed Into Paper', included a sample of each form wood takes on its way to becoming paper.

"My Dad works for this company as a truck driver and I wanted to know what happened to the wood that he delivered," Ms. House said.

"In one day they make enough paper to wrap around the world once; in Corner Brook, just that mill."

Ms. House won first for Grades 4-5; Mr. Belben won first for Grades 6-7; and Devon Doyle of Viking Trail Academy won first for Grades 8-9 for his display, 'Dr. Grenfell: Man on a Mission'.

Ms. Normore won the Laurier La Pierre Award; Kaitlyn Davis of St. Paul's Elementary won the McMain Literary Award for 'Rally on the Rocks'; Stephen Flynn of St. Joseph's School won the C.N. Veteran's Award for 'Royal NL Regiment', presented by Antoinette Cabot, whose son, Conway Eady, served with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan and Bosnia; Ocean King of St. Lewis Academy won the RBC Aboriginal Award for 'Labrador MÉtis'; Mr. Belben won the Imperial Oil Foundation Award; and Kerry Rumbolt of St. Theresa's won the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador Award for 'Point Riche'.