The gymnasium at Assiniboia Park Elementary School became the scene of the annual Heritage Fair Thursday. The fair was held at the school for the first time in three years, thanks to restrictions in place for the last two school years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students from Grades 4, 5 and 6 spent time researching various aspects of Canada, and prepared boards and displays showcasing their hard work. The Grade 4 students focused on animals, while the Grade 5 and 6 students chose people, places or moments in Canadian history. Some also looked at sports and recreational activities.

Victoria was one of the Grade 4 students who participated in the Heritage Fair. Her display was about the Giant Pika.

“It’s like a small thing, like a mouse, but it’s not, and it’s not a rodent,” Victoria said of the animal during the afternoon session of the fair. While talking with Discover Weyburn, she was also answering questions from her peers, some of whom were tasked with things like scavenger hunts during the fair.

Ben is a student in Grade 5. He selected Chris Hadfield as his subject for the Heritage Fair.

“I really like space, and I was looking for someone who was connected with space, so after a while of searching I found Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian commander of the ISS (International Space Station),” he explained.

This was Ben’s first time ever taking part in the Heritage Fair and he was looking forward to taking the chance to see what everyone else had been working on.

“I’m actually really excited to see the Grade 4s about animals, and the Grade 6s because they’ve done this twice before, so I want to see what they did this year.”

For Desta, who is in Grade 6, this was her first time being able to work on the project and have it be part of the fair.

“It’s fantastic because, for the past two years, we’ve only been able to present it to our class so it’s good that we can finally present it to the school,” Desta said.

Her Heritage Fair Board was about Prince Edward Island.

“Prince Edward Island, I feel, is very underrated by people because of its size, and they think that if it's small it’s not going to be as interesting as any other province,” she added.

Thursday morning saw the students get judged on their projects, then the fair was opened to the rest of the students in the school in the afternoon. The evening saw the friends and families of the students at Assiniboia Park come to take a look at the Heritage Fair boards.