Part 5 of 5: An Interview with Tristen

* This is the last in a series of interviews conducted by Manvi Ansal, Provincial Fair 2011 Alumnus, with each of the Richmond-Delta Provincial Fair 2013 delegates. 

Name: Tristen Wong

Grade: 5

City: Richmond

Project Title: Blood and Iron: Chinese Canadians coming to work on the CPR

Tristen’s topic is still important in today’s world because when many people think about the CPR, they think about the Caucasian and Scottish people that built it, but they don’t even realize that Chinese immigrants helped make it too. Without the Chinese, there would be no CPR. When Tristen heard that she had to narrow her topic, she chose it on the Chinese Immigrants that made it, not about everybody that contributed. 

The greatest challenge of making her project was to make her project straight, neat and perfect because she didn’t want it to be messy. She also said that when she had to write a report, she had to do at least 6-7 drafts until it because good enough.  

 Tristen would change the actual project board because it was yellow, but she wanted to change it to blue. It would be like the sky. She had a model of the railroad on her board, and she didn’t think it would make sense for the sky to be yellow.   

Tristen got surprised when John A. MacDonald gave a speech about the CPR, he didn’t mention anything about the Chinese.  Also, the Chinese were being paid 1 dollar when the whites were being paid 2 dollars. They didn’t know that they were being cheated because in China they were used to earning 9 cents. 

Part 4 of 5: An Interview with Jolie

* This is the fourth in a series of interviews conducted by Manvi Ansal, Provincial Fair 2011 Alumnus, with each of the Richmond-Delta Provincial Fair 2013 delegates.  

Name: Jolie Leung

Grade: 7

City: Richmond

Project Title: The Chinese Immigration Act 1923

Jolie’s topic is about the experience of the immigrants and is still important in today’s world because there are a lot of Chinese people in Vancouver and that history shapes the future of us. Jolie’s project has definitely inspired her to learn more about this topic and see what happened. 

Her topic told her about the life of the immigrants and how hard it was. People forbid the Chinese to enter Canada, expect people who got scholars…etc. It was a law made by the government in 1923. The government thought Chinese were corrupt and dirty and how they were pests. 

The greatest challenge throughout making the project was doing the interviews. She spoke to the head activist, Sid Chow-Tan who was one of the relatives of the Chinese.  She also spoke to Professor Henry Yu, whose family was in Canada, while he and his mother were in China. It was hard finding the people to interview. 

One thing Jolie would is that she would change some of the posters she used in some of her projects and turn them into her own posters. Also, she would like to change her creative component into a drawing instead of a poem. Jolie was surprised when the white people got some people from China to build the Canadian Pacific Railroad and once they were done, they sent the Chinese people back to China.

Part 3 of 5: An Interview with Anisha

* This is the third in a series of interviews conducted by Manvi Ansal, Provincial Fair 2011 Alumnus, with each of the Richmond-Delta Provincial Fair 2013 delegates. 

Name: Anisha Gill

Grade: 5

City: Delta

Project Title: Komagata Maru

Anisha’s topic is still important in today’s world because people are still mad about it. They should have apologized sooner to the Indians. It has made an impact on Indians in today’s world. They probably don’t think well of Canada.  

 Her project has inspired her to be proud of her culture. Sikhs did a lot to make a living in Canada. They fought hard and they wouldn’t give up. She is happy they did. 

The greatest challenge throughout doing her project was doing the layout because she had too much information about her topic, so she had to cram it all in.  She would change her project by adding higher vocabulary and to find a way to make my project fit all my information neatly.   

Anisha was surprised when the Indians came to Canada, they got sent back. It was rude how the Canadians forced them to go back only because they were Indian.  If she could share one thing about her project on Global news, it would be how a person named William C. Hopkins was the one that sent the Indians back. That is just so racist. 

Canadians should know about her project because it was a black mark in Canadian history and Sikhs have developed a lot since 1914. Now people don’t care what happened back then, but it should matter because people deserve to know what happened in the past.

Part 2 of 5: An Interview with Hillary

* This is the second in a series of interviews conducted by Manvi Ansal, Provincial Fair 2011 Alumnus, with each of the Richmond-Delta Provincial Fair 2013 delegates.  

Name: Hillary Nelson

Grade: 5

City: Delta

Project title: A Vision of Tomorrow (The George Massey Tunnel)

Hillary’s topic is still important today’s world because it was the only road tunnel below sea level in Canada, making its roadway the lowest road surface in Canada. Hillary goes through the George Massey tunnel every day and she has always wondered how it got built or how it got its name, and stuff like that. 

Her greatest challenge throughout making her project was probably getting the information about how much money it cost to build the tunnel. She noticed that one book said another when another website said another. It was hard to choose. 

She thinks one thing she would have liked to change about her project was to put the interview with Doug Massey on the board instead of in a book because more people would have paid more attention to it. 

One thing that surprised Hilary was how the people built the tunnel underwater, because part of it had to go under the water. She thought that it would be very difficult. 

If there was one thing she could share on Global or National news, she said that it would be that only one person died out of the whole construction of the tunnel.  She said that more people died in the making of any other average tunnel than this one. Canadians should know about her project because it was the lowest road made in Canada.

Part 1 of 5: An Interview with Jonathan

* This is the first in a series of interviews conducted by Manvi Ansal, Provincial Fair 2011 Alumnus, with each of the Richmond-Delta Provincial Fair 2013 delegates.

Name: Jonathan Bridson

Grade: 7
City: Richmond
Project Title: La Conserverie Monstre (The Monster Cannery)

Jonathan’s topic is still important to today’s world because it shows how Canada has worked so hard, and how tough it’s been for people before us. It also is important because it taught us about racism back in the day, How Chinese workers got paid less than white workers. 

His project opened up a lot of other questions to be answers like “Why is the job so dangerous?” He was surprised about the cannery and while he was doing it, he said that most of his questions were answered. 

The greatest challenge throughout making the project was when his teacher told him to redo the poster 2 weeks before the fair because it wasn’t good enough. Another thing was getting the information. He would change some things about his project like he would prefer to do it in English. He had only been in French immersion for 2 years. Last but not least, translating all the information in French. 

Jonathan was surprised about the injuries and how the Chinese had to do hard work that was too dangerous, and that there were very scary tools to use.  If Jonathan could share one thing on Global news it would be about how many people died there and how there are still places in the world that have working conditions like this. He thinks that too many people did there. He thinks that people should start taking action.

Richmond Heritage Fair Students in the Richmond News

Provincial Fair Preview: First Peoples House

This year’s Provincial Fair students will be welcomed by indigenous dancers and singers at the First Peoples House on the University of Victoria campus. Find out more at http://www.bcheritagefairs.ca/provincial-fair-preview-first-peoples-house/

Minister Moore Announces New Programs to Support Canada's History

The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today introduced a series of new measures to help promote Canadian history, including the first ever Government of Canada History Awards, new Heritage Minutes, and the official Canada History Week.

Read more:
http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1370873738331/1370873756081

Save-the-Date: Sunday, July 7

You are invited to the Provincial Fair Showcase on Sunday, July 7, 11:00am-2:00pm at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria.