Provincial Fair - Day 5

After one last breakfast in the cafeteria we headed back to our dorms to finish packing and tidy our rooms. We played a few games in the lounge while we waited for parents and buses to arrive then said our goodbyes to all of the new friends we've made this week. 

As Provincial Heritage Fair has now come to an end, we all took a moment before we left to reflect on the week. Here are a few of our favourite parts about our time at UBC.

One of the things Graeme liked best about this week was visiting the Chung collection and doing activities at Mountain View Cemetery. He also really liked going to the beaches and the yummy food we got to eat. 

Liam liked everything about Provincial Fair but some of his favourite parts of the week were finding out new information during the tour at MOA and listening to many different stories from everyone at the fair.  

One thing that Max liked best about the week was getting sleep in the Totem dorms at UBC and all the great food we ate in the cafeteria. He also enjoyed visiting Tower Beach and doing the tour and treasure hunt at Granville Island. 

As Vedanshi had been to Provincial Fair before, what she enjoyed about her experience this time was all responsibilities she had being part of the alumni team. She also really liked spending time relaxing at the beach.

Sarah was very proud of the Richmond delegation this year. She was so impressed by how well they worked together as a group, how engaged everyone was in the activities this week and how well they represented our community. Some of her favourite parts of our week at UBC was visiting the Museum of Anthropology and Chung Collection, as well as the murder mystery activity led by the alumni team. Sarah also really enjoyed getting to know the chaperones from the other regions and seeing the alumni and older students take on a leadership role at the fair.  

Provincial Fair - Day 4

Hard to believe that today is our last full day of Provincial Fair - time has flown by! First on the agenda after breakfast was to board the school bus for Granville Island where we 
were met by members of the Vancouver Heritage Foundation. In true Vancouver fashion, the weather was less than ideal for a walking tour but we stopped at various points to discover how the island transformed over the years from industry to artistry.

We then set out in small groups on a treasure hunt of Granville Island where we searched for Hank's Table and the price of a whole sockeye salmon, discovered different cultures represented in the Marketplace and business signs with fish on them, then found for the colourfully painted industrial tanks at the concrete plant.

Discovering the industrial history of Granville Island.

The colourfully painted industrial tanks at Ocean Concrete.

Exploring the Granville Island marketplace.

After grabbing a bite to eat in the marketplace, we had some free time to explore before boarding the bus to return to UBC. When we arrived back on campus, we headed off to the Chung Collection at the Irving K Barber Library. Dividing in half, one group had the opportunity to learn more about the UBC Special Collections and explore the Chung collection while the other group worked on an art project with Jane.

Learning about the UBC Library's Special Collections.

Max and Graeme getting a close look at a hard-to-find book.

Exploring the artefacts in the Chung collection.

We were intrigued by this slide projector.

Looking at a signed copy of J.K. Rowling's Prisoner of Azkaban.

"Journeys" Art Show depicting student pieces inspired by this week's workshops, experiences and learnings.

'Modern Art' by Liam

Totem Pole by Max

'Growth' by Graeme

After a dinner in the cafeteria, we gathered in the lounge for a final wrap-up. The members of the alumni each spoke about their experiences at this year's Provincial Fair and encouraged all of the new Provincial Fair delegates to find ways to involved in the Heritage Fairs program, whether it be by volunteering at their regional fair, being a heritage advocate or joining the Alumni program. After another wonderful story by Michael and a few thank you gifts were given out, everyone enjoyed the photo slideshow put together by the alumni team while eating cake and exchanged contact information with all of our new friends before it was time to head to bed.

Alumni delegation speaking at the Provincial Fair wrap-up celebration.

Richmond alumnus Vedanshi reflecting on the week and encouraging this year's delegates to continue their Heritage Fair journey.

Michael sharing another wonderful story in his closing remarks.

Provincial Fair - Day 3

Day 3 started bright and early! After eating breakfast we gathered our project boards and headed off towards the Nest (UBC's Student Union building) to begin setting up our projects for the Provincial Heritage Fair showcase. 

We assembled outside the Alumni Centre and followed the strains of the bagpipes into the exhibition hall for the opening ceremonies where Musqueam elder Larry Grant said a few words of welcome. After the singing of the national anthem, our Master of Ceremony, Richmond Heritage Fair alumnus Britney Quail, introduced the dignitaries and distinguished guests in attendance, including local politicians, historians and members of the UBC faculty. Many of the remarks made during the opening ceremony echoed the sentiments of Tina Loo, Head of the History Department, that "stories teach us, inspire us, to think differently about ourselves and the future". Michael Gurney, President of the BC Heritage Fairs Society, congratulated the students on their hard work before he officially declared the 2016 Provincial Fair open.

We spent the next few hours sharing the stories of our projects with the dignitaries and public. We also saw some familiar faces as some of our families and friends stopped by to visit our displays.

Liam's project highlights the significance of Alexander Graham Bell's invention.

Graeme explores the Klondike Gold Rush in his project.

Max's project examines the historical significance of the War of 1812.

Liam presenting his project Mr. David Eby, MLA Vancouver Point Grey.

Mr. Spencer Chandra Herbert, MLA Vancouver West End, listens intently to Max's presentation.

Graeme shares his project with a visitor at the Provincial Heritage Fair showcase.

Our next stop was at the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame where we got to take part in an Olympic-themed program. After learning a bit about B.C.'s Olympic and Paralympic athletes, we divided into groups to rotate through 5 different activities that included wheelchair racing, badminton, limbo, long jump and a multiple-choice quiz.

Learning about B.C.'s Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Max trying to get the fastest time in the wheelchair.

Competing in a badminton match.

Liam seeing how far he can go in the long jump competition.

Celebrating with our Olympic rings on the podium .

After finishing at the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame, we headed to Locarno Beach for a bit of rest and relaxation.

Our last activity of the day was an engaging evening studio session with Mark Smith, Director of Process BC Treaty Commission where there were lots of meaningful conversations and thought-provoking questions asked about First Nations, reconciliation and treaties.

Mark Smith discussing the TRC report during our evening studio session.

Asking many insightful questions about First Nations and the treaty process.

Provincial Fair - Day 2

Today started bright and early (earlier for some than others who were very 
excited and up at the crack of dawn!) with a buffet breakfast in the residence cafeteria. We were all impressed by the conveyor belt that took our trays off to be cleared and washed.

After getting our backpacks ready for the day, we set out to walk across campus for our visit to the Museum of Anthropology.

Headed towards the Museum of Anthropology.

Dividing into two groups we were each taken on an engaging tour where we learned more about the vibrancy of the Northwest Coast cultures in B.C. and had the opportunity to take a close look at some of their belongings on display in the museum. We explored the Multiversity Gallery, which contain thousands of objects from around the world, and talked about multiple ways of knowing and understanding then had some free time to explore the two feature exhibits 'In the Footprint of the Crocodile Man: Contemporary Art of the Sepik River of Papau New Guinea' and 'Unceeded Territory' by Coast Salish and Okanagan artist Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun.

Our tour guide pointing out details in one the Haida carvings.

Discovering totem poles in the Great Hall.

Examining the cedar canoe.

Studying the artwork of Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun.

Looking closely at one of the pieces in the Unceeded Territory exhibition.

Reading about Papau New Guinea carvings in the Crocodile Man exhibit.

After enjoying a packed lunch in Haida House, we headed off towards Tower Beach, stopping along the way to view some of the remnants of Point Grey Fort, one of Vancouver's main defences on the coast during World War II.

Admiring the architecture of the Museum of Anthropology.

Michael sharing the significance of the Point Grey Battery en route to Tower Beach.

Exploring the shallows of Tower Beach.

After having some free time at Tower Beach to explore the rocky tide pools and sandbars, we climbed back up the 397 stairs and headed back towards the dorms. After a quick change of shoes for those who had ventured into the water, we divided into groups to visiting either the Beatty Biodiversity Museum or the UBC bookstore before dinner. 

Hanging out with the blue whale skeleton at the Beatty Biodiversity Museum.

Our evening activity was a intriguing murder mystery hosted by the amazing Heritage Fair Alumni team. Working in small groups, we visited each suspect in the double homicide of members of a wealthy Vancouver family and had to solve different puzzles (ie. morse code, ciphers, locks) at each station to uncover the clues that would help us discover who the murderer was. At the end of the session, each group submitted their final verdict on the and once we all came back together, we found out if our sleuthing skills had led us to the true culprit.

Start of our intriguing murder mystery activity led by our amazing Alumni team.

Liam and Graeme working together to solve a puzzle and uncover a clue.

After solving our murder mystery, we split into two groups again with one group headed to the Aquatic Centre to go for a swim at the UBC pool and the rest stayed at the dorms and help create a banner for tomorrow's Provincial Fair showcase. After a quick snack, everyone headed off to bed to get a good night's sleep.

Provincial Fair - Day 1

Today marks the first day of our exciting adventure at the 2016 BC Procincial Heritage Fair. 

Unlike past years, the Richmond delegates didn't have to travel too far to reach the host for our week long history camp - the beautiful Point Grey Campus of the University of British Columbia. Greeted by chaperones and volunteers, we said our goodbyes and set off to get settled in our dorm rooms, don our snazzy new polo shirts and meet the rest of the groups who began arriving from the airport and ferry terminal.  

Our group has doubled in size as the Richmond delegation has been joined by 3 stellar students from the Fraser Valley - Tyler, Ashlyn and Helen. 

Graeme and Liam playing 'Evolution'.

After doing some pin trading while waiting for the final group to arrive and playing a quick ice-breaker game of 'Evolution' led by the Heritage Fair alumni, we boarded the bus and headed off to Mountain View Cemetery. Opened in 1886, Mountain View is Vancouver's only cemetery. Over 100 acres in size, it has become the final resting place for almost 150,000 people.

Mountain View Cemetery

We were greeted by our guide, Lorraine Irving and divided into two groups - one to start on a tour with Lorraine and the other to do an activity led by Jane, our Provincial Fair Coordinator. 

Near the Chinese Pavilion.

Lorraine sharing a story about one of the oldest graves in the cemetery.

Grave marker from the 1890s.

Entrance to the Jewish Cemetery.

Next up was our '2 and Two and II' activity with Jane. Everyone took a piece of paper and a crayon and had the opportunity to explore the cemetery, looking for 2 names, 2 symbols and 2 places that spoke to them. 

Max doing a rubbing of Chinese characters on a tombstone.

Liam finding a fascinating symbol on a grave marker.

We headed back to our dorms at UBC for a bit of a rest before meeting in the House Lounge for pizza and a fun studio activity with Michael Gurney. 

Playing a card game in our dorm room during free time.

Some of the highlights included Ashlyn helping Michael tell the story of the Gold Rush, Graeme's broken Heritage Fair project being reenacted and Liam interviewing Michael to help him figure out that he was Canadian pop star Justin Bieber. A few tips that we picked up from our evening of 'Improv and Heritage' included the 3 C's for great storytelling: characters, conflict and context. 

Ashlyn doing a historical A to Z' improv scene with Michael Gurney on the Gold Rush.

Acting out 'A Day in the Life' of Graeme and his project during his school Heritage Fair.

In this news conference improv scene, Michael was asked questions by the 3 reporters and had to figure out who his character was.

After a few quick emails and texts home to parents, we all headed to bed to get a good night's sleep before another fun-filled day tomorrow!