Student Awarded City of Charlottetown Prize at 2023 Heritage Fair
Posted on 05/18/2023
Porter Burke won the City of Charlottetown Prize at the Provincial Heritage Fair held May 12, 2023, at the Confederation Centre of the Arts.
The City of Charlottetown Prize is awarded annually to a student who exhibits an outstanding project on an aspect of Charlottetown’s heritage. Burke, a grade 5 student from West Royalty Elementary, won the prize for his project entitled ‘Ever Ready When Duty Calls’. Named for the Charlottetown Fire Department’s motto, the project chronicled the history of the department and the fires fought throughout the years; it is available for viewing in the City Hall lobby, 199 Queen St., until May 26.
His project was one of a variety that explored Charlottetown’s events, personalities, and buildings at the event where 163 students from 23 Island schools presented projects on Canada’s history and culture.
The Heritage Fair program is an educational initiative that provided over 2,000 students Island-wide with the opportunity to learn about their heritage and culture by creating a project on an aspect of Canadian history. Heritage Fairs are held at schools across the province where students from grades 5-9 present their projects to judges from their communities. The top projects chosen from each school go on to the Provincial Heritage Fair in Charlottetown at the Confederation Centre of the Arts where students compete to become one of 15 finalists.
Students exhibit their projects in the morning, and, in the afternoon, they are treated to educational workshops, entertainment and tours. The City of Charlottetown, along with provincial, federal and community representatives, has supported the Provincial Heritage Fair for many years.