Provincial and national heritage and culture is on display as schools throughout Newfoundland and Labrador participate in annual Histor!ca Heritage Fairs.

The Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Education, and the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Tourism Culture and Recreation, agree that heritage fairs are an excellent opportunity for younger students to get a better understanding of what makes our people and province so great.

"Our culture has sustained us for generations. It is a source of pride. And it makes us unique," said Minister Burke. "It is wonderful that there is such a high level of interest in the fairs and our teachers and parents continue to make this activity a priority."

Heritage fairs are sponsored nationally by Histor!ca, a not-for-profit organization which supports programs that increase awareness of, and interest in, Canadian heritage and culture.  Provincially, the program is run under the auspices of the Historic Sites Association, with support from the departments of Education, and Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

Schools throughout the province are holding fairs to showcase students� work as part of the social studies curriculum in grades 4-9. This will culminate in eight regional heritage fairs to be held between April 27 and May 12. One or two students will be selected from each of these fairs to attend the National Histor!ca Camp from July 9-16 in Lethbridge, Alberta.

"The Heritage Fair Program is an excellent example of how our young people can develop an intimate connection to their culture and heritage and it fits in perfectly with the goals set out in our Cultural Connections strategy, a $10 million, three-year initiative, announced in 2005 which is designed to increase the presence of cultural content in the curriculum," said Minister Hedderson.

Minister Burke noted that there are many initiatives designed to connect students with our heritage and culture, including the Visiting Artists Program and the recently announced School Touring Program. "It�s important we give students every opportunity to explore their heritage. It�s empowering for them to know where they came from, and to understand how our society today builds on and reflects those who came before us.," said Minister Burke.

Minister Hedderson also referenced government�s continued recognition of the importance of preservation, support and development of the province�s cultural resources. "This year alone, almost $1 million has been allocated to help fund heritage groups, community museums and archives, and for research and development in the heritage sector," he said.

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2007 04 02                                                   9:35 a.m.