Canada's History on your doorstep
Discover a wealth of interesting, entertaining and informative stories in each issue, delivered to you six times per year.
Heritage Fairs
The Heritage Fairs program is a bilingual educational initiative that encourages students to explore Canada's heritage history in a fun and engaging learning environment. Participants use the medium of their choice to recount significant events, highlight famous people, or share family histories and present heritage items of personal value. In a series of public exhibits taking place across the country, students present their research findings to their classmates, families, and members of their community.
Founded in 1993, Heritage Fairs are now held in every province and territory of Canada. Each year, approximately 60,000 students carry out research projects in the classroom. In April and May each year, the best projects are presented at one of the many regional, provincial, and territorial fairs held across the country.
Teacher and Coordinator Resources
List of Fairs — Find a regional, provincial or territorial fair in your community.
What’s the Story? — This resource guides students through the steps to conduct a historical inquiry project, such as a Heritage Fair project. The Educator’s Guide features complementary lesson plans and activities.
Certificate of Participation — for students
Certificate of Recognition — for volunteers
Young Citizens
Young Citizens is the national program for Heritage Fairs, where participants produce a short video on the topic they explored as part of their Heritage Fair project. The students’ videos are posted online at CanadasHistory.ca/YoungCitizens. A pan-Canadian popular vote and an evaluation by judges selects four winners.
Since the inception of the program in 2012, more than 1,100 videos have been uploaded. We invite you to meet our Young Citizens, watch their videos, and comment on their amazing work.
Young Citizens is administered by Canada’s National History Society, with the support of the Government of Canada, Bruce MacLellan & Karen Girling, and Canada Life.
Teacher and Coordinator Resources
Certificate of Selection as a Young Citizen
Young Citizens Flyer (bilingual) — Handout for students with an overview of Young Citizens, important links, and a checklist.
Questions? Comments?
Please contact:
Jean-Philippe Proulx
jpproulx@canadashistory.ca
Education & Community Coordinator
Canada's History
The first step to becoming a Young Citizen
... is to participate in Heritage Fairs. Heritage Fairs is a bilingual educational initiative that encourages students to explore Canadian heritage in a dynamic, hands-on learning environment. Inspiring Canada’s best and brightest young people with their history and heritage has been the trademark of Heritage Fairs since they started in 1993.
Young Citizens
The Young Citizens program focuses on citizenship and is a complementary component to Heritage Fairs, an annual event where students present the results of their research on Canadian heroes, legends and key events in Canadian history.
