Kristin Smith climbs aboard an ex-Canadian Pacific car at The Forks - Date unknown Simon Fuller.

29 August 2012

Student Steams Ahead in Video Contest

Winnipeg Manitoba - Kristin Smith is moving full steam ahead in a national online video contest that celebrates Canada's history.
 
Smith, a 12-year-old Balmoral Hall student, is one of three Manitobans who have been short listed among 30 finalists across Canada.
 
The finalists were recently announced at a ceremony hosted by Canada's History Society and the Red River Heritage Fair at the St. Boniface Museum.
 
Joanna Dawson, CHS's community engagement co-ordinator, said the inaugural event is designed to help Grade 4 to 11 students connect with historic events by encouraging them to research, role-play, and film short documentaries or news items that showcase their projects.
 
"It really allows them to engage with a piece of history at a deeper level and go beyond the textbook and the classroom," Dawson said.
 
"They have the opportunity to talk to family members and historians and visit historic sites to see how history surrounds us in our communities, which allows the kids to make personal connections."
 
The Fort Rouge resident said organizers didn't exactly know what to expect, but "once the videos rolled in, they exceeded expectations. In many cases, they had to learn how to film and edit and their imaginations really came alive."
 
Smith's entry, "Ribbon of Steel:  Building of the Canadian Pacific Railway", was partly inspired by her grandfather, who worked on the railways in South Africa.
 
"Canada today wouldn't be the same without the Canadian Pacific Railway. It linked Canada from sea to sea, opened up the West for settlement, helped people visit, and revolutionized the mail service," Smith said.
 
A national panel of judges will now review the 30 submissions and six winners will receive a trip to Ottawa to take part in the Governor General's History Awards at Rideau Hall in December, where their videos will be showcased at the National History Forum.
 
Smith, who lives in Grande Pointe, Manitoba (located southeast of south St. Vital), and whose father owns Dakota Medical Clinic in St. Vital, said while a trip to the nation's capital would be a great experience, it's not what motivated her to enter.
 
"My main goal was to educate Canadians about the railway, as I don't want citizens to take it for granted. I really believe it's one of the most important parts of Canada's history and one of the most amazing feats," she said.
 
"If I make it to the final six, it would be amazing to go to Ottawa, but I've learned so much already. So if it happens, it would just be the icing on the cake."
 
The other Manitoba finalists are Linden Christian School student Sierra Friesen, who submitted "Emily Murphy's Role in Women's Rights", and La Verendrye School student Nova Martin, whose entry is called "The Battle of the Plains of Abraham".
 
For more information on the finalists, visit www.canadasHistory.ca.
 
Simon Fuller.
 
Editor's Note:  Unfortunately the girl's video ends with her walking along a live railway track holding a Canadian flag which sends a poor safety message to others.