Frequently Asked Questions

No, it can be about anything relating to Canada. Students are encouraged to choose a topic that they enjoy and want to learn more about. (Teachers do have the option to assign specific topics.)

(This is often phrased as: "What about topics that pre-date Confederation? What about areas that are now part of Canada, but were not at the time of the topic in question? What about topics that are connected to Canada, but also include what is now the USA and Mexico, or other countries?")

For the purposes of Heritage Fairs, anything has a connection to Canada if it took place in what is now Canada, involved people who lived in what is now Canada, involved non-humans (i.e. animals, plants, etc.) who lived in what is now Canada, or had a direct impact on Canada, no matter when.

Teachers can choose to assign specific topics if that works best for them or their class, and depending on how it fits into the curriculum. For example, sometimes teachers have had their whole class study local treaties, explorers, famous Saskatchewan people, or their students' family histories.

Yes. For example, you may choose to set boundaries like "athletes must be retired" or "no projects about pop culture", etc. However, these rules only apply to your class or school. Heritage Saskatchewan does not set any criteria like this.

Because judges need to be able to understand a language in order to properly judge a project, Heritage Fairs projects are currently accepted in English or French. A project can also be bilingual in English & French, or be bilingual in either of those and another language. Students can also include words from other languages, along with translations, as part of their display and presentation. In order to have a project presented in any language other than English & French at the Regional or Provincial levels, the organisers of the Heritage Fair would need to have enough notice to find judges fluent in that language.

Students can submit projects to the Virtual Heritage Fair in any language. Regardless of whether or not the project is able to be judged, it will be showcased virtually. (Without sufficient notice, Heritage Saskatchewan cannot guarantee that a judge fluent in a language other than English or French will be available.)

Living Heritage is about the past, present, and future. It does not matter how old something is for it to be considered heritage.

Absolutely. Science is a big part of our heritage.

As learning about local animals is part of the Grade 4 Science curriculum, for example, having students do a project on an animal with connections to North America is an option for a Heritage Fairs project.

Any of these could be potential topics, as long as they relate to Canada in some way. It does not matter how famous someone is or was. Someone who is very famous to a student might be someone that the judges have never heard about!

It does not matter how old or young someone is, whether or not they are alive, whether or not they are retired, or whether or not they have spent the majority of their career abroad, as long as they have a Canadian connection.

Students do not only have to pick people who are "good role models", especially as they get older and want to delve into more nuanced topics. Controversial aspects of a person can be addressed in the project (i.e. retired athletes who advocate against vaccination, people misrepresenting their ethnic background, etc.).

Yes, as long as that character or story is connected to Canada. The character/story of Anne of Green Gables (as opposed to Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables) is a popular choice.

Students are also welcome to present their topic in character (whether real or fictional), especially if they are presenting in pairs, as long as they do so respectfully and can still present their information succinctly.

If a student wants to create a fictional character or story of their own, they can enter it into the Virtual Heritage Fair's Creative Presentation category.

Many events that happened in other countries have a Canadian connection (such as a war that Canadians participated in). Anything that took place within and around what are now the borders of Canada are also acceptable, even if they primarily took place in what is now the United States (such as the Underground Railroad). Some people move away from Canada for their careers, such as actors, but they still have a connection to Canada. Non-Canadians who have lived in or partially live in Canada can also be acceptable topics.

However, students should make sure that the connection to Canada is readily apparent in their projects.

Yes. The student and their family are themselves a connection to Canada.

Yes, but they need to make a connection to Canada in some way. For example, a student might want to do a project about a country that their ancestors used to live in. However, these students are at a disadvantage at the regional level because many of the questions that the judges will ask relate to connecting their topic to Canada. A better choice of topic would be to compare Canada to another country, discuss the trading relationships between Canada and another country, or the ongoing influence of another country on Canada.

If a student's project is not readily connected to Canada, the project will still be judged.

They can always check with their teacher. If their teacher is not sure either, either the student or the parent can check with Heritage Saskatchewan.

If a teacher is uneasy about a topic being controversial, they should check with Heritage Saskatchewan. If a student does good research and is respectful in preparing their display and presentation, almost any topic relating to Canada is acceptable.

Some topics may contain offensive material regardless. For example, doing a project about the history of hate groups in Saskatchewan would likely mean having photographs of said hate groups in the project. These topics should be done very carefully, but they are still acceptable.

Students must be cautious and should avoid using shock value as part of their presentation. Older students in particular should be mindful that what might be age-appropriate for them is not necessarily so for younger participants and that visitors will include even younger children.

Heritage Saskatchewan does not want to censor any project, but reserves the right to ask a student to cover images or mute videos, especially if they are not actively presenting their project.

Any shift (actual or perceived) of focus from exclusively on history to a broader range of topics reflects the current education curriculum, societal trends, and Heritage Saskatchewan's mandate. Historical thinking is a cornerstone of the Heritage Fairs program.

There is no such thing as a "bad" topic, but a topic can be poorly handled. Also, a "bad" topic would be one which has no connection to Canada or wherein the connection to Canada cannot be readily inferred. This is why "Project Description" was added to the registration form for the Regional Fairs, as a title alone can be misleading.

All projects are judged on their own merits. Students are judged on their presentation, research, and critical thinking.

For some awards, projects may only be eligible if their topics fit into a certain category. Heritage Saskatchewan aims to have a broad range of topical award categories so that all projects fit within at least one of them.

Awards sponsored by third parties may also be limited to projects on specific topics.

No, but the student needs to do good research and be respectful in their display and presentation. (In such cases, students should avoid costumes.) They must be mindful that members whichever cultural group they are depicting may be among the other students, chaperones, judges, and visitors.

If the student participates in an aspect of a cultural group (such as dance), wearing a uniform, costume, or regalia that they have earned in this capacity is entirely acceptable.

Please avoid the following (for all Heritage Fair projects):

• Black-/yellow-/red-face makeup [painting one’s face to look dirty to portray a miner, a railroad worker, a disaster victim, etc. is acceptable, as is painting one's face to look like a clown or mime]
• Sexualised costumes
• Racist/sexist phrases, cartoons, videos, or models (without historical context)
• Content expressing overt, non-historical racism, sexism, anti-2SLGBTQ+ views, etc.
• Links to content (i.e. websites) expressing overt, non-historical racism, sexism, anti-2SLGBTQ+ views, etc.

For in-person Heritage Fairs, please also avoid:

• Food
• Loud audio that drowns out neighbouring students (bring headphones for judges or visitors to view an audio-visual project)
• Heirlooms or artefacts that cannot be replaced or would be permanently damaged if they get broken, wet, or dirty
• Items that would make a mess if broken, such as a bag of grain or anything involving liquid (if you want to include these in a model or as part of your display, make sure to have cleaning supplies with you, like paper towels or a dustpan)
• Large items, especially anything longer or wider than 4ft (1.5m)
• Anything that needs to be attached to a wall

Students can include food as display items only if it relates to their project.

Due to rules about food safety as well as food around museum displays, food cannot be served in samples. Individually-wrapped candies may be acceptable, but should be avoided.

To display food, use empty packaging, sealed packaging, photos, or models. If the food appears edible, such as a loaf of ornamental bread, please include a "Display Only" sign.

Yes, but please avoid using candy as a prize. Students can also provide something for judges (or visitors and other students) to take home as a souvenir.

This is up to each individual Regional Fair committee's discretion at the Regional Fairs and up to Heritage Saskatchewan at the Provincial Fair.

If a project is too large, it might not be able to be displayed properly. Organisers are not obliged to accommodate oversized projects.

If a teacher or parent asks in advance, it is easier for organisers to accommodate a project. If a project is within the size requirements but is an unusual shape (like a display that is meant to be placed on the ground rather than on a table), organisers could accommodate this with advanced notice, such as putting the project at the end of a row of tables.

Also, please be mindful that students are not entitled to extra space merely because the projects around them are smaller or narrower. At the Regional Fairs, each space is marked out with tape. Please get permission from your neighbour before letting anything cross the tape!

For the Provincial Fair, if one is making changes to one's project in terms of size, please ask Heritage Saskatchewan in advance if it can be accommodated.

As an educational project, Heritage Fairs falls under “fair dealing” for copyright purposes. Therefore, as long as students document their sources and give credit for photos, video clips, etc., their projects are not infringing on copyright.

For more information, see our Plagiarism & Copyright page.

Music in general at the in-person Heritage Fairs should only be included if the topic is music-related. Audio clips, video clips, music to accompany a dance demonstration, or the student performing are all acceptable.

However, music and other loud noises are distracting to neighbouring students and judges, so students must be mindful of their neighbours, especially if they are singing or dancing. For audio or video clips, consider having headphones for the judges.

As long as credit is given, music falls under “fair dealing” if it is part of a video or audio clip in a project about the performers or writers of that music. It also falls under “fair dealing” if the student sings the song or a portion thereof, or if the student parodies the song.

Music does not fall under “fair dealing” if it is being featured in a project on a topic unrelated to the performers or writers, especially if it is just as background music. For example, a clip of “My Heart Will Go On” is fair use in a project about Celine Dion (the song’s singer), but not in a project about the Titanic disaster. Students can obtain written permission from the copyright holder of any piece of music, but they are encouraged to use royalty-free music.

Yes. As long as credit is given (especially if the clip is linked from the project directly to the copyright holder’s website or social media channel), students can include videos or video clips that they did not produce themselves. These also fall under "fair dealing".