Alessandro created this authentic historic artifact with astonishing detail and accuracy. Dr. Wilder Penfeild’s travel suitcase contains a number of items that all depict important moments from the neuroscientist’s history. The travel bag includes a total of 18 creative and intricate handmade artifacts including; a diary, photo album, a clay figurine of the Homunculus, and even travel stickers! A particularly unique item is a piece of burnt toast, which pays homage to Dr.Wilder and his feature in the Canadian Historical Vignette. Wilder is best known for performing surgery on a conscious patient who smelled burnt toast prior to having a seizure. All of the incredibly accurate artifacts portray Wilder’s ground-breaking discoveries and techniques for seizure disorders. This suitcase could easily appear in any great Canadian historical museum

Safal created an expertly crafted stop-motion animation film detailing the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The video includes hand-made cut-outs of important emblems, flags, and locations. Safal does an exceptional job of illustrating one of Canada’s greatest World War 1 victories by creatively piecing together a number of well-drawn illustrations with informative narration. Safal highlights the important moments of the battle while also presenting the information in a riveting and entertaining fashion. He demonstrates an in-depth understanding and is able to retell the events of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in a highly captivating fashion. Safal’s project has an immaculate attention to detail and the quality of a professional videographer! 

Madelene authored an extremely thoughtful and informative news report about the Dieppe Raid. The report retells the historical events of the Dieppe Raid, while also incorporating authentic artifacts from that period, such as pictures of telegrams and letters from the time of the raid. Madelene’s project doubles as a beautiful testimony to her family history featuring her great-grandfather, who was involved in the Dieppe Raid. She creatively formed a story around the Dieppe Raid, interweaving her great-grandfather’s genuine experiences. This is a truly inspirational recount of her great-grandfather’s bravery and his heroic actions during the war. This seven-part series is well written, emotional, and a deserving project of the Lawson Literary Awards! 

Avery’s project is a creative historical fiction detailing the life experiences of Alice Munro. Comprised of extensive amounts of biographical information, she has presented these life experiences through the lens of a historical narrative. The story describes the life of a young student whose dreams begin to depict her Canadian History homework. This beautifully written piece uses intricate descriptions that appeal to all five senses. Readers are whisked away into the dreams of the young protagonist, where small fragments of Alice Munro’s life are revealed. These pieces are incredibly detailed and do a wonderful job of illustrating snippets of Alice Munro’s legacy. With this thoughtfully written story, Avery follows in Munro’s footsteps, displaying the skills of a young and talented author. 

Isabel retells the events of World War 2 from a very intimate perspective: a collection of historical diary entries. These entries depict battles of the war from an extremely personal point of view, guaranteed to evoke an array of emotions while reading. Dear Inge follows the letters of Stewart as he writes to tell his lover, Inge, about his travels to Canada and experiences as a medic during the war. The entries are elegantly written, transporting the reader back in time to experience the turmoil of the war, through the lens of couple’s relationship. Isabel does an exceptional job of embodying her characters, making the story feel genuine and profound. She successfully puts herself in Stewart’s shoes, resulting in a series of well-written letters, sure to tug at readers emotions.  Her thoughtfulness and expert use of language creates an atmosphere of empathy. Isabel truly brings her characters and their story to life! 

Rachel has brought to life an extremely detailed and attractive magazine describing the history of the Canadian Cancer Society. The magazine is complete with spectacular images, glossy paper, and realistic advertisements! The news articles, written by Rachel, explain the important work the Canadian Cancer Society does, while highlighting how this charity has been successful in helping millions of people globally. From the history of the society, to an interview with Tom Pershick, the author of the Northern Magazine, to interactive content like crossword puzzles, Rachel displays creativity and an eye for detail, all in an aesthetically pleasing format. With a well-formatted layout and strongly written articles, this magazine demonstrates Rachel’s talent for media communications.

Soham’s Why So Glum project is a thorough research report, exploring mental health and illnesses. Extensive research, including interviews he conducted himself, can be found throughout comprehensively addressing this very relevant and pressing issue. Soham reached out to the Canadian Mental Health Association and a team of Western University psychiatrists to get a first-hand account of their experiences with individuals struggling with mental illness. Soham’s report communicates the urgency surrounding mental health, effectively informing his audience of the importance of mental health advocacy in today’s world. Soham displays an in-depth understanding of mental health and encourages readers to do the same with the use of interactive life-situations, testing their knowledge. This research report is presented with great professionalism and paves the way for Soham to one day talk policy and mental health with government officials!

Katie’s Operation Yellow Ribbon project is a beautiful series of poems about the devastating events of September 11, 2001 and the Canadian Operation, Yellow Ribbon. Katie does an exceptional job of retelling the main events of that day along with the powerful role Canadians had in hosting passengers safely and closing airspaces. Katie describes the story and events with impact, evoking emotion from readers with just a few words. Her mastery of language is showcased in her powerful proverbs as she recounts how quiet Gander, Newfoundland becomes the emergency landing site for thousands of people. As one reads the poems, they find themselves hanging onto every word with suspense as the story unfolds. This series of carefully constructed poems would impress Shakespeare himself! 

Eyob has created a research report compiled from an array of formats including informational summaries, creative journal entries, and an infographic. Eyob explores the negative health implications of vaping and the increase in use amongst youth, despite its serious health complications. Eyob’s report aims to positively influence and deter other students from vaping. He uses a series of creative journal entries to highlight the challenges of peer pressure and how to confront these difficult situations. He makes sure to explain the devasting effects vaping can have on the community, incorporating an article where a local teen undergoes a lung-transplant. Eyob effectively outlines the consequences of vaping while providing his peers with strategies to avoid succumbing to peer pressure. He demonstrates admirable leadership and awareness of vaping. Local health units should keep an eye on this budding researcher! 

Maren’s fictional narrative details the events of the Halifax explosion from multiple perspectives. Her inspiration stems from a trip with her family to Halifax, where she witnessed the site of the Halifax explosion in-person. Using this experience and additional research, Maren has created a four-part story, in an effort to inform and connect readers with the devastating events that transpired that day. Each section of the story is creatively written from a different point of view. The life of each character has been created with intention, each with a thoughtful backstory and personality. Readers will find themselves empathizing with the characters as they await their unfortunate fate. From capturing the thoughts of a twelve-year-old girl to a solider at war, Maren expertly envisions herself in the shoes of each of her characters, creating realism. The creative portrayal of this event drives home the seriousness of the explosion and inspires many emotions when reading. We all look forward to reading more work done by this creative young author!