2026 Heritage Fair National Showcase

The Heritage Fair National Showcase is a celebration of student curiosity, creativity, and commitment to exploring Canada’s history, heritage, and culture. This year’s participants represent a new generation of historians passionate about understanding the past to make sense of the present.

Each project was created as part of the Heritage Fairs program, a bilingual educational initiative that encourages students to investigate Canadian history and heritage through creative, student-led projects. Every year, thousands of students present their projects at school and regional fairs throughout the country. The projects featured here were selected for the National Showcase based on the quality of their research process.

From local legends and family stories to projects on Indigenous traditions, immigration, injustices, and inventions, these young historians demonstrate thoughtful research, personal reflection, and engaging storytelling.

Congratulations to all the students whose work is featured in this year's National Showcase!

Judges will review all submissions and select four students to be this year's National Showcase winners, receiving a $500 RESP contribution and a trip for two to a special celebration. The winning projects will also be featured in Canada’s History magazine.

Vote for your favourite project!

Your favourite project could win a People's Choice Prize. Voting is open until 11:59 pm ET on July 1, 2026.

VOTE HERE

2026 National Showcase

Explore the 2026 Heritage Fair National Showcase below to discover the breadth and depth of projects presented by students throughout Canada. Click on individual projects to learn more about the research process, discoveries, and personal connections these students have made with Canada's rich heritage.

P.S. Looking for more great projects? Many students submitted their work in French! Explore the French-language Showcase here.

Alberta

Taeton T.

I explored my grandmother's immigration story from Vietnam to Canada. What struggles did she face on her journey? What was her story?

Afia S.

How did the Indian Act impact Indigenous art? How did the Indian Act influence the way Indigenous art was viewed by the public?

Thansika N.

Was the St. Lawrence Seaway really worth it? After all the lost culture and way of life, do we still think it was worth taking away everything these people knew, for a government project?

Sanaa M. and Mumtaz W.

Did the oil discovery in Alberta bring more benefits or more long-term problems?

Ayaan K.

How did the RCMP help build Canada in the past, and why are they still important to Canada today?

British Columbia

Jerson J.A.P.K.

How did Joseph Burr Tyrrell make an impact in the world?

Devon W.

Why is St. Roch important to remember?

Dylan R.

How did the relocation of the Atlanta Flames to Calgary in 1980 transform the franchise's identity, success, and community connection?

Eva A.

How did horses help in World War One and how were they recruited, transported, and treated? How were horses protected from poison gas?

Hailey C.

What is the history of Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park?

Jayce K.

How does YVR go beyond its basic functions of an airport to reflect Canada’s identity and values, shape visitors’ first impressions, and contribute positively to local communities through reconciliation, environmental protection, and community support?

Guralam S.D.

What was the impact of the Komagata Maru incident on Canadian history? Why did the Canadian government pass the "continuous journey" regulation and not allow Indians?

Manvir V.

To what extent did the 1946 Rand Formula, which was developed in response to the 99-day Ford strike in Windsor, reshape Canadian labour relations by balancing employers’ demands for workplace control with unions’ demands for security?

Jack L.

What was it like for Cougar Annie to live as a female in the early 1900s?

Victoria A.

How did racism shape who got historical credit, and how does that reflect on Canadians today?

Kyelan S.

How does the Canadarm support missions beyond earth?

Logan S.

What was Canada’s influence on the liberation of the Netherlands?

Manitoba

Danyet S. and Shamira S.

What is the cause and impact of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada, and how can we improve outcomes in the future?

Javis W.

How did the development of the fur trade in the Hudson Bay region impact the Cree, including those in my own community, God’s Lake First Nation?

Wendell A. Jr.

How and why did hunters in Manitoba change their methods, tools, and safety strategies across the four seasons? I also wanted to compare Indigenous, traditional, and modern ways of hunting and understand why hunters needed to adapt during each season.

Sviatoslav B.

Why did Ukrainians begin immigrating to Canada in 1891, how did this immigration impact agriculture in Canada, and what was happening in the history of Indigenous Peoples — including why they were losing their rights and lands?

Sandra H.-S.

How and why did Indigenous workers participate in the sugar beet industry in Manitoba?

New Brunswick

Jack W.

What inspired David Adams Richards to become an author and what key moments in his journey allowed him to use his creativity to share stories that built lasting connections with the people and places of his hometown?

Robert R.M.

My grandmother owns Sir John A. Macdonald’s teapot and my question was how did the teapot end up in our family?

Samara J. and Sofia J.

What was the Spanish Flu and how did it affect New Brunswick?

Axton B.

My topic examines how immigrants have influenced Canada's development and identity. How have experiences such as my family’s journey from Japan shaped Canadian heritage?

Abdulhaleem A.

How did New Brunswick influence the decisions that led to Confederation, and why was its involvement important in forming the Dominion of Canada?

Claire M. and Greer L.-S.

What effect did Centracare, the old asylum that used to be in Saint-John, have on Saint-John health and patients?

Diego D.V.

Why is St. Peter’s Ballpark historically important, and why is it worth saving for the future generations?

Kaiya M.

What was Canada’s pay equity like when my great-grandmother was alive and what is it like now?

Scarlett M.

If we can see that history is repeating itself, are we doing enough to achieve an end to all prejudice?

Nova Scotia

Ziqi L.

Why is Orange Shirt Day important today? What was the government goal of residential school? How did they used to treat Indigenous people? What we do to remember those who never came back? What did they do at residential school?

Chloe V.

My project is about the 1979 Glacé Bay coal mine explosion that happened in the Colliery 26 coal mine. What exactly happened that day? How did this affect the community?

Kate B.

How has life on the LaHave Islands changed over time, and what can my family’s history teach us about the experiences of early settlers in Nova Scotia?

Christena M.

How did blacksmithing shape rural Cape Breton communities, and how did it start the industrialization of Canada?

Chloe M.

How are Ojibwe traditions and teachings passed down through generations?

Arushi A.

What is the historical significance behind everything in Quebec City today?

TaeRoy A.

What were the immigration experiences for Black Loyalists, Jamaican Maroons, and the Black Refugees, and how did they contribute, and still contribute to Canada today?

Ontario

Eve S.

How did Frederick Banting make his discovery and why is he considered a Canadian hero?

Daniyal K.M.

How has Indo‑Islamic heritage shaped Canada’s multicultural identity, and why does it matter today? I wanted to understand not only what Indo‑Muslims brought with them, but how their traditions, values, and cultural expressions continue to influence Canadian society.

Akshayaa S.

How and why has fashion travelled with us and changed with us through moments of history? How has it impacted society and been a movement for change?

Marco H. and Declan F.

What events and innovations took place for the Royal Canadian Air Force to become what it is today?

Sophia B.

What are my family's connections to Kingston, and how long have we lived here?

Danica D.

What was the impact of Canada's courage and involvement in World War 2 on the Netherlands?

Brighton R.

Is Nellie McClung a good person who did bad things, or a bad person who did good things?

Felix C. and Hudson B.

What impact did the Klondike Gold Rush have on the Yukon?

Raina L.

How have Canadian philosophers impacted and shaped Canada with their works and ideas (these ideas still impact Canada today!)?

Brooke D.

Was Louis Riel a hero or a villain? Louis Riel defended his people, but in doing so became a "traitor" to Canada.

Cole D.

What happened during the Fraser, Cariboo, and Klondike gold rushes, and how did they affect Canada’s history?

Makayla L.

“Why?” is the main question: why did the Inuit Dog Sled Massacre happen, who was responsible, and what impact did it have on the Inuit people?

Eleanor H.

How has advertising impacted queer Canadians since the 19th century?

Acadia E.

Who was a Canadian born before 1914 that the Canadian public should know about? My topic was a biography about Ian McTaggart-Cowan, the father of Canadian ecology.

Alyssa T.

Why did immigrants arrive in Canada from the 1850s to present day?

Gurmehak W. and Sachkirat K.S.

How do paintings of the Seven Years’ War show history, and are they always accurate or fair?

Avleen G.

How has the discovery of insulin impacted lives in Canada and around the world?

Prince Edward Island

Autumn L.

I turned my backyard into an archaeological site! How did the artifacts get there and why are they there, which is something I've wondered ever since I found that first piece of pottery.

Darwin Z.

What is fencing, and what is the significance of Eleanor Harvey in fencing?

Benjamin D.

Air Canada Flight 143 had to make an emergency landing at a retired R.C.A.F. base in Manitoba, after running out of fuel. What are the key facts behind this story?

Saskatchewan

Addison C.

How did people live more than 200 years ago? 

Rhajie T.

Who was Marshall McLuhan? What does it mean to understand media?

Hailey B.

Who is Viola Desmond and how did she impact Canadian history?

Harli R.

Why is Lake Athapapuskow important to Canadian history and geography?

Esther O. and Mikaela P.

We wanted to share our immigration journey from South Africa to Canada and to share that it isn't that easy.

Aubrey S.

What is the history of maple syrup?

Yenuli P. and Xianyi L.

What is bannock and why is it so important to Canadians?

Miraaj M. and Rimsha R.

We focused on Dr. Oronhyatekha, a Mohawk physician, leader, and nation-builder from Six Nations of the Grand River. How did Dr. Oronhyatekha’s identity and Haudenosaunee values influence his leadership, achievements, and lasting contributions to Canada?

Layne M.

Why did the Mennonite and Doukhobor people come to Saskatchewan?

Swathi S.K.

Who were the Bluebird Nurses and why do they need more recognition in Canada?

Yukon

Ava D.

How has the Special Olympics shaped Canadian culture?

Autumn T. and Arlynn K.

What are residential schools and why did they exist?
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