Amara W.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Red River Heritage Fair
St. Laurent Manitoba
In my project I learned about the history of the Mètis community of St. Laurent and compared what life was like in the past to the present.
What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?
The most interesting thing I learned is probably what big a difference there is between life in St. Laurent in the mid 1900s to now. So much has changed from schools not separating girls and boys to most people having running water at their house. But I have to say that everything I learned while doing this project was interesting.
What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?
An important lesson I learned from my project is how much you can achieve when you work together. St. Laurent did not get electricity until 1949 so until then the whole family had to pitch in, melting snow, and chopping wood. When they worked together they were able to live wonderful lives and were warm and well fed.
How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?
I think that that my life is a lot different from the lives of people who lived in St. Laurent in the early to mid 1900s because my house has electricity and my family doesn’t have 12 kids. I think my life has hardly any differences to those growing up in St. Laurent today other than the fact that most people who live in St. Laurent have to drive into Winnipeg to get groceries and go to doctors appointments.