Canada Wide Science Fair 2007

Road Trip.....

This years Canada Wide Science Fair is in Truro, Nova Scotia. May 12-20 2007

The Finalist representing the Western Manitoba Science fair are:

 Kayleigh Brugger       Christian Heritage School    7-8
Is Your Fruit Really Clean?

KAYLEIGH wins the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Sciences Award!!

     
 Ellicia Vieira    New Era   7-8
You Be the Judge

Emily Goernert    Vincent Massey High   9-10

Which Mouthwash Best Reduces All

                        News From CWSF 2007                                 

Truro, Nova Scotia

Saturday, May 12, 2007

10:25 am.         Kirk Brugger drove us into Winnipeg this morning at 6:00 am.  Elly was already there and met us at the airport.  The flight left on time and with one short stop in Hamilton, we should be in Halifax by 6:15, Brandon time.  The in-flight entertainment was a dancing bear.  WestJet is different.  The girls promised to behave themselves!

10:00 p.m.        We are in and almost everything is ready to go.  Tonight there was a “Kitchen Ceilidh” at on of the local schools. It is a get together to party, usually impromptu and in someone’s kitchen.  We are still waiting for a number of people to arrive.  Still no sign of Ellie’s jacket, but word has it that it is with a group that isn’t in yet.

More tomorrow

Warren

News From CWSF 2007

Truro, Nova Scotia

Sunday, May 13, 2007

            Today was setup day.  We had no problem and safety checks were fine.  The only problems were making some of the paper and pictures stick to the backboards.  We have to remember to come up with a better idea for next year.

            Ellie got her jacket by noon.  It was with a bunch sent up for students from Northern Manitoba who came later.

            This evening we got dressed up and went out for dinner and the theatre.  The opening banquet was at the arena and then we went to a play at the Education Centre.  The cast was very talented.  They did “High School Play”.

            During the intermission we talked to a local volunteer about shopping in the area.  When we got back to the residence about 9:30 we planned a great escape to the next day.  We may have to ask for forgiveness, but it should be easier than getting permission.

Warren

News From CWSF 2007

Truro, Nova Scotia

Monday, May 14, 2007

            The schedule for today says two sets of workshops on courses at the agricultural college and the community college.  Our girls are only in Grades eight and ten.  However, they are very innovative and are with a rather adventurous leader.

            Last night I went online and managed to book a rental car.  What started out to be a plan for a tour of the town for some shopping, went to a possibility of Halifax, and finally a decision to go to PEI.  A taxi picked us up at 7:45 in the morning and the escape started.

            The first stop was a tourist centre on the Nova Scotia/New Brunswick border.  We needed maps, even though three out four of us were willing to ask directions.

            Then we came to this rather interesting bridge.  This is the technology portion of the field trip.   Diving from this end is free.  If you come the other way, it costs $40.75.  Yes it is the Confederation Bridge.  We were heading for our third province in one day.  We had lunch in Charlottetown.

            Now for the history part of the field trip. 

            The building in the background is where the first meeting for confederation took place in 1864.  We took a tour, without any other tourists.  Behind the photographer is a mall where we had lunch and spent some time and money shopping.   After lunch we headed for Wood Islands ferry dock at the other end of Prince Edward Island’s portion of  the Trans Canada Highway.  Yes, we traveled all of it.  Kayleigh kept watching for a lighthouse.  The car was due back at five.

            A quick u-turn and a side trip ten kilometers off the road found one.  It is called Point Prim. Then the girls had to go down to the tide flat and pick up sand, shells and a rock or two.  We made it for the 4:30 ferry.  The keys for the car would just have to be put in the key lock box when we got back.   The captain of the ferry was very friendly.  He let us tour the bridge and check our all the gadgets.  This is the marine navigation portion of this very educational tour.

            The ship is not very new.  It has two egg-beater props and can move sideways at five knots.  It’s easier to parallel park than a car. The navigation and radar system is a combination of newer and older parts.  It was a quiet and relaxing hour on the water. We were all back to residence by eight in the evening.  The girls are studying for the judging tomorrow.  It was a glorious twelve hours and 430 kilometers.

            More tomorrow, I hope.

Warren

News From CWSF 2007

Truro, Nova Scotia

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

            Today was judging all day.  Ellie and Kayleigh had seven judges each and Emily had six.  The girls were all pleased with how they did.  The divisional judging is now finished, and what will be, will be known at the awards ceremony on Friday afternoon.

            They each had to check out seventeen projects in their level and zone.  We are in Central Zone, which includes Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories.  The levels are Junior, Intermediate and Senior.  Ellie and Kayleigh are Junior and Emily is Intermediate.  They were to judge and pick the best three projects on their list.  They could vote for themselves, and were expected to do so.  The Petro Canada Peer Innovation Award they were judging for is $200.  We will find out the winners at the awards banquet.

            Tomorrow is judging all day for Interdisciplinary Awards.  The girls all nominated themselves for some of these when they registered.  It will be another long day.

            I went to a delegates business meeting this morning and a presentation by next year’s host committee on their upcoming fair.  CWSF will be in Ottawa in 2008, Winnipeg in 2009 and Peterborough in 2010.  Ottawa sound very interesting.  Here is the host committee doing an RCMP Musical Ride of the assembled delegates.  Obviously we were free of the kids for afternoon.

News From CWSF 2007

Truro, Nova Scotia

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

            Special judging is over and speculation is running wild through the dorms.  Everybody talked about how many judges each had and what they said.  We will know on Friday who won all the prizes.

            Kayleigh and Ellie were in the Truro Daily today.  They both have copies to take home.  I checked the paper’s web site.  It has the interviews but not the pictures.  The site is www.trurodaily.com.

            Every province has a yell that comes up at many of the events.  The Quebec group is the loudest.  Manitoba doesn’t have one, because we are too calm and we are deep thinkers. 

            You can check out a blog of the fair run by a guy called Mubdi.  The site is http://cwsf07.mubdirahman.com/

            Tonight is the last “Canada Has Talent” show and then there is a video dance.  It has been raining and cold all day.  We are hoping it clears for the outdoor tours tomorrow.  They are saying a high of about 9 degrees and rain in the morning.

            I don’t have any pictures from today.  I was in meetings for the past two days and the girls were tied up in judging.  The pressure is now off and tomorrow we are on tours from morning until 5:30.  Kayleigh is on the “Lunenburg” leaving at 6:45.  Ellie is taking “Halifax Culture” leaving at 7:45.  Emily is “Annapolis Valley” leaving at 6:45 and I am on “Halifax Titanic” leaving at 7:30.  We will all be back about 5:30.  In the evening we are on a night on the town with supper out and a tour of Victoria Park and downtown shopping.

Warren

News From CWSF 2007

Truro, Nova Scotia

Thursday, May 17, 2007

            Today was tour day.  The weather was rainy and cold all day.  I was the last to get back at 6:00 p.m.  Everyone enjoyed the outing in spite of the weather.  All the pictures are from the Titanic tour because we haven’t been able to share the digital images with the technology we have here.  We will make CD’s containing everyone’s pictures when we get home.

            The first stop on the Titanic tour was the Bedford Institute of Marine Studies.  We were met by Alan Ruffman, who wrote a book on the Titanic.  He joined us twice during the tour as a guide.  His stories were fascinating and he has a genuine love of the subject.  He had some of his books for sale and many of us now have autographed copies.  He was with us on the last stop at the Titanic cemetery.  The picture shows him at the grave of Alma Paulson, the supposed mother of the unknown child in the cemetery.  He was involved in the recent research that identified the child. 

            We also visited the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.  The exhibits were very interesting for prairie people.  A person could easily spend several hours there.  The exhibits on the Titanic and the Halifax explosion were especially poignant.

            During the trip on the tall ship Silva, many of the kids got to steer.  The circle turned into series of back and forth (port and starboard) swings along the Halifax harbor.  We saw a celebrity moored along the dockside.

            When we got home we went out for supper and the night on the town.  It will be an early night, because the girls have school tours coming through the exhibit hall tomorrow morning and I have delegate meetings.  At 2:00 is the awards ceremony when we pick up all our medals and money.  The awards banquet starts after the ceremony and then there is the final dance.  We will try to get through on phones if (when) we win anything.

Warren