The region is celebrating the sciences this weekend. So head on down to the College of the Rockies to see the cutting edge from the East Kootenay’s leading lights.
The East Kootenay Regional Science Fair kicked off Thursday, March 7, and runs through Saturday with science exhibits from southeast B.C. Some 80 students will be in attendance with 67 science projects on display at the College of the Rockies gymnasium.
Schools are represented from Elkford, Sparwood, Fernie, Kimberley, Jaffray and Cranbrook.
The Science Fair is divided into a Grade 6 area and a Grade 7-12 area.
Friday is the big day and the competitive part of the weekend, with Grades 6-12 projects on display. After opening remarks from visiting dignitaries at 9 a.m., the Grade 6 section will be closed to the public until 11 a.m., and the Grade 7-12 area will be closed to the public until 12:15 p.m. while judging sessions take place.
However, industry exhibits and activities will be open to the public starting at 9:30 a.m., in the upstairs hallway at the College. Exhibitors here include Columbia Outdoor School, Engineers and Geo-Scientists of BC, Accelerate Kootenays, Rocky Mountain Trench Society, Skookumchuk Pulp Mill, Tipi Mountain Eco-Cultural Services, the Rocky Mountain Naturalists, and SD5 Tech and Coding.
Guest speakers will be offering words in the early afternoon as well.
From 2:30 pm to 3 p.m. are the Grade 7-12 awards and special awards presentations.
Saturday, March 9, is the non-competitive part of the Fair, with the Kindergarten and Grade 5 projects on exhibit. The competitive winning projects will be on display, and make sure you check out the every-popular Bridge-Breaking Contest set for 11:15 a.m. The Fair wraps up at 1:30 p.m.
Several scholarships are associated with the Fair, both Provincial and local. As well, there are cash prizes for the taking of $50 and $150 for winning presentations and other categories.
The East Kootenay Fair is one of 102 regional fairs taking place across Canada this year, featuring more than 25,000 students. The East Kootenay Fair is the local event in advance of the national event, the Canada-Wide Science Fair, this year to be held in Fredericton, New Brunswick, in mid-May. The East Kootenay sends four participants to the Canada-Wide Fair each year.
For more information, go to https://ekrsf.ca/index.html
Pictured above: The opening of the East Kootenay Science Fair, 2018. The 2019 edition is underway at College of the Rockies.