P.E.I. students seek votes in Young Citizens video competition

Twelve Island students with outstanding school heritage projects have created videos about their projects and are now are competing with other Canadian students in a national Young Citizens video competition.

The videos feature stories of family history and businesses operating on P.E.I.

Nicholas Dickieson told CBC Radio: Mainstreet PEI's Angela Walker about his project on an outlaw in his family lineage of whom he is proud, despite the man having served time in jail.

Dickieson's great-great-great grandfather, Charles Dickieson, fought against the tenant laws that saw landowners lose their land and then have to rent it from the new owner, he said.

Family connection

Lauren Johnston did her project on french fry processor Cavendish Farms, in part because her father works there.

"I knew Cavendish Farms employed a lot of people and I wanted to know why they were so important to the Island, to our economy and to Canada, and I learned a lot."

Shelby Dyment focused her heritage project on a business that, while no longer in business, played a key role in future Island businesses.

"My project is on the Tyne Valley cheese factory, and that is just one of the parts of making ADL the dairy company that we all know and love today."

'I was amazed'

Ardyn Hardy's project was about Island politician Catherine Callbeck, P.E.I.'s first female premier. Callbeck was also a federal MP and served as a senator.

"I had two interviews with her and I was amazed," said Hardy.

The videos for the competition had to be four minutes or less, and students were encouraged to go out and interview people, or shoot in interesting locales.

Johnston learned a lot about shooting videos, she added.

"You have to have your words in there, you have to have your timing right. But it was a great experience, it was a lot of fun."

Voting for videos is open until July 7 on the Young Citizens website. 13 will be decided by popular vote, and 13 winners will be chosen by judges. The 26 winners will travel to Ottawa for the Canada's History Youth Forum this fall.

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