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On 9 November 2009, eight students from the Fort McMurray Christian Home Educators Group visited Fort McMurray Heritage Park for the Old Catholic Mission Homeschool Program. Here they learned about the Old Catholic Mission, St. Gabriel's Hospital, and St. John's Roman Catholic School. They also learned about what a curator does in a museum. Each student chose an artefact from one of the exhibits. They researched as much as they could about their artefact and then began a creative response to it.

Over the next two weeks they worked on their creative responses at home, and on 27 November 2009, they returned to present their final projects. Some of them wrote research reports, some of them had made books or written short stories, and others had filmed and compiled videos. The following storyline will display the students' photographs and projects, alongside the artefacts that inspired them. These creative responses are the students' interpretations of Fort McMurray history from their own unique points of view. This storyline shows how students of all ages can interact with their history and give it personal meaning.

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Zachary Leblanc, age 4, took the following photographs.

In the first photograph, a vestment is visible in the display case, and the stairs leading to the second floor are visible in the upper left-hand corner.
In the second photograph, the exhibit storyboards, as well as a set of baby scales, are visible.

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Display in Old Catholic Mission exhibit at Heritage Park; Homeschooler photo
9 November 2009
Heritage Park, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
TEXT ATTACHMENT


Credits:
Zachary Leblanc

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St. Gabriel's Hospital exhibit, homeschooler photos
9 November 2009
Heritage Park, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
TEXT ATTACHMENT


Credits:
Zachary Leblanc

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Evan Leblanc, age 9, took the following photographs.

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Old Catholic Mission at Heritage Park
9 November 2009
Heritage Park, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Evan Leblanc

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Medicine Cabinet in St. Gabriel's Hospital display at Heritage Park
1939-1966
Heritage Park, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Evan Leblanc

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Suzanne Braat, age 8, wrote the following short story, "The Surprise," based on her research on the baby scales in the photographs coming after it. She also took the photographs on the Hill Drugs building and the Chateau Gai.

Transcript of "The Surprise"

The Surprise

One brilliant morning Dad woke up and came into my room. He shook me until I woke. Dad told me we were going to have a ride in the glistening, glossy green automobile to the St Gabriel Hospital to see Mom ...and a special surprise! Dad took me to the hospital. We hugged and kissed Mom. Then she introduced us to the surprise... our new baby, Kim! Then the nun picked Kim up and set her on the weigh scale. She weighed a jolly 6 pounds!

I was so glad Dad took me to see Kim. Then we all got in the car and were on the way to our home but Mom said, ''Let's stop at Hill Drugs.'' When we got there Mom and Dad gave me two dollars. I decided I would buy Lego and that is what I bought! Mom bought baby toys for Kim and baby clothes. And Dad, well he got nothing. When we got home I held Kim so that Mom could rest. The next morning when I woke I was glad we had a new baby!

Then it was time to share with Grandma and Grandpa so we phoned to invite them to come to our house. They were happy to see us and meet Kim. Our grandparents stayed with us for three days then they went home. I was so happy I got to see my grandparents and we were all so happy to have a new baby. Kim was a wonderful 6 pound surprise!

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"The Surprise," a creative response by Suzanne Braat
November 2009
TEXT ATTACHMENT


Credits:
Suzanne Braat

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Baby scale on display in St. Gabriel's Hospital exhibit at Heritage Park; homeschooler photo
9 November 2009
Heritage Park, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Suzanne Braat

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Baby scale on display in St. Gabriel's Hospital exhibit at Heritage Park; homeschooler photo
9 November 2009
Heritage Park, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Suzanne Braat

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Hill Drugs, formerly Sutherland's Drugs, at Heritage Park
9 November 2009
Heritage Park, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Suzanne Braat

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Chateau Gai at Heritage Park
9 November 2009
Heritage Park, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Suzanne Braat

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Seth White, age 7, wrote the following short story, "My X-Ray," based on the x-ray machine featured in the photographs following the story. He also took the detail photograph of the x-ray machine.