TORONTO—Grade 8ers from across Canada that get off the game console and behind the video camera could be on their way to Banff for an all-expenses paid trip for their entire class.
Environment Minister Peter Kent announced the contest at École secondaire Étienne-Brûlé on Thursday morning to a gym full of students.
“Your enthusiasm, your energy is catching. We’re hoping you will channel some of this energy and your talent on the new and very exciting contest we’re proud to announce today,” Kent told the students, including a contingent from Gordon Brown Middle School.
“I sound like a game show host,” Kent joked, before channelling Bob Barker to give the details of the prize to laughing students.
That prize is a flight via Air Canada to Calgary and four days, three nights of adventure at Banff National Park worth $51,000.
Entrants must recreate a significant moment related to a national park, historic site, or national marine convention area in three minutes or less.
“Today we protect 43 national parks and 167 national historic sites and 4 marine conservation areas, and in process of creating more,” said Kent.
Videos will be posted for online voting and 10 entries with the highest number of votes will become finalists, one of which will be chose by a panel of judges as the winner.
The winning class will be announced in February for a spring trip.
Kent said in an interview later that heading up Parks Canada was a highlight of his job as Environment Minister.
“Connecting young Canadians with the national parks, historic sites, and marine areas is really a lot of fun,” Kent said between speaking with groups of students who milled around the minister and an entourage of sponsors and VIPs.
“It’s great to see that little spark of inspiration, even if, obviously, only one class will get to go to Banff in the end.”
The goal of the contest is to connect kids with the great natural spaces in their area, and plant an interest in visiting parks.
He said the project was a special facet of Parks Canada’s centennial celebrations this year, marking 100 years since the department’s creation. It was the first national parks program in the world.
“I’m look forward to seeing some of the entries and we'll be getting hundreds, we know. It should be a lot of fun seeing what the kids can come up with.”
Parks Canada already runs the My Parks program, which gives grade 8 students a free pass to all parks for a year.
“It establishes a connection with the young that we hope will carry on throughout their lives and inspire them to visit other parks,” Kent said.
With kids spending more time in front of computers and less outdoors, programs like My Pass are part of Parks Canada’s efforts to get kids outside.
Also upcoming is the airing of Operation Unplugged, a reality TV show that will pit text-aholics against Facebook junkies in outdoor challenges in Parks Canada sites. The show, sponsored in part by Parks Canada, will air on the Travel + Escape Channel in early 2012.
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