Fort Simpson (Feb 13/04) - Do you ever wake up in the morning and find you just don't have enough time to brush your hair? Well Wesley Hardisty may have an answer for you.

Last week the Bompas Elementary school student unveiled a specially designed comb that allows you to brush your hair with just one stroke.

"People are always rushing in the morning, so this saves them time," said Hardisty of his creation, which is essentially four combs attached with judiciously placed pieces of scotch tape.

Hardisty and other Bompas students put their creativity on display at the school's first ever Invention Convention, held Feb. 6.

"It's been a lot of fun and a great learning experience for the kids," said teacher Karen McKay.

School officials replaced their conventional science fair with the Invention Convention to give students a chance to approach problems from an original point of view.

"We wanted to encourage them to think about things themselves," said McKay.

And a number of the inventions were truly original.

Jonah Sanguez, Connor Gaule and Rebecca Brown showed off a two-in-one shovel and ice chipper.

The invention lets you crack ice and bale snow all in one motion, even if it's a little on the weighty side.

"It's hard to pick up because it's heavy, but it works really well," said Gaule as he held up the contraption.

Helping you save time was a popular theme among the students.

One group attached a container of toothpaste to a toothbrush, so you could dispense the paste as you brushed your teeth.

Other inventions were so practical, you wonder why they aren't on the market.

Realizing that some students are prone to falling over when they lean back in their chairs, Tyrone Stipdonk created one that was untippable.

Using hinges, he attached two long pieces of wood to the back of his chair.

When the contraption reaches a certain angle, the pieces of wood deploy, saving an unwitting student from a bruise on the back of the head, not to mention some embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Morgan Lirette and Madison Pilling unveiled their invention: a specially designed cushion for skates that cuts down on chafing.

"We tried it out already and it works well," said Pilling.