Fort Simpson (May 26/06) - When Tyler Pilling went to visit relatives in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, he had no idea information he learned would later win him a trip to Halifax.

While in Crowsnest Pass, Pilling, a student in Class 7 at Bompas elementary school, went to the visitors' centre and learned about the Frank Slide.

The slide, deemed the greatest landslide in North American history, occurred on April 29, 1903 when Turtle Mountain, located near the small town of Frank, collapsed.

At school, when the students were told to decide on a topic for their historical projects, Pilling remembered the landslide.

It took Pilling three days to put together the project on the 1903 slide at Turtle Mountain. From his class in Fort Simpson, he was chosen to go to the Territorial Historical Fair in Yellowknife on May 12-13.

At the fair, Pilling became one of five students from across the Northwest Territories to be picked to travel to the national fair in Halifax.

"I didn't think I was going to win," he said.

"I was shocked and amazed and surprised and a little delusional."

This was Pilling's first time at the fair. He enjoyed putting his project together.

"You get to learn all of these different things you never knew before," he said.

For Pilling, 12, the most interesting fact about the slide is that 30-million cubic meters of limestone moved in 100 seconds.

He also learned about a horse named Charlie who survived for a month in a coal mine after the slide by chewing on a wooden mine cart. But after being found, he died when fed a treat of oats and brandy, Pilling said.

Fort Simpson was also represented at the territorial fair by Morgan Lirette and Madison Pilling. The two students from Class 4 did their project on Deh Cho fur fashions.

Their project, which examined items made from furs, different fashions and fashion designers, won an Aboriginal Heritage Award at the fair.

Madison Pilling said while researching the project they learned about mercury and how furs can be used in items you don't expect, like felt hats.

All three students were chaperoned at the fair by Class 4 teacher Leanne Lawley.

The students also received a tour of the legislative assembly, saw a play and went for bowling and pizza, Lawley said.