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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - William Alger finds the idea of giant beavers exciting.

Giant beavers were probably larger than black bears when they stood on their hind legs, he said.

William Alger holds up the beaver puppet that helped illustrate his Historica Fair project on the story of Yamoria and the giant beavers. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Alger, a Grade 5 student at Bompas Elementary School in Fort Simpson, learned all about these animals while researching his Historica Fair project on the story of Yamoria and the giant beavers.

Alger's grandmother, Jane McPherson, told him the story in Slavey.

"I think it's pretty interesting," said Alger.

The story tells how there were three giant beavers living in Great Bear Lake that would tip people over when they were travelling by canoe on the lake.

Yamoria said he would help with the problem and chased the animals down the Great Bear River until he finally killed them near Tulita.

Yamoria then stretched and pegged the beaver's skins on the south face of Bear Rock Mountain where the outlines of their pelts can still be seen.

It's an exciting story, said Alger.

"I like Dene legends so much," he said.

Alger's project on the story won him second place in the Grade 5 category at the school's Historica Fair. The projects were judged on April 1, and community members were invited to an evening viewing of the work.

Generally the students who connect with and get excited about their projects are the ones who are chosen to go on to the territorial level of the fair, said Brian Jaffray, president of the NWT Historica Fair Society.

The decision on which students from the village will advance to the territorials in Inuvik from May 21 to 24 is still pending. The program fits into the school's social studies curriculum.

"What we're hoping to inspire is students telling us stories of their families, cultural history and connection to Canada," Jaffray said.

The project medium is completely open and can include anything from performance art to computer slide shows. Nationally, the competition is open to students in Grades 4 to 9, however, at Bompas, students in all grade levels have been participating for the past three years.

The school is trying to build up participation in the fair by starting the students early, said Jaffray.

This year Julian Porter, a Grade 6 student, picked his own topic, the history of war.

"I watch a lot of war movies," said Porter to explain his choice.

Porter chose three events in First and Second World Wars that he wanted to learn more about including Passchendaele, D-Day and Pearl Harbour.

At Passchendaele, the troops had to fight in wet and muddy conditions.

"It was really hard for them," he said.

Porter's research won him third place in the Grade 6 category.

Other winners included Sylvia Pascua-Matte in first place for Grade 4, Harley Betsedea in second and a group project by Phoenix Martineau, Gabriel Day and Randall Hardisty in third.

In Grade 5, Aleyx Smith took first and Tyler Lafferty and Charles Blondin took third.

Grade 6 winners included Tiffany Larter in first and Robert Harold in second.

Madison Pilling took first in the Grade 7 category.