Renfrew County students Abigail Baker, Jiya Savsani, Stella Ziegler, Henry Hocking, and Renfrew County Regional Science and Technology Fair chairperson Aidan Leach at the Canada Wide Science Fair in Edmonton, Alberta.
Four students from Renfrew County and northeastern Ontario represented the region at the 2026 Canada Wide Science Fair in Edmonton, earning national recognition for projects ranging from renewable energy to flood impacts on salmon habitats.
The students qualified for the national competition after winning the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories grand prize at the Renfrew County Regional Science and Technology Fair in April.
The Canada Wide Science Fair, held May 23 to 30 at the University of Alberta, brought together 393 finalists from across the country.
Among the local participants, Abigail Baker of Valour School in Petawawa received a Shad Canada special award for her project, Practical Polymers 2. Henry Hocking of Mackenzie Community School in Deep River earned a bronze medal for Salmon & Sediment Science: How Floods Affect River Sediment and Pink Salmon Spawning Success.
Jiya Savsani of West Ferris Secondary School in North Bay also captured a senior bronze medal with Highway Harvest 2.0: Optimizing Ways to Harness Renewable Energy on Highways.
Stella Ziegler of Fellowes High School in Pembroke participated with a project titled Kombucha leather… what if?
In addition to presenting their projects to judges including scientists, engineers and medical professionals, students participated in laboratory experiences, campus tours and networking opportunities with finalists from across Canada.
“I’m very proud of our team,” said Aidan Leach, chairperson of the Renfrew County Regional Science and Technology Fair, who accompanied the students to Edmonton.
“Not only did they demonstrate the bright future for our local youth with their incredible projects, they also represented Renfrew County with utmost class and positive attitudes.”
The Canada Wide Science Fair is the country’s only national science fair and represents the culmination of 98 regional fairs involving more than 16,000 schools nationwide.
Organizers of the Renfrew County Regional Science and Technology Fair thanked sponsors for supporting student participation, particularly Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, which sponsored the grand prize.
The next Renfrew County Regional Science Fair is scheduled for April 10, 2027, at the Algonquin College waterfront campus in Pembroke. The event is open to students in Grades 5 through 12 across Renfrew County.
(Steve Berard)
