Blake Ellis/Local Journalism Initiative

The spokesman of Lambton County’s science fair is hoping the success of a local student on the international stage will inspire others

The Lambton County Science Fair will hold its 50th event on March 31 and April 1 at Lambton College. Committee member Peter Smith says the science fair is much older than 50 years, but 1973 it became a charity.

Much of the history of the science fair has been lost prior to 1973, but Smith is hoping people will come forward to recount their memories of participating in the science fair on the group’s social media page.

Participation levels in the science fair have taken a hit since the pandemic. There were 94 projects and 130 students taking part in 2019. Then, the 2020 science fair was cancelled. There were just 41 projects in 2021.

Smith is hoping the success of Annabelle Rayson will inspire more participation this year. The Grade 11 student from St. Patrick’s High School in Sarnia to the Canada Wide Science Fair winning numerous awards for her project, Plankton Wars which gave solutions to solving algae blooms. She also won the Junior Water Prize in Stockholm, Sweden and third prize at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in Leiden, Netherlands.

There are also financial incentives. Cash prizes are awarded to the best entries in four categories. The best projects are in the intermediate and senior categories are eligible to go to the Canada Wide Science Fair.