Peterborough student wins gold medal at Canada-Wide Science Fair

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Posted By ANDREA HOUSTON/Examiner Education Writer

Updated 3 months ago

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Bell, who lives in Warsaw, designed a filtration system that cleans water using the common herb oregano.

It's an invention based on her grandfather's spaghetti sauce, she said.

When she noticed her grandfather's sauce lasts for weeks in the fridge, she said, she asked him why it kept for so long.

He told her the secret lies in the spices he used, which included oregano. The spices did more than flavour the sauce.

Last year she tested her theory to find out if oregano actually killed bacteria.

And it did, she said.

"This could be used in Third World countries, such as Haiti, because the oregano I used in my filter was a product of Dominican Republic, which is right next door to Haiti, and there's no electricity needed to filter the water," she said.

The 16-year-old and her project, Another Tale My Grandfather Told Me, was a big winner at the fair's award ceremony Friday at the Selwyn Outreach Centre.

She is taking home about $40,000 in cash and scholarships, including a trip to Stockholm, Sweden Sept. 4 to 10 to attend a conference on water, she said.

Next year Bell will "possibly" head to the international science fair, she said.

After she graduates she plans to go to Lakehead University to study environmental sciences.

"We are very excited and proud of Alyson," said the principal of Lakefield District Secondary School Tanys Howell. "She's worked very hard."

About 500 students and pupils in Grades 7 through 12, representing 102 regions across Canada, have been competing all week at the fair.

There were about 350 awards presented to the top young scientists in various categories, including automotive, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sciences, computing and information, Earth and environmental science, engineering, environmental innovation, health sciences, life sciences and physical and mathematical sciences.

The high-energy awards presentation had the audience of about 1,000 on their feet cheering, singing, clapping and dancing.

"These are the finest bright minds in the country," David Cashin, the chairman of the National Science Fair Committee, told The Examiner. "They're all solving real problems that we have today.

"It always amazes me how wonderful these kids are."

The top prize, the best in fair award, went to Belleville's Justin Whitaker, 19, for his Bio-Binding: A Precipit-Action project.

"I can't believe it," he said, still slightly dazed after the win. "This is just such an honour. It's such a great way to end your high school career.

"The support I got from my family and friends and everyone at the fair has been so nice. I can barely take this moment in."

The Moira Secondary School student developed a project that stops a phenomenon known as "soil liquefaction," he said.

Soil liquefaction is when the soil under a structure's foundation is lost due to earthquakes or blasting, he said.

"You can concentrate so much on your internal structure that you can forget about your external environment," he explained. "You can have this perfect structure, but if it begins to settle and topple over all is for naught and you've lost millions of dollars."

Whitaker looked at an organic way to strengthen the soil, he said, because in the past builders used mainly chemicals.

"The extensions of this idea are only limited to the imagination of the engineer trying to apply it," he said.

Whitaker said he's likely heading to the University of Ottawa to study health sciences.

Ottawa's Sandro Young, 16, won the platinum award for best intermediate project and the gold medal for computing and information technology.

"I can't believe this," he said. "I just called home and my parents are really excited.

"It's crazy to think an idea I had has gone this far."

The other platinum award winner, this time for best junior project, was Mikaela Preston, 13, from York Region.

She also won the gold medal in biotechnology and pharmaceutical sciences.

"I can't believe I won!" she said, beaming.

Her project was called Algae into Biofuel.

After the awards presentation, the students headed back to Trent University to party the night away in Champlain College at a Much Music video dance party.

NOTE: The science fair opens its doors to the public Saturday between 9 a.m. and noon at the Evinrude Centre on Monaghan Rd.

ahouston@peterboroughexaminer.com

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