Kenora Catholic District School Board

Learning that the Kenora Riding is 1/3 the land mass of Ontario and roughly the same size as France was just the start of what the students at St. John School learned earlier this week during a visit from MP, Bob Nault. He visited the school as part of the Grade 5 Social Studies Curriculum and talked about the role of government and responsible citizenship.

He also discussed the role of each branch of government; federal, provincial, municipal and First Nations and talked about how all the clothes the students were wearing, whether made in Canada or the United States or China, all have to meet certain regulations and laws made by the government. He quizzed the students on their knowledge of elected leaders. They all knew Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; a few knew Kathleen Wynn, Premier of Ontario and everyone knew Red Lake Mayor Phillip Vinet. Nault left them with homework when a few were stumped on the Red Lake Municipal Councillors. Nault said, "that is your homework for our next visit."

The discussion with Mr. Nault left an impression on the students.

Madison Rock a Grade 6 student was surprised by what she learned. "I was really surprised to learn that the Kenora Riding is about the size of France. I also learned that Mr. Nault is the only person that represents the people of this area in Ottawa. I never knew that the federal government had so much impact on my life including the clothes I wear and the furniture in my house."

"It was really cool having Mr. Nault visit our school," says Haley Wesolowski a Grade 4 student. "It was interesting to hear Mr. Nault talk about the stuff that we learned about in Social Studies because now I know more about the role of the federal government and how it affects my life."

Tom Doherty, Teacher from St. John School, organized the visit. "This visit allows our students to gain a global perspective and make connections between themselves and the rest of the world. Hearing about the great things that the Government of Canada does, not only for its citizens but for others throughout the world, gives our students a great sense of civic pride that resonates in the effort they put into their community service projects. Every time Mr. Nault visits our school he always teaches the students something new and generates a lot of discussion amongst the students."

Mr. Nault's last visit to St. John School was January 2016.

Mr. Nault is the member of parliament for the riding of Kenora, where he serves 53 communities, including 42 First Nations.