(Submitted photo/Ava Haynes)

By Nolan Kowal

Science success

Clearwater River student wins bronze at national science fair

Jun 11, 2024 | 4:00 PM

A graduating Grade 12 student from Clearwater River Dene Nation has returned to northern Saskatchewan with a bronze medal from a national science fair.

Ava Haynes recently got back from Ottawa where she participated in the Canada Wide Science Fair (CWSF) at Carlton University.

“It was pretty surreal, because I was in my second year competing at the Canada Wide Science Fair and last year I focused more on water so I was in an entirely different category,” said Haynes. “This year, because I focused more on the bacterial aspect, I was placed in a more generalized category so the projects in my category were numerous and they were all so blow away amazing.”

“Just the general experience was breathtaking really…all of the people so interested in science gathered in once place with their projects.”

Despite the stiff competition, Haynes was still able to come away with a bronze medal, which came as a surprise to her.

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“It was really shocking, I was not expecting it all,” Haynes said. “I was kind of just happy to be there and be able to share my knowledge and what I learned and what my project meant. It was completely unexpected when they called my name. It took a minute to register.”

Specifically, Haynes’ project focused on bacteria in the Clearwater River and Dene region, tracking how far north it went and looking into the potential causes of the bacteria.

“Just because historically it should not be able to grow within the area,” she said, as she tried to determine what additional factors came up in recent years to create the bacteria’s ability to grow in the region.

Having recently graduated from high school, Haynes said she will now be attending the University of Saskatchewan this fall where she’ll be majoring in in biology and psychology.

“I’m thinking of eventually either becoming a research scientist in the biology or microbiology fields or going down the medical path and becoming a psychiatrist.”

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nolan.kowal@pattisonmedia.com