History buff

Greg Bailey has not taken the time to formally get acquainted with Canadian history as a student at Gander Collegiate. But that hasn't stopped him from topping a national contest on the same subject.

Mr. Bailey placed first out of 1,421 entrants in the Begbie Canadian History Contest, finishing with a mark of 98 per cent. He received $1,000 for his efforts.

He heard about the contest through Helen Merrigan-Martin, who teaches Canadian History at the school and is the acting social studies department head.

"She knew I was passionate about history, and so she informed me about it."

Mr. Bailey said Canada's history does not have as strong a profile as it should.

"We have an interesting history behind us, and yet no one really gives it the credit it deserves," he said. "I read books all the time about Canadian history - it's really one of my bigger interests. Most of my learning has been outside of school."

Mr. Bailey is particularly interested in the country's military history.

"I went to France in Grade 10, and we got to go to all the great Canadian battlefields, like Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, and Juno Beach," he said, referring to sites prominent the country's Second World War involvement. "All you hear is complaints about the military and all the things we're doing wrong in Afghanistan, but nobody realizes we have a rich military history."

The two-hour exam he wrote for the contest consisted of multiple choice questions and two long-answer questions.

"I didn't really think anything would come of it, because I wasn't too strong on early Canadian history, but I did my best with it."

His best turned out to be pretty good.

"It really feels great to be acknowledged on a national level. It's not something you get a chance for very often, especially in Gander."

Mr. Bailey learned of his top placing in the contest when he was called down to the Gander Collegiate office earlier this month.

"I couldn't think of any good reasons why I'd be down there, so I was a little worried. Sure enough, all the staff weren't telling me much. Then (Christina) Casey-Flynn and Ms. Merrigan-Martin, my two history teachers, ran in, gave me a hug, and said, "Congratulations." I came first."

Ms. Merrigan-Martin said the school had not participated in the contest for the last three years, but decided to get reacquainted with it in 2010.

"I knew he was going to do well with this contest, and I knew he would place somewhere, but I didn't expect him to win," she said. "He's like a sponge - he just absorbs everything."

Following his final year at Gander Collegiate, where graduation ceremonies were held last week, Mr. Bailey will be off to the University of New Brunswick on a $50,000 scholarship.

He intends to study engineering, which means his history pursuits will be relegated to his spare time.

"It's a bit of a disappointment, because although I'm good at math and sciences, I also really enjoy history," he said, adding all his electives will likely revolve around history and philosophy.

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