PEI

Girl imagines a Canada, and will represent P.E.I. in Winnipeg

A nine-year-old girl from Charlottetown will be P.E.I.'s ambassador next week at a ceremony in Winnipeg celebrating reconciliation.

'You can be friends with anybody'

'I drew two people and they're running down a hill and they're friends,' says Julia Fitzgerald. (Julia Fitzgerald)

A nine-year-old girl from Charlottetown will be P.E.I.'s ambassador next week at a ceremony in Winnipeg celebrating reconciliation.

Julia Fitzgerald entered a drawing, sharing her vision of what reconciliation can be in a national contest called Imagine a Canada. The contest was open to students across the country, with a representative selected from every province.

Julia Fitzgerald is excited to attend the reconciliation celebration in Winnipeg. (Matt Rainnie/CBC)

Fitzgerald learned about truth and reconciliation and the residential school system in her Grade 4 class at the Montessori School of Charlottetown before creating her drawing.

"They talked about people leaving their homes and they were scared, and being forced to learn a new culture," she said.

For her drawing, she focused on the idea of friendship.

"You can be friends with anybody, no matter who it is."

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With files from Island Morning